Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-05-28

tRome Correspondence of the Aligemeine Zeitungl
Some new discoveries have been made in
the cause of the celebrated Cenci family. The
history of the Cenci case has been treated Of
tener than any other criminal case we know
Of and the principal circumstances of the
tragedy may therefore be supposed to be gen.
orally familiar An eyewitness relation of
Beatrices execution is frequently met with in
the Roman and other Italian public and pri.
vate libraries, and has been printed in French
at Paris in 1926 and in Italian at Rome in
1919; 1t is likewise repeated in the second
volume of "Roman Letters to a Florentne,"
and forms the subject of narratives, novels,
and dramas, by Stendha, Guerrazzi, and
Shelley, and of historical compilations by Fill.
Scolari of Venice. Prospero Farnacci's de-
fence was translated few years ago by Sir
e. Bowyer. The proceedings of the case,
however, were unknown till now to the best
OF our knowledge. What Guerrazzi gives as
such III his novel wants every authenticity.
Light is being thrown Oil this dark story.
Signor IT, Spell, professor at the Roman Uni.
vershy and member of the Archaeological
Academy, intends the publication of a 'Storia
de- Cenci, dial 1906 al 1926" The material
has been obtained from the Acta of the trial,
preserved in Vatican manuscript, "Infurma-
tions in causa Romano Paricidli de Cinciis, -
from document containing the examinations
of the witnesses in the year 1899, taken in
the prisons of Corte Savella and Tor d Mona
before the magistrate Ulysse Moscati-and
fron protocol OF the lawsuit between Barna
do Cenci, youngest brother OF Beatrice, and
his nephews, the sons of the executed brother
Gacomo, concerning the paternal estates, at
fist coniiscaed afterwards restored by the
Apostolic Chamber.
The course of these tragica events is clear
ed up by comparison of these documents; the
proceedings OF the pope respecting the estates
appear in a different light; but those of the
chief justice i'll the criminal case will not find
favor in the eyes of posterity. For an exam.
pie in the year 1897, francesca Cenci's wife
and daughter, Lucretia and Beatrice, addressed
petition to Clement the Eighth, representing
their terrible situation, and describing the vic.
lences, of the monster who had kept them Tor
two years almost prisoners in the castle of
Petrela. The pope read the paper, and hand.
ed it to Cardinal Salviati with the injunction
to order francesca TO set the women at liberty.
Sent by the Cardinal, Angelo Calcina went to
Petrella; but the castelar, laughed at the or
der. Things remained as before the unhap-
Ply women believed themselves forgotten and
abandoned; and after the horrible nocturnal
occurrence in December, they resolved to
make away with the unnatural husband and
father. This resolution they carried out in
manner. The instruction for the trial was
given into the hands of the judge, Ulysse Mos.
cati who kept secret from the defenders of
the accused the disposition on oath of Angelo
Calcena respecting his message to francesca
Cencl, and its results he kept secret the dec
laration on oath of the servant maids Cali
dUnia and Girolama who bore witness to the
assault on Beatrice in December, the real mo-
tive Of the murder; he kept secret the deposi
tons OF the other witnesses, who brought to
light the profigate ways OF the murdered man !;
in short, he kept secret every circumstance
which would have produced mitigation of
the sentence.
The bloody result is known After Lucre-
cia, Beatrice, and Giacomo, had suffered on
the square before the Angels Bridge and Ber-
nardo Cenci had been condemned to the gal
leys for life this last appealed on the 10Th of
August, 1910, one year after the execution.
The Governatore Monsig. Taverna commits.
stoned the judge Anteo Claudio with the af-
fair, and lie anuued the seuleuce. On the
18th OF June, 1901, brevet of Clement the
Eighth restored 10 the sons of Gacomo Cenci,
Fellce, ChristofOro, and Giambatista, the con.
flscated estates; on which lawsuit arose be-
tween them and their uncle Bernardo, which
ended only in 1926, under the government of
Pope Urban the Eighth.
The Cenci family still flourishes at Rome.
under the name OF Cenci 30 ognett. These
are the principal features of this remarkable
case. Although the facts were sufficiently
known, they appear in different light from
these newly discovered documents The
touching and beautiful picture by Guido REM,
of the unfortunate maiden, wins a new inter-
est.