Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-06-04
Very truIy your friend,
WILLIAM II. SEWAR
Mr.. MARTIN LAUGHLIN
From the London Morning Post.


TRIAL OF A PRIEST FOR THIRTY THREE
CASES OF SEDUCTION.-The criminal court of
Turin has lately been occupied with the hear,
ing OF case which has spread CONSERVATION
and shame through maly of the most respect
ably connected families in the Sandman CAPT.
tai. The trial which has excited such Il sensa.
ton in Turin was that OF Don Gurno, attach
ed, in the capacity of second curae, first to the
church Of San Carlo, afterwards to that of the
Carmelite order Amongst his regular pro-
tessional duties were, OF course, those connect
ed with the confessional, and these duties he
violated in a manner so foul and so atrocous
that no less than thirty-thrce young girls
would appear to have fallen victims to his sys-
tematc and scientific protiigacy. Not more
than forty years ofage, possessing singularly
handsome face and figure, Don Guriino COM
bined with the natural influence welded over
the mind Of the youthful pentent by a spirit
ual guide, the influence not less natural, of
his own personal attractions. The wretch
was, it appears, in the habit of accompanying
his oral temptations with the appliances and
means Of obscene books and lascivious prints,
TO heighten and accelerate their effect. Work.
ing on the passions by a graduated scale of
literary and pictorial excitement, the curate of
est. Charles" and the "CarmeIites" could
seize for his internal ends the exact moment
prepared for him an easy prey.
Don GurlinO was at last detected by the
very means which lie had employed. The
relations OF young creature, one Of his latest
victims, found in her possession an obscene
a" print, and insisted on her telling them from
whom she had procured it. The girl refused
for some time, but, yielding TO their menaces,
stammered forth the name OF her contessor
She added that not she alone, but likewise
several Of her young friends, had received from
Don Gurno immoral books and prints, and,
debauched by his arts, had yielded up their
honor TO their spiritual guide. The relations
at once communicated the facts to, and depos
tied the print with, the district police magis
trate, who lost no time in communicating with
the higher law authorities. and these latter at
once instituted criminal proceedings against
the priest. Although the trial was conducted
with closed doors, enough of the evidence
transpired TO fill all Turin with horror and in
dlgnation. The guilty acts Of the criminal APP
pear to have extended over term of several
years. The full extent of his debaucheries
during all that period cannot of course be as
certalned. One fact, however, is beyond all
uouot-tlat on the trial itself thirty.thrce
young girls bore testimony to the adoption to.
Warus themselves of the wicked arts of seduc,
ton WIN which the criminal stood CHARGED
IN thls overwhelming mass OF evidence Don
Gurln0 was found guilty, and sentenced bv
the crma court Of Turin to seven vears's sol
itary confinement. The term of tie senten 20
will probably be abridged by natural causes
Shame, if not remorse, has already worked
such fearful ravagcs on the prisoner. that on
the last day Of the trial he was hardly nnv
longer recognizable.