Sándor Rózsa (born July 10,ándorRó 1813, Röszke – died November 22, 1878, Szamosújvár) was a Hungarian outlaw (in Hungarian: betyár) from the Great Hungarian Plain. He is the best-known Hungarian highwayman; his life inspired numerous writers, notably Zsigmond Móricz and Gyula Krúdy. He enjoyed much the same esteem as English highwayman Dick Turpin, with elements of Robin Hood thrown in for good measure. Rózsa, like Jóska Sobri, is one of the most famous Hungarian betyárs (bandits).
Biography
His mother's name was Kántor Erzsébet.[6] He lost his father, András Rózsa, at an early age, as he was hanged for horse stealing,[5] and according to other sources he was shot dead during a robbery in Bácska.[4]
This had a major impact on the rest of his life. He was illiterate. He committed his first crime on the outskirts of Kiskunhalas. In 1836, at the age of 23, he was prosecuted for stealing two barren cows from farmer István Darabos. He was then sent to Szeged prison. After his adventurous escape from Szeged Prison, he became a runaway, and many infamous outlaw adventures were associated with his name.
He killed 30 people, including gendarmes,[5] robbed farms, drove away cattle and horses. For this he was in constant flight and persecution. In 1845, he submitted a petition for clemency to the king, claiming that he would like to live an honest life, but his petition for clemency was rejected by the monarch.
During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
In October 1848 on behalf of the Committee of Defence (Honvédelmi Bizottmány), he joined the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 with his company of 150 mounted fighters. With their unusual appearance and fighting style, they were also successful in the fight for freedom. On 17 November, Colonel Lajos Asbóth sent Sándor Rózsa's Free Troops to disarm the village of Ezeres, who robbed the village and killed 36 of its inhabitants (who did not voluntarily and immediately hand over their jewellery and valuables to Rózsa).7 This scandal soon led Sebő Vukovics (the Hungarian government's commissioner for Southern Hungary) to disband Rózsa's Free Corps.
After the restoration of Habsburg power
After the fall of the revolution he was forced to flee and returned to his earlier brigand lifestyle. Sándor Rózsa became a colt rider near Szeged and got married. There was a false rumour that he was the leader of a revolutionary conspiracy, so an unusually high bounty of 10,000 silver forints was put on his head to ensure his capture. Despite this, he was not caught for a long time, until in 1857 his comrade-in-law, a farmer named Pál Katona from Szeged, handed him over to the gendarmes. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. He spent 9 years in prisons at Kufstein, Szabadka and Pétervárad till he was released in a general amnesty in 1868. Sándor Rózsa was such a notorious personality that during his imprisonment in Kufstein, he could be seen for money in the marketplace on Sundays. Many people wanted to see him.
In the same year he resumed his old pursuits and robbed post coaches and railway trains.