The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-06
An Incident in the Life of Pho Mono.

Among the bands of prisoners brought
from the field of Montana by the papal
zouaves and their French allies, was an
old, hazel-eyed, slim and sinewy veter-
an, named Giuseppe Critoni. He look
ed more like a bandit than a soldier,
and he wore the red shirt of the Carl
baldians. He was we'll known among
the rebels, and he was feared by the
papal gendarmerie as a very dangerous
man. He had been in Rome previous
to the disturbances of 1913, plotting in
favor of the revolutionists, and ON
many occasions since that memorable
year he had acted the spy for Mazzini
and Garibaldi Critoni had charmed
life, so far as escaping keen and crafty
policemen is concerned. He never was
arrested until after the papal victory at
Montana. In 1866 he narrowly escaped
the clutches of Alberto Massullo, the
shrewdest detective in the service of his
holiness, by putting on the disguise of
a mendicant friar. CritOni was native
of Viterbo, and in his boyhood he play
ed with and loved one Mastai Ferretti,
whom the veteran rebel often in later
years called the most gentle and noble
of boys. Critoni and this boy often
practiced sword exercise together, and
they became somewhat familiar with
the use of the rapier and broadsword.
Critoni's chum being remarked for his
devotion to religious duties, his parents
had him sent to an ecclesiastical train
ing school, while Critoni himself went
to Ancona and joined his father in the
banking business. After a lapse of
over decade of years, Critoni revisit
ed his native city, and, when he asked
for Mastai Ferretti, was informed that
he had entered into holy orders and
was then a curate in one of the parishes
of Viterbo. The meeting of the two
former playmates was as ardently en-
thusiastic as two southern Italians could
make it. Critoni had not been many
days at Viterbo, when he was seized
with smallpox, which was prevalent
there during his stay. In a criticize
stage of his malignant disease, Critoni
sent for the curate, Mastai Ferretti,
who, after administering the rites of the
church, enrolled him in the order of
the "Seven Dolors, pious institu-
ton, established in honor of the seven
great affections which the Catholic
church attributes to the Mother of
Christ. The members of the order
wear to black scapulars, suspended
from cord worn around the neck and
inside the clothes. 1t was this badge
the curate, Mastai Ferretti, placed up
on Giuseppe Critoni's neck, after hav-
ing enrolled him a member of Settle
Dolori." Critoni recovered and went
back to Ancona, promising ever to re-
tain the sacred insignia of the order to
which he belonged. Time rolled on,
and Mastai Ferretti went as a missiona-
ry to South America. Here the inter-
course of the rebel and the priest end
ed for over forty years. In turns,
Critoni became a bankrupt broker, a
journalist, a school-master, and revo-
lutionist. In the last-named profession
he remained until he died.
When, on balmv spring evening in
1867, the papal and French soldiers had
marched in triumph through the Porta
di Popolo and the Corso, greeted by
the cheers of the papalini, while lovely
flowers and laurels were showered from
the adjoining windows, the more impor-
tant of the prisoners, among whom
Giuseppe Critoni was first, were
brought. under De Charette's charge,
to the dungeons of Castle ST. Angelo.
Before nightfall, special courier from
the pope brought orders to the office in
charge of the castle to grant the pris-
oners every privilege that prudence
would allow. Consequently, the nau-
seous food and sour wine, usually sup
piled to the incarcerated in the dingy
cells of st. Angelo, were substituted by
good fare and wine of a generous flavor.
On the second day of his confinement,
Giuseppe Critoni became seriously i'll.
In few days an indubitable case of
typhus fever developed itself, and the
physician advised that the patient be
removed to the Santo Spirito hospital
an institution founded by Plus TX.
When his holiness had heard of Giusep-
pc Critoni's arrest, he seemed uncom-
monty interested in the news-an old
feeling seemed aroused within him.
Critoni recovered, and was sent back to
Castle st. Angelo Confinement again
told on the old rebels constitution, and
a relapse of the dreadful fever ensued.
This time the veterans heart fell. He
knew that death was upon him, and the
chaplain approached his bedside more
| frequently than usual The night upon