The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-08-16
Suffering of an American Citizen IN al
Italian Prison.

Among the many cases of brutal auo
illegal imprisonment which have peen
brought before the public during the last
ten days, none has been worse than that
of Francisco Casanova, calling himself an
American. He was confined IN the pris-
on called the San Francisco, aDd .oDe
youpo men who had formerly been placed
IN the same prison, though not IN the same
room rene mbering his case, went, on the
amnesty being proclaimed, to denver MN;
but he was all but naked, and he could
not leave until an advocate, called Arene,
Who has acted with great benevolence'
sent him some clothes, and has since re
seiyed him in bis house and fed him.
Last night I went to see bin, and l
cannot tell you whether indignation a
gsinst this most Christian Government or
compassion for the victim was the strong
est feeling. when he entered my house,
-aid Areue, "he was supported by two
nersons, for he was unable to walk. lie
looked like ghost "Whcre am | =
he exclaimed. as he looked confusedly a
round; and we'll be mi ght, after Elk years
and a half Of confinement from all utter
course with man. But | give you his
own description of bis suferings, as near
" as possible in his own words, prenis-
ing merely that there were witnesses oil
all that relate, in Arene biu-elf. Ne
apoIitan friend and q foreign consul.
Il landed in Genoa, from Boston, some
time in l s53, and wishing to see the south
of Italy, travelled till | caue nesr Viter-
ho, when | was cautioned not to go to
Rome; but still persevcred IN my lnten-
ton of doing so, when | was arrested a.
not having a passport. and carried to the
Eternal City, where | was P laced IN the
: Cartere Nuova. Not satisfied with The
report | gave of myself. was tortured
for three mouths as follows: My hands
and arms were bound together, and then
by ropes tied round the upper part OF tbs
arms, they were drawn back till my breas
protruded. and my tones eounded 'crIck
crick. There was another species OF tor
ture practised upon ue, which was this
At night, while sleeping. the door was re
eretly opened and buckets of V ateF wer'
thrown over my body. How | survived
| caDuot tell, the keepers were astonisbet
aud said they never heard such an IN
stances. but yon will never get out alive.
| was told replied that | never ex
pocted to do SO, and prayed for the aoge
OF death to come The worst torture o
all, however, was the prison itself-a room
into which few rags of light Struggle
, from above, aud the stencil of which wa
as bad as death For three months
suffered thus, and then without any reas
on assigned. vas taken from it and placed
always alone, in room called 'Saloo
del Preti,' large airy room, and va
we'll fed aud we'll treated for IL month
more. l vas prisoner of the Cardina
Secretary Antoneli.
About the middle Of 1855 again, With
$ out any reason being given, | was sen
d off to Naples, was placed first in the Vi
, caria and afterwards ia San FanciSco, i
e a small close room, where | was detaine
IS for four years and a half | was ques
# toned on several occasions, and at la,
1t refused to answer, saying that my perse
e outors already knew what | bad.to sa.
that l wes unju.tly and Illegally confined
aud nothing should compel me to utte
o another word. On another occasion
was called before Bianchini, the directc
10 of police, who interrogated me. appea
y ed against sufferipgs, aud ali the reply
" received was, va bene, va bene.' from
NJ Christian nan to one suffering as | wa
10 have been asked to seud suppliCatic
20 for NY liberation. but my invariable al
10 swer vas. | will die fr-t; never will as
10 any thing of this government.
10 When | first arrived here had lit
10 money, which for short time procure
~ mo better food than prison fare, and the
No By degrees sold my clothes. At last
~ sold my black bread to have Ii
10 tie salt to sprinkle over my beans, oil
sometimes to procure some incense to T
n' lieVe the horrid stencil of my prison. /
De for water for purposes of cleanliness
!, was never supplied me, and all that
% could do vas to dip one of my own ra
10 in jug OF drinking water and wa-b son
10 portions of my body. Daring the day
u could repose. bat al night | was covert
ne with black beetles, feas, lice, and eve
conceivable species of sermn. expo
D. tea death, and desired and prayed for
VI as a relief, but it never came. My cloth
~ were at last so reduced that was all b
+ naked, and SO have passed four SUI
y, mers and winters pacing up and down u
~ narrow chamber.
IL will show you my prison dresses
said be, and going out, returned in e.
o. moments. He might have stood as a M
u" el for Lazarus risen from the tomb r
g lower part OF his body was covered wi
u thin pair of linen drawers, nothing II OF
re On bis feet was apair of shoes, wi
e soles and upper feathers all in holt
u, He had 20 shirt, but over the upper pa
III Of his body was thrown rag, sometbir
" like a common kitchen towel, one corn
- of which he bad placed on his head,
. the long elin locks which had not be,
;" cut for many years hung down over
;" neck and shoulders. He appeared mo
Il like brute beast than Christian m a
81 g., a. 4 4 Al T