Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-03-24

| visit the cabin of C~alakena. Al the time ap-
uoin,ed, he went thi,her accordingly.
On the following morning, Giacomo Sal
vadi stood rs n prisoner before the chief mag.
istrate Of Saragossa, in the presence Of an
eager and whispering crowd. Tho hands Of
| Salvadi werc tied behind his back. On the
! court table, in front Of the bench Of Justice,
there lay some linen and portions Of female
attire, stained deeply with blood. In a glass
beside them was n portion Of the same fluid.
Tie alcade-mayor first broke silence. by
addressing the accused. "Giacomo Saliva.
d." said the magistrate, YOU are charged
with tho assassination of Donna Isabella,
your own betrothed bride. Have you any
defence TO offer, or explanation TO giver
YES, SIR replied tho accused, in low bu,
firm tones.
Speak them said the alcade; 'and may
Heaven enable you TO justify yourself and
clear up this dreadful transaction
The accused commenced by a statement
of VIVA, has already been detailed here, de.
scribing Donna lsabella's visit to the sorcer-
ess, and the consequent request made TO him
self that he also should visit Calakena's cabin.
I went thi,her,' continued the accused, land,
MS directed, nearly at the hour of midnight.
The sorceress met me al the threshold OF finer
cabin. You are welcome said she ; you
must now come with me 10 some distance
from this place. But in the first place, let
ne ask if you have a firm bold hearth i
think | have,' was my rcply.-'Then let us
hence answered the sorccrcss and dcsir-
ing me to follow closely, she walked away
from The cahm.-The night was rather dark,
the ligh, of the moon being hut feeble. We
walked on without stopping, for nearly n
quarter of an hour, until we reached the court
Of the church of Pillar. Calakrna here made
me enter into ii low and din,ly.lighted cham
her. All that | could see in it was IA table
with a black cIo,, upon it, concealing somc-
thing. An empty glass anda poiniard stood
on another table or shelf
'Giacomo!' said the sorceress, in a low
hut cmpatlie,ic voice, 'ifyou would be happy,
strike that proiniard through this cloth!
llesiiated. u know not said l, If
ought to do such a thing without knowing
Coward! = muttered Calakena, you
would command destiny, and yet your arm
trcmbles at such a petty trial!
thinking that, at the most, this trial could
only be a foolish and %frui,less piece Of num-
merry. I became ashamed of my weakness.
and lifted the poiniard, struck i, into the mid
die of the black cloth. Horrible to relate,
blood Immediately burst intoa stream through
tho aperture made by the weapon in one
instance after the stroke was struck and be-
fore | could recover from tho shock c0nse-
quent mpon it's results. Caiakcno, who had
the glass in her hand, darted forward, and
caugh, some drops of the flowing blood into
it.
ITO thy health, Giacomo Salvadi! cried
she, with the voice Ola triumphant demon,
as she raised the glass TO her lips |; 1T is Ma
%rianetta who drinks to thee !
In the sorceress I now recognized a wo.
man will, whom l had been acquainted ma.
ny years before, and who, when | had LETT
her, had sworn bitter vengeance against me.
But ] had no time TO attend to her, for ere
her frantic words were uttered, quick rs her
proceedings were, the black cloth had been
Cast of, and | found Il woman on the table,
nttcring her dy ing means. The meaning of
the sorceress was now made bnt too clear to
me. The victim was my bciro,llcd bride.
Isabella From her simple lips. Calakcna
had learned my name and my intention Of
marriage, and had prof,cd by Isabclla's he
lief in her magical powers TO bring her to
this retired place, and To deliver her over TO
the knife with whicIshc had armed me.
This is the TRUTH said Giacomo in con-
c%lus'on. AS regards intention, am innocent
Of this murder as the new. horn Child
Several witnesses came forward wnen CT.
acomo had concluded, AMI testified to sever
III points in lms iavor.-Whiie Giacomo hung
in agony over bleeding bride, the sorcercss
had fed, and some of the witnesses had seen
her passing with speed from the neighbour
hood. Isabella too, had lived long enough
to explain tho whole transaction. US far as she
knew of it. Her declarations went TO SUBJ
s%tautiate all that had been related by Saliva
d. In consequence Of the production OF
ly acquitted of The crime. with the consent u
all acquainted with the case.
The sorccress Calakcna has been sought
for, hut has not rs yet, been heard Of. From
Giac0mO and others, it has been learned that
she was "a woman not more than thirty five
years old, and must have assumed the ap-
pearance Of age in order the more effcc.ual.
ly TO impose on the public, and prosecute
the profession to which she had applied her
self. On her cabin being examined, Il num-
Der of coloring substances were found, by
means Of which she had gwen herself The hue
; and look of old age. The length of time
during which she had nursed The sentiment OF
rcvenar, shows a violence of passions scarce
ly credible without such proofs as those Civ
EN-. 1t appears even but too probable tina,
she had assumed The character Of II sorceress
-, first, in the hope that size would better at
tain her desired object. and that her plan Of
revenge had been long matured. But for
the lamen,ablc and %ignoran. crcduli,y, how.
ever, of her victims, her murderons purposes
might have been frustrated. Half of the ca.
Iami,ies Of mankind come in the train of SUI
pers.i,ion.