The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-09-25
DIABOLISM IN ITALY.
HORRIBLE TRAFFIC OF A JEW
A DESPERATE DEATH STRUGGLE
AND A DOUBLE Enc
CUTION.

A few weeks ago, in the ancient city Of
Parma, in Italy, was the scene of double
execution, to which the peculiar circum-
stances under which it took place. and the
fact that the culprits that were beheaded
were husband and wife, the latter a wo-
man Of prepossessing appearance, gave it
an unusually horrible aspect.
Their names were Jacob and Ansclma
Behrendsohn. They are Israelites of
German extraction, and had come to
Parma four years before, seemingly in
prosperous circumstances. Jacob, the hus-
band was II man about 40 years of age,
and his wife, Anselma, tall, handsome
brunette, with flashing black eyes, and ex-
quisite-shaped hands and feet, only &c.
Jacob Bchrendsohn had opened in one Of
the suburbs of Parma, large millinery
shop, in which he employed about dozen
young girls. The Parmesan women are
noted for their extraordinary beauty, even
those belonging to tho lower classes of
society being generally tall, of fair faces,
luxuriant hair and uncommsnly graceful
bearing. So Mr.. Behrendsohn's employees
were mostly very pretty girls. 1t was
noticed, however, that the handsomest of
them frequently left his establishment af-
ter being with him only few days. They
told the girls who remained that Mr.. Beh-
rendsohn had kindly obtained more lucra-
tive situations at Leghorn, Genoa, or
Marseiles, in which cities he had wealthy
relatives in the same line of business. Most
of the girls in Italian inland cities, who OBJ.
tain places far from home can neither read
nor write, and SO their relatives hear from
them rarely, and ut long intervals.
Both Behrendsohn and his handsome
wife frequently made brief trips to the
seashore, and returned always seemingly
in the happiest mood. They were liberal
to the poor of the city, they treated their
girls WELL and everybody spoke highly of
them No one suspected their true char
acter, much less that they were to end
their lives few years afterward on the
scatlold, by the hands Of the public ex-
ecutioner.
When the truth finally became known
when it was discovered by what ter
rible means these fends incarnate had
amassed the money which they spent SO
freely, and apparently for such respect
able purposes, and what frightful fate
they had prepared for their poor, innocent
victims--there was an outburst of horror,
such as Parma has never witnessed before,
and the Jail Of the city, where they were
confined, had to be guarded day and night
by II strong military force.
In the latter part of December 1871, a
young man called at Behrendsohn's shop
and said he wished to have position for
his sister, a sweet looking girl of Is, with
long golden hair, and the face Of one OF
Raphaels Madonnas, Veronica Izzo was
her name and Behrendsohn Immediately
engaged her services at salary much
higher than was usually paid to milliner
girls at Parma, and two or three days
afterward he said she might do still better
at Genoa, where she might obtain situa-
tion at double the wages. He offered to
accompany her to that place himself She
agreed to follow him, and week or two
aiterward the two were in the superb old
city OF Dorias. Behrendsohn proposed to
| Veronica to have ride with him in the
bay, which she joyfully accepted. They
entered barge, and were rowed out to
sea. No sooner, however were thew
about five hundred yards from the shore
than Benrendsohn and one of the oars.
men bounced upon the unsuspectng girl
and tried to gag and bind her, She sue.
ceeded in freeing herself from their grasp,
and selling q large knife which was lying