Dark Deeds

In Florence, Fascists killed and wounded a number of Freemasons; plundered and burned several houses belonging to members of the Masonic order.

Shortly after the event Fascist-censored cables and telegrams declared that a hot-headed Freemason, Giovanni Benciolini had wantonly shot and killed Cavaliere Luperini, a Fascist leader, and had then been set upon by an infuriated Fascist mob, which not only beat him to death but wreaked awful vengeance upon all Freemasons who could be found.

Curiously enough, when uncensored letters were received concerning these dark doings, it was represented that the Fascist leader who had allegedly been murdered without cause, had actually begun the trouble by striking an old Freemason, Cavaliere Bandinelli, violently across the face, while trying to make him divulge the names and addresses of all the Freemasons in Florence. Benciolini, a friend of the old man, had then shot the Fascist, and the harsh reprisals which followed were alleged to have been committed by disciplined Fascist militiamen.

As yet it does not definitely appear which of these versions is the correct one. The Grand Master of the Masonic Order in Italy, Signor Torrigiana, has issued orders from Rome that all Masonic lodge meetings and activities are to cease throughout Italy "until the law abolishing secret societies shall be made void."