The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-09-26
A Romantic Suicide in Naples.

A melancholy occurrence, which has
no parallel in the records of romantic
crime, recently took place in Nipples. In
the Rivier di Chiaja resides Sig. Sera-
phino Rissi who is the official agent in
Naples of the Royal Lottery bureaus,
and the owner of magnificent silk
bazaar and private banking house on
the Toledo. He has son, Giovanni,
and two daughters. Mrs. Rissi died
several years ago. The son had long
lived in an English boarding house, in
the Strada Santa Catrina di Chiaja, kept
by one Byrne
In old Bomba's Aourishing days, q
groom was sent to England to pur-
chase valuable horses. While IN Lon
don his Majesty's groom died. By the
old Kings permission, the horses were
given to Byrne, who was an expert
jockey. Byrne went to Naples and was
engaged in his Majesty's stables. Step
by step he advanced to the position of
Master of horses. When the old King
was dying he did not forget the horse
man. During the brief and unhappy
reign of Francs the Second, Byrne re-
tanned his old position, and when the
new King was driven from Naples, his
Queen promised the horseman that he
or his family should never want as long
as her purse could assist them. Byrne
reigned in Naples, he fitted up COM
modious and respectable boarding house,
which has ever since been the favorite
resort of tourists in. moderate circum-
stances.
Young Giovanni Rissi had been for
several years visitor at Byrne's house,
ostensibly to procure knowledge of
English, but really to court one of
Byrne's daughters Mr.. Byrne had two
daughters, Eliza and NJ artha, who were
accomplished and of great beauty.
Eliza, the elder, added to her remarka-
BILE personal charms an amiability of
character sufficient to win the most fas-
tidious. She formed union with young
Rissi, and both lived with the firm de-
termination of becoming one day man
and wife. The marriage day was final
ly settled upon, but Rissis father OBJ
jected. Mr.. Byrne was indignant at
the elder Rissi's objection, and refused
to permit his daughter to hold further
communication with the bankers son.
From the 7th to the 9th inst, which
included the day assigned for their wed.
ding Aug. 8 nothing was heard of Miss
Byrne or Giovanni Rissi. Rumors of an
elopement were inevitable, the general
belief being that they had fled to
Wemys' Bay, near Greenock, Scotland,
where Miss Byrne had many friends
About o'clock on the evening of the
proposed nuptial day, when the sun had
Just set over the grand bay of Naples,
and while thousands were going to the
princely grounds of the Villa Reale to
hear the music or revel in the luxuries
of the daintily-fashioned saloons, the at
tention of a policeman was attracted to
something which was occasionally rolled
by the tide up the convex walling of the
public garden on the bay. Tresses, the
folds OF silken dress, and also the gar
ments of man made the gend'arme
hasten to the authorities of the dead
house and announce what he had seem
The morgue-boat, with its dusky cover
ing, was sent to the spot and the objects
were hoisted on board. A young man
and woman bound together with cords
around the ankles and necks were re.
vealCd to the men in the boat. The girl
had been beautiful. The pearly teeth
chiselled features, and splendid auburn
tresses put the corpse mongers out ot
their routine of cold carelessness fol
once. The portly form of the we'll
known and universally admired Giovan.
nj Rissi was then discovered.
The music in the garden was hushed
and the news of the discovery spec
through every circle within the Wills
Reale-nobles, untitled aristocracy, anG
plebians. The point of the public gar.
den, opposite gloomy Vesuvius, where
the corpses were found, was thronget
with spectators, and the boat was fol
lowed on its way up the bay to the
dead-house. A phial of prussic acit
was found on Rissi, and it was proven
that he and the girl died from the eff
fects of poison. The bodies were take1
to the late dwelling of Miss Byrne, ant
afterward the emains of Giovanni Riss
were sent to his fathers house. - Ob.erra
tore Romano.