The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-03-13
rHE "BURIgD ALlyE.r
A Cartons Custsm at an ecclesiastical
Auction. -sf


'eThe government is taking pos
session of the converts with Eall
possible decorum, Where-ever 1t
can be done. Their inhahitaAts
are allowed to retain possession
of part of the buildings. In 9th.
er Instances, the Inhabitants OF, :
convent which is intended for the
use of government are allowed to
take up their quarters In the emp
ty cells of smother, one would
think to THAR exceeding cofnfe7s.
The usual formalities took place
recently at she tomb what else can
one call it'll of the tSepolti Vive'
the Buried Alive'-in the Su-
burra, on or near the site of the
house where Caesar was born.
These poor women, some twenty
nine in number, are always cover
ed with a double veil, black, lined
with white. When once this veil
has been placed upon their heads,
they never again may look upon
the face of father or friend, moth
er or sister. Once q year, cover
ed with the terrible pail, they enter
q room divided into two parts by
an iron grating. Within its bars
hangs another black veil. Outside
Of it their friends gather, and,
pronouncing their names, inquire
after their health. In turn, they
may ask after the health of their
families; until, on some of these
anniversaries, no familiar voice Is
heard, and thus they1earn that the
"buried alive" have all their dead
to morn. These poor creatures,
informed at the last moment by
their confessors of the necessity Of
their appearance before the repre-
sentatiVes of the law, glided in,
one after another, like the sheeted
dead, in their ghastly garments,
took their stations at q table placed
at a distance from all present,
turned their backs upon them, and,
having signed the necessary pa
pers, disappeared as they had en-
tered. They are not to be dis
turbed at present, and, indeed, will
probably continue their death in
life to the end at the Suburb.
''Tbe sale Of ecclesiastical prop
erty is carried on with decidedly
favorable results. At the first
auction thirty three buyers had
gone through with the necessary
formalities, and a large crowd as
sembled. An old custom which
prevails at public auction was duly
observed. On a frame prepared
for the purpose, small candles are
placed. They are SO very small
that each of them will burn but
four minutes. When a bid is
made, one Of those candles is lit
and covered with q glass shade,
that no Intentional or unintention-
al puff of air may reach it. AS
the sale proceeds, and another bid
is made, a second candle is light
ed and the shade removed to it.
The crier, as he covers q candle,
announces it thus: tPrinaa candele
vergine; secondn candeIe Vergtne;
terra cG'adels pergine,' and so
forth. When q candle has been
lit for a bidder and burns out
without higher bid having been
made the sale is over. One of the
first houses put up belonged to the
hospital of st. Giovanni. The
community bid for it, but several
candles were lit, and it went up
from nineteen thousand to sixty
Thousand four hundred frances,
and was purchased by private
individual. The second sale was
equally spirited with the first.
Some twelve or fifteen pieces of
property were disposed of at ex-
cellent prices. Another sale is ex-
pected to take place soon."-N. Y.
Post