The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-25
y DIABOLISM IN ITALY.
HORRIBLE TRAFFIC OF a PARMESAN
SO lind HIS RIFE.

HORRIBLE TRAFFIC OF a PARAESAA
AND his WIFE.
Sad Story OF Veronica Izzo-Desperato
Death-StruSRle In the Bay of Genoa
A Double Execution.
On the 24th OF July, the ancient City OIL
Parma, In Italy, was the scene OF a aouoie
execution. to which the peculiar clrcuH-
stances under which 1t took place, ana Inc
fact that the culprlts that were beheaded were
husband and wife, the latter q woman OF pre-
possessing appearance, gave 1t an unusually
horrible aspect.
Their names we're Jacob and Anselma Beh-
rendsohn. They were of German extraction,
and had come to Parma four years before,
Seemingly In prosperous circumstances. ia
coh. the husband, was q man about forty years
of ACE. and his wife, Auselms, q tall, hand
some brunette, with flashing black eyes and
exquisite shaped hands and feet, only twenty.
ak. Jacob B%ehrendsohn had opened In one OF
the suburbs OF Parma q large millinery shop,
in which he employed about q dozen young
girls. The Parmesan women are noted LOT
their extraordinary beauty, even those pc
longing. to the lowest classes Of society being
generally tall, of fair faces, luxuriant hail, ana
uncommonly graceful bearing. 80 ID. Ben
rendsohn's employees were mostly very pretty
girls. It was noticed. however, that the
hsndsomest Of them frequently LEFT Dis estao-
lishment after being with him only few days.
They told the girls who remained that Mr..
Behrendsohn had kindly obtained them more
lucrative situations at Leghorn, Genoa or Mar
settles, In which cities he had wealthy rela-
tivegi in the same line OF business. Most OF the
girls In Italian inland cities, who obtain places
Tar from home, can. neither read nor write,
and 80 their relatives hear from them rarely
and at long intervals. -
Both ~Behrendsohn and his handsome VILE
frequently made brief trips to the sea-shore,
mood. They were liberal 10 the poor OF the
city, they treated their girls well, and every,
body spoke highly OF them. No n suspected
their true character, much less that they were
to end their lives q few years aiterWard on tne
scaflold, by the hands OF the public execu-
TONER.
When the truth finally became known
when 1t was discovered by what terrible means
these iends incarnate had amassed the money
which they had spent SO freely, and ap-
parently for respectable purposes, q what q
frightful fate they had prepared for their poor,
innocent victlms-there was an outDurst OF
horror, such as Parma has never witsessed
were confined, had to be guarded day and
night by q strong military force.
ia the latter part of December, 1871, q
young man called at Behrendsohns shop, and
said he wished to have q position for bis els
ter, q aweet-looking. girl OF eighteen, With
long golden hair ard the face OF one OF Ra-
phsals Madonnas. Veronica Izzo was her
name, and B~ehrendsohn Immediately engaged
her services at q salary much higher than was
usually paid to milIner girls at Parma, and
two or three days afterwards he said abe might
do still better at Genoa, where abe might o.
tain q situation at double the wages. He
offered to accompany her to that place I Did,
or two afterward, the two were In the superb
old city of the Dorias. Behrendsohn proposed
TO Veronica to have q ride with him In the
bay, which she joytully accepted. They en-
tered q barge ana were rowed out to the sea.
No sooner, however, were they about five
hundred yards from the shore than Behrend-
sohn and one of the oarsmen pounced upon
the unsuspecting gil and tried to gag and
bind Ter, She succeeded In freeing herself
w. rtheir grasp, and, selling a large knife
lWmch was lying close to the oarsman, threat
ened to stab them unless they Immediately
then tried 10 push her overheard, but she
chung to the barge with desperate energy,
and It was not until they had stunned her by
striking her with the oars that she finally sunk
into the water. It was about dusk, and no one
had noticed the terrible tragedy that had been
enactedin the beautiful bay.
But one of those curious accidents which
happen rarely, sprevented the consumma-
ton Of the foul murder. Veronica was picked
mn q few minutes afterwards by q fisherman,
who sailed past the spot In Q frail- craft where
she was floating. After rubbing her tenderly
and giving her 2 few drops OF CSgnaC, ne s pC.
the poor girl sWo0ned away again, and sne
was stili senseleBs when the kind-hearted
fisherman landed with her on the quay. What
should he do with her =? he called q police
man, and the two carried the unconscious
glrft TO the Hospital OF San Geronimo, where
Sdoctor examined her and dressed the large
wound in her skull. She remained a week at
the hospital, but her reason seemed to have
been Impaired by the terrible blows she had
received on her head. To all Inquiries as TO
where she was from, and who bad treated her
30 brutally, sheg gave the most absard answers.
~Behrendsohn,ss card however, was found In
her pocket; and 30, after the wound was
healed, the Jew of Parma was written to, and
on the following day he himself appeared at
the hospital and took poor Veronica away In
q closed carriage, saying that she was q crazy
niece Of his wlfe's. and was In the habit OF
running away from home. Upon returning
herlntO the cellar of their house, and, after
chloroformIng her, opened her jugular vein.
The tshBeiess victim Of their cruelty bled slow
lYtodeath, and Behrendsohn thereupon dug
ahololn the ground and Inferred her In 1t,
even before her body WaSsold.
Now, what had caused him and his wife 10
pursue this atrocious course toward the beaC-
tiful girlf He had for years engaged In the
business OF selling attractive young women to
the villains who take them to Tripoli, Tunis
and Alexandr.s, and receive there q very high
prizes for them from the 'proprietors Of large
hsrems. The Italian Government has been
very remiss in trying to suppress this nefari-
ous traffic, which Is constantly carried on be-
tween the seaports Of Legh0rn and Genoa and
the African coast, with unparalleled Doldness
and almost entire lmpunity. The slaye.deal-
ara cruise between these ports and the African
coat. and such scouudrels as Behrendsohn
supply them literally with human merchan-
diss. The fate that awaits the girls In Africa
4 100 horrible to describe.
-.Onths night OF the assault upon veronica
Izzo, the Jew had two of his confederates In
the barge. They Intended to take her to an
African goesette, which was lying pntside the
port. Well aware Of the terrible punishment
that awaited him and bis accomplices, In case
their crime should be discovered, they had at.
tempted to murder their victim rather than let
her escape. Hearing that she was In Genoa
at the hospital, he had gone to her, as was
clearly proven on the trial, for the purpose of
numbering her. His wife had sem the
servants out Of the house at the time when he
was expected to 60 back with her, and had
everything In readiness for putting her to