The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-07-11

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The Miracle" Of Brsociano.
AN ExEcuT1oN ORDERED By rHE POPE WEIGH
DID NOT TAKE PLACE EXCITEMENT IN
ROME.
Correspondence Of the Pail Mall Gazette. ]
ROME, May Yesterday the Holly Fa-
tber went to the Chiesa Nuovo where was
celebrated the feast Of st. Philip Neri, pa.
iron of Rome. As the day was wet, the
Pope did not make use of his state carriage
but notwithstanding the absence of this
attraction, and in spite Of the rain crowd
waited along his route, thronging densely
the piazza before the church. There was
in fact, an imposing demonstration in his
favor. Handkerchiefs were waved from
every quarter and the air rang with cries Of
viva Pho Nono!" mingled, at rare inter.
walls, with a shout Of "Long live the Pom.
tiff King!' almost always in the French
tongue.
In the piazza, in the midst of the crowd
was distributed by thousands short prin-
ted account of the miracles OF Bracciano
which occurred last Monday, the 23d oil
May, in the year Of grace 1866. For the
last two days we have been deafened with
the cries Of the vendors Of the narrative,
every quarter Of the Eternal City resound-
ing with the din: Zone halfpenny (haia.
Coco the miracle Of Bracciano, with the
explanations. In the streets, in the caves
on the publicpromenades and in the saloons
nothing is talked Of but the miracle.
Within forty-eigfYt hours Rome forgets
the vital questions of the moment the i'm
pending war which agitates the whole pen
inuia, and the kilograms which electrify or
binary men, to occupy itself with this Jungle.
The subject is in mouth from that Of the
fachino Of the Ripetta. and the full particu
lars may be purchased at the corner ofevery
street From this authentic narrative we
learn. that Felix and Antonio di Giuseppe,
of Ventura, brothers, originally of Capitig-
nano, in the Neapolitan provinces, were
stained with every crime. By turns brig
andes on the highway and adroit sharpers
in the towns, they followed their vocation
in every part OF the pontifcal territory. COM
mitting felonies without number. Finally
they were both arrested, and were tried and
condemned todeath by the supreme tribu-
nal Of the council. The Pope RENTED the
capital sentence on Felix. the least guilty
committing his punishment to hard labor for
life. 1t was impossible to extend the same
clemencyto Antonio di Giuseppe. He was
accused OF eleven murders, committed in
twenty-three years--he confessed to FIVE.
He cut off the two breasts Of young girl
and, more dreadful still he was suspected Of
having assassinated his own mother. The
sentence was that he be beheaded at Brac.
ciano, the scene Of his latest crime-the
murder Of Pietro Paolini, herdsman. In
the prison Of this town, Antonio began to
evince great contritlon. confessed to the
priest. and devoted himself to religious du-
ties, celebrating especially every day in his
dungeon the service ofthe "month Urinary
in honor Of the Holy Virgin. On the eve
of the day appointed forth execution, he
informed his confessor, with an air of pro-
found conviction, that the Madonna had
appeared to him, and announced that she
accepted his repentance, and that he should
uot die on the scafold, but live to expiate
his crimes, and become one of her servants.
This statement he repeated when the Off
GERS came to read his condemnation to him
at the same time declaring that he richly
deserved his sentence, to which he listened
without the least discomposure. He asked
permission to walk to the scafold barefoot;
and on his way thither, and even as he
mounted to the platform. he reiterated his
conviction that he should not be executed
He made the same statement to the assem-.
bled crowd, asking their pardon for bis
crimes, but adding that he would not bid
them adieu. The people listened in silence
thinking him mad, and they were confirmed
in his opinion by the composed manner in
which he knelt down and offered his neck
to the axe. The executioner seized the han
die of the euilotine, which had been tried
in the night and found to act effectively
The cleaver, loaded with enormous weights
now descended, but, wonderful to relate, i,
stopped abruptly two fingers length from
the neck Of the malelactor
The executioner. resolute in his duty, re-
set the apparatus; again the blade fell, bu,
it was again arrested at the same point, as
by an invisible hand. Meanwhile, the spec
tators became excited beyond control, and
shouted pardon pardon !" while many
leaped on the scaffold and released the cul
prit by force A courier was dispatched
to obtain his pardon of the Pope, and it is
confidently stated that the minister of the
interior has ordered an inquiry as step ii
this direction. The miracle has, in the in
term. made such rapid progress as an arti
Gle of faith, that it has been recognized BY
the popular poets, and this morning they
were sing ng arecital oft at the corners O
the streets and exhibiting in illustration
pictures coarsely daubed on linen, which
represented Antonio receiving visit from
the Madonna in his dungeon, and then hi.
miraculous deliverance on the scaffold
Such is the incident which now absorbs the
attention of Rome, and which has been adj
roitly planned to catch the popular fancy, to
raise the courage Of the brigands. who be
hold one of their number especially protec
ted by the Madonna, and. finally to gil the
Golfers of the government,
More than eighty thousand persons
bought tickets in the lottery Of the three
numbers corresponding to the miracle, &C
cording to the rules Of the Libro DELI Arte,
or book Of dreams. The drawing took
place yesterday, and nobody woman aus
picious miracle for the government, which
the number of subscribers would otherwis.
have ruined, but which has now netted at
enormous sum. Nor is the game yet over
as the Romans play the same number three
times. and this, of course, necessitates three
purchases oftickets.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
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