Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-06
TRUE BeRcIA.
A Murdered Princess-A Noble Roman FsE-
Iy IN kournIHa and GrIef.
A Beautiful Corpse with a Dagger In Its
Bessm i PrIHCsIY L0vertk Murderer.
From the Nov York sun.l

From the New York SUM-
ROME. March GA profound mys-
terry has lately alarmed the nobility OF
Rome. On last Tuesday evening, a
little before the hour when hundreds
Of church and convent bells proclaim
the setting OF the sun and the An.
gelus," the Tiber cast up the corpse OF
q r~iehly-attired lady near that historic
structure known as the POnte MOlle.
The dead lady was first discovered by
a vendor of fish, who immediately
made known the sad fact to the gems
darmes In charge of the toll.gate In
the vicinity of POnte Molle. The
corpse is described as that Of a SUI
premely beautiful woman of not more
than eighteen or nineteen years.
Her dress was Of buff silk, trimmed
with rich lRces and beads. Her wrist
bands were fastened by gold buttons,
each bearing the monogram @. Q. In
her bosom Was plunged a dagger with
diamond-studded hilt, and a faint
stream of blood was discernible on the
dress. PrOfuse black curls hung
disheveled over her shoulders and
face, and on a plain white collar
pinned to her dress below the dagger
wound was written in blood, sven
/ detta.n
The body was moved to the police
quarters in the POnte MOlle district,
and for many days nothing further
was heard of the melancholy occur
renee, either from the press or the au-
thOrities. The matter was spoken Of
carefully by strong men, and tender
women discussed the mystery with
bated breath. Wherefore? Because
THE PALACE OF THE CHIGI FAMILY
was filled with silence and SORROW over
the unaccountable absence of its fair
est member, the young and charming
Catsrina Chigi. That the old Tiber
had found and given her up-had wit
messed a terrible crime, or refused to
conceal a foul murder-net a member
OF the Chigi house would believe or
confess. Here rested the mystery for
three days, at the end Of which time
an enterprising newspaper known as
the GaZetta del POpOlO gave q detailed
and fearless account OF the strange alb.
sence of Catarina Chigi, who left her
princely home on the 18th OF February.
last without giving further notice of
| where she intended going than 81
will walk as far as Corti's, on the
| COrso." From that hour nothing had
been heard of the Princess Chigi until
/ the Identification of her corpse, of
which I will write below, having GER
| tain circumstances to relate with
| reference to the life of Catarina pre-.
vioUs TO her mysterious disappearance.
The Aldobrandini family Is one of
the oldest and most noble In Rome.
In its annals are the names of Illus
triOus and chivalrous relatives who
followed the Knights Of st. John and
the templars; names that won laurels
in every crusade, and even heroes that
pitted their valOr and strength against
the hordes OF wicked King Attila.
Several eminent poets saw the light
first within an AldObrandini palace,
and cardinals, archbishOps, canons, |
mOnsignors, captains, guards and civic
senators hail from the house of Aldo
brandini. To this memorable family
the DOria.P amphili, the Borghesi, the
Braschi, and the fast-Waning Orsini
are closely related. The sutton OF Cata-
rins Chigi for several years was Err
berto GiugliO, a prince Of the best Al
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS blood. All the
nobility of Rome anticipated the mar
risge OF Prince KrbertO and the Prin-
cess Catarina as almost inevitable.
Their Intimacy has grown so ardent
that all the friends Of Catarina sedu-
lOusly avoided all but the most formal
bearing toward her upon all occasions,
a point Of etiquette to which Roman
gentlemen attach great Importance.
1t was, however, remarked that dur
ing the eight days Of the octave"
preceding the Roman Catholic feast of
the Immaculate Conception (Dee.
s., the fair Princess Catarina di Chigi
performed that ascetic religious series
Of devOtions known as .
A SPIRITUAL RETREAT.
This retreat is generally conducted
in monasteries and colleges for men,
and the converts and female schools
for women. During the spirit
ual retreat a solemn and unremitting
silence is strictly observed, and from
sunrise until bedtime, and each day a
regular form Of deVOtions is attended
to. For the performance of this rigid
role Of devotional exercise, the Prin-
cess Catarina di Chigi selected the
convent of the Carmelite nuns, which
is situated at a sufficiently remote dis
lance from Rome TO render it free {
from worldly attractions, and con-
to the profitable exercise Of a
young wOman's religious propensities.
The announcement that Catarina had {
gone on a retreat suggested to many 1
Of her friends that she was making q
spiritual preparation for matrimOny. /
So thought ErbertO Giuglio, junior '
of the house of A~ldObrandini-
BOrghesi, and the afianced lover of I
.stariHa di Chigi. /
The eighth Of December last feast
Jf the Immaculate COnceptiOn) con- G
the spiritual retreat Of Cata- <
ina, and the following morning she
babe adieu to the Oarmelite nuns of
5rasceti, then returned to the gayety,
ashton and magnificent Of her Roman
nome. She was welcomed as heartily n
md by as many as though she had
absent for a year. But it was
,asily preceivable to many that the
sisters of the Oarmelite order 1
had in some degree produced an omi- L
lous change in the prOclivities and Il
lemeanOr Of the princess. Only two n
weeks before, Oatarina was a fashion o
BILE girl Of the world, fond Of amuse-
nents ven to jOlity. Now a peculiar 81
almness and serenity had suDdued "
ier mirthfulness, and a maternal V
taidness and eOmposure had replaced n
Ter ringing laughter, her songs and v
IianO. Yet he of the house of Aldo II
randini loved her with great passion. N
Dr. all things in the world he was con- n
and fervently devoted to Cata-
ina di Chigi. The change which had 81
ONE Over her did not deter
i'm from his usual visits, p
hey became, In fact, even more fire. X
uent. He could not doubt that some N
ersOn had tempered with her old ID
sntimens OF love, and his heart u
oiled with indignation whenever he i
telded 10 the awful suspicion that y
atarlna was false 70 him, and had
cen won by some other man. II was Il
OF until ne confessed his terrible 81
lisgiving that he learned explicitly II
he whole cause OF CatarinR's turn Of "
that which made her 80 bl
reserved and difident of
7erything worldly. The Princess re
atarina had made 70
A HOLY vow l q
renounceth the pleasures OF the world m
I'd enter the convent of the Carme- n
10 nuns-a resolution which she A,
rvently believed heaven Endorsed.
this she was, in some measure, like M
q once most beautiful of the Indian
Ibility-the COuntesslof Pisa-whO, an
the eve OF her promised we'd.
ng day entered q convent of Fran II
scan nuns, whittier she brought an
lmense fortune, and which she en- w
wed with the largest annuity ever =,
lssessed by a LADY, rank in Italy. IN,
Upon hearing this lamentable fact, 70,
9 young Prince charged his alliance al