The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-05
Exciting Scene, d 3 Rsshsn,s rs,rs-,,,-

Exciting Scene at BsshOxsss Funeral.
On the 9th Of August the town Of ,rorre
del Greco, IN Greece, was the scene of an ID.
tlescrtbabie tumult.. The Bishop OF Iscf,Ia,
Honssgnor Romano. who was a native of I'M tas
place, had died, and on that day was to be
buried in the public. cemetery. Some tit,f
before bis death popular feeling had declared
the dying bishop to he a saint. When he
died his body was first laid out i'm tho church.
and thence on Monday the 9th, followed by
an immense crowd, was conveyed to the
cemetery. A letter from Rome in the Lon.
don ae'cS describes the scene that followed
But 1t was not destined to reach on that
gay It's earthly rcS'inG-p|ace, for before en-
teT'nS the gate messengers came Fastening
tr"n The town to announce that the dead
bishop WAS working miacleS-that one lame
man OF Sorrento had suddenly hecn able to
wak-that another who Tor years could only
crawl ON crutchc> had thrown them away
and attained the Use of his limbs-that a
Young waiter in cafe known for years to
DC dumb had received the use Of his speech.
with other marvclS of the like kind. /" A
miracle! miracle ,niraclew cry the
excited crowd. The bearers of the corpse
were prevented from entering the Gene
terry. The funeral procession turned
back; and rs the coffin was brought again
10 the church Of Tore del Greco, cries
Of Bring out the sick" Bring out
the fever paticnts," Bring out the Imraiy-
tic. rang cut all along the road the crowd
telling the inmates OF the houses before which
they passed to carry into the street the sick,
that they might participate il thu miraculous
r':rrS which the dead bishop Was eflccting.
At length the corpse was brought TO the
church: the large crllcitiN on the altar was
torn down; and the dead body Of the Won
def-workin- bishop put III its place. The
deceased had been aIrived in episcopal
garments. hut these soon disappeared
The populace. in the belief that the powers
Of the dead saint would attach to every
shred of his clothes which they might
secure. made Il rush each ignorant fanatic
cncrgctically tearing and struggling to seize
and carry oil precious relic. So etFectually
was the corpse stripped that there remain
ed at last only the naked form Of the poor
bishop. The parish priest, in whose church
this scene took place, after having vainly at
tempted to disSuade the populace, seems to
have thought that his own safety would be
best secured by flight. Meanwhile the local
magistrate and the Mayor, with party OF
carbincer>, fastened TO the spot for the pur
pose of restoring order. The mob would
not listen TO their cXhortationS. He is
working mi;acItS." lie is working mira
clrs!' was again the universal cry,
At tins stage Of tue proceedings, the
steward. on manager Of the church funds,
mounted the pulpit and told the people that
the age of miracles bad passed away. He
might have paid dearly for this untimely an.
uouncement had not sudden and violent
ringing of the church bells diverted the Mt
tention Of the people and brought them out
into the street to ascertain the cause. This
diversion WAS dcX'erollsy taken advantage
p' 10y The Mayor and the other authorities.
The doors Of the church were shut and
barred. and the naked corpse was left uudis-
t,lrbeG, and before long the arrival of sutti-
cieut military force proved the best pre-
yenthc against a renewal Of such outrlgcS