The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-02-16

REMARKABLE DETECTION OF
4 AMURDERER-HLS LIKENESS
PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE
DEAD VICTIMS EYE
Scientific circles in Europe are just
now much interested in remarkable
murder and detection of the murderer
in Florence, Italy:
The Florence correspondent Of the
Morning Post reports the details ofmost
remarkable Photographic experiments on
the eye Of murdered person. 1t az
pears that, on the 18th of April, Cd of
juno and 22d of August, last year, three
murders were committed in Florence, in
almost precisely similar circumstances,
the victims in each case being lodging
house keepers. In each case the "corpse
was discovered lying on the floor, with
the throat cut from ear to car, a pool OF
blood below her head, but only there
no marks of blood in any other parts of
the room-and a pocket, handkerchief,
the property of some one unknown, close
to her person. The trinkets and money
which she was supposed to have about
her had disappeared, as well as other az.
ticles in the house. AS no cries had
been heard by the neighbors, the conclu-
sion come to by the Florence police was
to the effect that the murder had been
pcrpetrated, in all probability, by two
assassins, who had obtained admittance
into the house when the poor woman was
alone under the pretext of wishing to
see and hire her rooms that one of them
had suddenly thrown pockct-handker-
chief over her mouth and brought her to
the ground, and that, when thus held
fast, and her cries cficctually stifled, his
accomphce had cut her throat
Such was the conclusion come to by
the police, and, in particular, by its chief
officer.-the Cappo Commcsso di Publlea
Vicilanza, Leopoldo Fiti,-who, amongst
other steps taken by him in each case,
applied to the higher administrative and
legal authorities on whom he was de-
pendent for permission to have the eyes
of the murdered woman photographed
an application which, in the belief that
the granting it could lead to no practical
result, was twice refused. Suspicion
meantime pointed to young man, Ben
iamino de Cossimo, who, on the occasion
of the first murder, suddenly disap'
peared from Florence, and was known to
haycre~appeared at the time Of the third
murder. He was arrested, and in his
possession were found articles belonging
to the last murdered woman, Emilia
Spagnoli, and blood stained knife, the
blood freshly shed. Meantime the ap'
plication by the Chief of Police in the
third case was granted, and the expert
ments, with the results, are thus re-
ported by the correspondent:
Under the direction Of Marabotti, the
examining Judge, OF Giudice dlnstru
zicnc, series of Photographic expert
ments have been carried on, not for tn
special purpose Of furnishing addlt'ona
criminal evidence for conviction, (as tn
other evidence, with that. view, is be
lievcd to be superabundant, but in orde
to establish general principle, or law
Of universal or very frequent application
Emilia. Spaenoli was found lying on ne
left side, her large glazed right eye be'n|
turned upwards. The eye-was photo
graphed Immediately after her decease
The photograph then taken has been re
produced in greatly magnified form
so greatly magnitied Is to allow the lines
ments Of I human face, two inches !