The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-09-21
I He CALIFORNIAN
An American Victim to Papal and Neapo.
Titan Cruelty.

Inc naples correspondent of the London
News gives an account of the deliyerance at
Naples Of Francino Casanova. who called
himself an American, who for some unknown
reason had been imprisoned at Naples and
home for seven years and had been subject
cd to the most terrible cruel,ies. When ia
Ken out OF prison he was unable to walk
tie tells his story as follows:
IL landed in Genoa from Boston some time
IN 1903, and wishing to see the South of Ita-
~, travelled till came near to Viterbo when
was cautioned not to 90 TO Rome but
still persevered in my intention Of doing so,
when was arrested as not having pass
port, ard carried to the Eternal City, where
was placed in the Carcere Nuova. Not sat-
lshed with the report gave of myself, was
tortured for three months as follows: NV
hands and arms were bound together, and
then, 10y ropes tied round the upper part of
the arms, they were drawn back till nv
breast protruded, and my bones sounded
'crick, crick.' There was another species Of
torture practiced upon me which was this -
At night, while sleeping. the door was secret
ly opened, and buckets of water were thrown
over my body. How | survived it cannot
tell. The keepers were astonished, and said
they never had such on instance but you'll
never &c: out alive,'I was told. replied
that never expected to do so, and PRAYED
tor the angel of death to come The worst
torture of all, however, was the prison itself.
a room into which few rays of light struy-
gled from above, and the stencil of which
was as bad as death. For three months |
suffered thus, and then without any reason
assigned, was taken from it and placed, al
ways alone, in room called Salon del Pre-
IT, large, airy room, and was we'll fed, and
well treated for twenty-one months more. l
was prisoner of the Cardinal Secretary An
tonelli. About the middle of 1855 again.
without any reason being given, l was sent
Oft to Naples, was placed first in the Vicari
and afterwards in San Francisco, in small,
close room, where was detained for four
years and half was questioned on seve-
raj occasions, and at last refused to answer,
saying that my prosecutors already knew all
| had to say, that | was unjustly and illegal
ly confined, and nothing should compel me
to utter another word. On another occasion
l was called before Binanchini, the director
of police, who nterrogated me. | appealed
against my sufferings, and all the reply re-
celved was va bene, va bene, from Chris
tian man to one suffering as was. have
been asked to send a supplica,ion for my lib
Grafton, but my invariable answer was, i will
die first never will ask ANYTHING of the
government When first arrived here
had little money, which for short time
procured me better food than prison fare, land
then by degrees sold my clothes. At last
l sold my black bread to have little salt to
sprinkle over my beans, and sometimes to
procure some incense to relieve the horrid
stencil Of my prison. AS for water for pur-
poses of cleanliness it was never supplied
me, and all could do was to dip one of nv
own rags in jug of drinking water, and
wash some portions of my body During
the day could repose. but at night was
covered with black beetles. feas, lice, and ev-
cry conceivable species Of vermin. l expect
ed death, and desired and prayed for it as
relief, but it never came. My clothes were
at last so reduced that was all but naked.
anu 81 L h"NC puS>Cu iOuI SuinulcTS ana Will
tiers pacing up and down my narrow cham
ber."
81 will show you my prison Dress" said he,
and going out, returned in few moments
He might have stood as model for Lazarus
risen from the tomb. The lower part of his
body was covered with thin pair of linen
drawers, nothing more. On his feet was
pair of shoes,with solcs and upper feathers in
holes. He had no shirt but over the uppcroart
ofhis body was thrown rag something like
common kitchen towel, one corner of which
he had placed on his head, as the long eltin
locks which had not been cut for many years
hung down over his neck and shoulders. lie
appeared more like brute beast than
Christian man. "See this rag" said he, "how
l have botched it This was my dress, and
so clad paced up and down my solitary
dem"