The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-11-27

The girl continued to cry: 'G am il
nocent, I am innocent" Marie
the bravo who had confessed, wa
introduced into her presence in Oh
der that his testimony might be cor
frmed; the law requiring that a cor
fesslon obtained by torture must b
repeated in the presence of the &C
cused in order to make it available
When confronted by her he was s,
dazzled by her beauty and dauntet
by her courage that he revoked al
he had said, and rather than crimin
ate her, he expired on the rack.
Meantime, public interest in tn,
case became intense. The higl
rank ofthe family, the odious repu
tation of the deceased, and, NOR
than all, the beauty and fortitude o
Beatrice combined to increase thii
feeling. Farinaccio, the most emf
nent advocate in Rome, volunteered
to defend the accused. It B sale
that the confession of Beatrice wa:
obtained through his influence with
her, and that he advised her to make
confession and rely upon justifying
the act. Other accounts say that il
was obtained by bringing all the
other members of the family into the
room Of torture with her, when her
eldest brother exhorted her to con
fess, whereupon her fortitude gave
way, and she exclaimed: "You, the
head of our house, wish for its dis
honor. 1t is your will; then be it
So"
Notwithstanding the efforts of re
nowned counsel, the sentence of
death was passed upon the two sons,
Lady Lucrezia, and Beatrice. The
Pope afterward reprieved the young
est son. The people Of the city
were greatly excited when the judg-
ment of the court was made known,
and many petitions for a rehearing
of the case were presented to the
Pope. In consideration Of these
petitions, he ordered that the execu-
tion be stayed twenty-one days, but
during this interval an event oc-
Cured which precipitated the fate OF
this unfortunate family. A young
nobleman of the st. Croce family
murdered his mother in q most
shocking way, and fed. 1t is said
that old Count Cenci had advised
this crime. The Pope received the
intelligence of this murder with the
most impetuous indignation. De-
claring that parricide was becoming
epidemic in his States, he refused al
further intercession on behalf of the
Cenci family. The immediate exc
cution of their sentence was ordered
At IL o'clock in the night, it was
announced to them that they mus
die the next morning. They spent
the balance Of the night in dress
making.
Upon receiving the announcement
of her doom Beatrice ordered the
costume and head dress in which she
is represented in the famous paint
ing Of Guido Benz. All that night
the carriages of the nobility were
driving rapidly about the city, the
occupants eager to obtain a pardon
But all in vain. The next morning
the two women and elder son were
led to execution. The terrible scene
was Witnessed by an immense con
course Of people. Beatrice's firm
ness was mistaken to the last
Standing upon the scaffold shI
prayed aloud in language so elo
quent that the bystanders we're melt
ed to tears A moment later the ex
.ecutioner held something out in hi
hand, and cried in a loud voice
"This is the head of Beatricei iCenci,'
Roman maiden"
The suburban villa was grantet
to the cardinal nephew, on condition
of making it a garden in which tn.
Roman public might be free to en-
Joy itself forever. This condition
was faithfully kept, and, according
to Mr.. Hilliard, the Villa Burghes,
is the most perfect model of thr
beauty and magnifcence of whicl
the Italian garden is susceptible. 1
was kept open to the public from tn
beginning of the seventeenth cen
tury till lS49, since which time tb
gates have been closed.