Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-01-23
Hurled Into a Gorge---A Horrible
Executinn

Execution.
One of the most shocking executions
which ever took place in modern times,
perhaps, was that of handsome young
girl who was put to death, on the 10th
of December last, at San Marino, in
Italy, for the murder Fof her newborn
babe
been committed in San Marino. So
much the greater, then, was the horror
of the people of the little republic,
when, on the morning of the 10th of
November last, they learned that the
corpse of child, which, to all appear
ances, was but a week old, had been
found, covered with some rubbish, in
ditch near the Courthouse, and its
throat cut from ear to ear.
An investigation was at once set on
foot by the presiding elder of the repub
lie (such is his title), and in the course
of few hours it was discovered that
young girl named Felicita Pallavicini had
probably committed the foul murder,
and that the unfortunate and innocent
victim of the fearful crime was her own
title daughter.
Felicita was q tall, dark-haired and
dark-eyed beauty of twenty-five years.
Her features were as faultless as those
of one of RaphaePs Madonnas, and,
although her parents, both of whom had
died while she was still a child, were
very poor, her hands and feet were as
small as those of duchess.
Felicita was at once arrested, and
the remains of the murdered child
were shown to her. She appeared
greatly detected, and said the child
she had taken its life. Vainly did
the aged elder of the republic, who was
also the presiding judge of San Marino,
urge the wretched woman to atone, at
least in a small part, for the fearful deed
she had committed. She hung her head
and refused to say anything. Absolute
despair seemed to have seized her, and
when she was formally tried for her
offense, on the 10Th of November, she
appeared to be perfectly Indifferent to
what was going on.
Then he told her to stand up, and adj
dressed her as follows
Felicita Pallavicini, you are q cruel
murderess. Not only have you been
guilty of the vilest of crimes, and heaped
disgrace on our native country, but you
have taken human life, and, moreover,
that of your of own offspring. Cruel, un-
natural mother, you shall suffer death
for your murderous deed. Prepare for
your doom. Your last hour has come p
The last sartling words aroused the
prisoner from her torpor. She started
up in dismay, as if thunderstruck by
what she had heard.
" Your last hour has come ]" repeated
the presiding judge in solemn tone.
| And then the wretched Felicita realized
her position at length, and she broke
into wild screams.
"Oh, mercy, mercy p she cried, &c
was crazy when did it; mercy, mercy p
But the judges shook their heads, and
the two officers of the court approached
the prisoner upon motion from the old
| Judge.
''Take her to the gorge of Feri r' he
said to them.
Felicita, who was very strong woman,
resisted the officers desperately when
they tried to tie her. She threw herself
on the floor; she bit them and scratched
them, but they soon mastered her, and a
few minutes afterward she was bound SC
securely that she was as helpless as q
child.
Then priest was sent for to admins
ter the last religious consolation to her,
! but she refused to listen to him, and ut
tered the most opprobrious sentiments,
until it was finally found necessary to
gag her.
And now she was carried out and
placed on litter, which the two officers
took up. When they started for the
scene where the last horror was to
take place, the priest walked by the
side of the helpless woman, holding
up the crucifx to the face of her whose
features were distorted with unbounde6
terror. A few citizens accompanied him
A more mournful procession could mo-
be imagined.
At last they were close to the fata
precipice.
"May God have mercy on your poo
soul," said the priest, fervently, an6
pressed the crucifix a last time to he
face.
Then the two officials lifted her, ant
raising her up, hurled her into th'
depth.
Everybody shuddered when SECOND
afterward they heard the body striking
hard against the bottom of the gorge
Let us hope that death was instan
taneOuS