Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-05-17

Is sixteen h' youngest siN, tneTc hd' uc-
voved In not only the task Of maintain
ing Iomily, but of dsehargng all those
T. estic duties which are mothers peculiar
,,rovinCe. And these duties he Las drohar
gcd 50 well that his four boys are patterns Of
good conduct, and the whole neighborhool is
wont to speak of Cecchetu's children as the
models of Whist children ought to be. The
Two eldest were already employed in the to-
bacco manuiactory, where they too earned,
on an average, Ira day each
/ Cecchett lived on the first floor OF house
in the Vie Taddc, close to The tobacco manu-
factory. In another small apartment on the
same floor was lodged young man, tho APP
prentice of vntner in Borga La Noce. He
was struck by the good conduct Of the young
Cccthet,is, and by the excellent and kind
bearing of the father, aud in the course Of
conversation aud familiar intercourse at
length learned that the father was in the
habit of reading with his children and his
friends the I ble. And in casual chat with
his master be repeated this circumstance to
him, expressing his belief tina, the Bible could
not be such very bad book, after ell, when
it produced such happy fruits.
\ few days aCterword the viLtncr went to
confession at San Lorenzo, ard there meE.
toned to the confessor that his apprentice
had been talking to him about Diodats Bible
which he thought not 30 bad as had been
represented. The priest immediately inter-
rupted the conlessor, and refused him absulu.
tion Next day he met Priest Buratti, the
first curnte OF San Lorenzo; aud one of The
fiercest and most relentless prosecutors of the
Tuscan protestants. "Why, what is the
matter with YOU" said Curate BurGt,i, "vou
seem 50 dull!" "Ah, curate, no wonder, yes
trrdOy | as refused absolution." "ReIused
abso!u;lon," replied the curate, impossible; !;
refuse absolulion 10 so good Catholic as you.
There must tie some mistake Come TO my
house and confess to me aud hope it will
prove nothing.
The vintner made his confession to Curate
BuratIi, and received absUIutiOn, all snug and
cim.ortabe; and Curate BurHlti lost no time
il denouncing DomtnciO Cecche,li TO the
Tuscan police as guilty of the crime Of Pro-
tesl.nl DrOpagandism, and requiring them to
watch over his proceedings, aud, i! possible
to seize him ia the act.
Accordingly, some three months ago, four
gend-drmes suddenly entered Cccchctti's
house, about nine O'Clock in the evening
They expected 10 have found him in company
with other inquirrrs, reading the Scriptures;
they found only another lelow-IOdgcr named
Ciolii, who had come to repay Crcchetti the
sum of five puus, which he had borrowed on
the previous day. But they seized aud car
red off in triumph one copy of Diodati's BIZ
b!e, and two copies D. the New Testament.
Cccchetti heard nothing more of the mat
ter for nearly ten weeks. On the morning
Of Wednesday, the l4Jhinst., he received an
order to appear before the delegate of Santa
Marie NJvclla, in the after noon of the same
day. Then and there he was examined by
the Chancellor OF the Delcg Iion, and requi-
red to declare why three cop es of Diodut'5
Bible and Testament were found in his pos
session. "Inleed, Signor Delegate" was
the answer IL only wish there had been five
instead Of three, for there are five Of Us, nv
four boys and myself. and we require Bible
n pee"
Tue Chnncelicre successfully ntcrroga.
ted him rs to his opinion regarding mass,
confession, the authority of the Pope, on all
which points he stated hls opinion without
reserve. lie replied that Jesus Christ had
/ been Offered up ONCe Rs sacrifice for the
sins OF mankind; that no future sacrifice was
or could be wanted. lie said, "As to con-
'ession, when have sinned, it is my duty to
! confess my sin, first to Almighty God and i'm
plore his pardon; then To my brother-to you
Sgnor Chancelliere, for example, if nave
offended you. AS to the Pope being tho
head of the Church, know he said, "no
hcudshp save that of Jesus Christ. The
Pope is n constituted authority, like YOU,
Signc, ChaNcelisre."
! but, respecting certain matters, he neither
Eeard nor loOrncd anything from Domenlco
! Cccchetti, though again hc returned to the
charge. Neither wheedIing nor bullying
could induce him to reveal the name of one
ol the Christian brethren with whom he read
and di4coursed on the scriptures. His an.
swer invariably was: "On all points regard.
ing myself will answer you without the
slghtes, reserve; but questions likely to COM
init my friends, canno. and viii! not reply |
to-" The Chal cclIiere, finding the attempt
hopeless, then reaG over the minutes of the I
examination. Cecchct,i himself peru4cd it
and signed his name; and so, for the time,
the 1ilair Terminated with the dismissal oc !
the accused.
The paper thus obtained was submitted to
the Council OF Prefecture, which on the
Hvowal it contained, sentenced Dumeuico
Cecchetti to years imprisonment ia the
penilentiaiy of lmbrogiano. lmbrogano
was formerly villa Of the Grand Dukes Of
Tuscany, In which they solaccd themselves
niter the cares of state with rural pleasures,
and ID now dungeon for the Protestant sub
jec,s OF Leopold III and in that character,
doubtless, affords him as much pleasure as he
is capable of receiving
On the morning OF Sunday, the 25th, the
gen'd'armcs were charged with the execu-
ton 0! the sentence. They entered the
house OF Domcnico Cecchetti at half.pnst
four, and told him they had been sent to con.
vey him to the Bargellu, whence he was not
likely soon TO return Hastily kissing his
four boys, he bade them farewell, leayinu
them in tho care Of Him "with whom is