The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-03-13
THE "BUEIED ALIVE"
A Curious Custom at Ecclesias-
teal Auction.


A correspondent AT Rome sends the
following interesting paragraphs in re-
iution to current affairs:
The government is taking possession
of the conyents will. all possible de-
corum. Wherever ii can be done, their
Inhabitants are allowed 10 retain pos
session of part OF the buildings. In
other instances, the Inhabitants OF
convent which is intended for the use
,Ae government are allowed TO take up
their quarters ia the empty cells vi an
other. one wouid think Ia their exceed
ing cotn.vri The Usuai fornaIities took
pace recently az tie tomb Wv hat else
can one cali it, OF the "Sepolti Vive"
the " Burned Alive in The !, ,ubura,
on or near the size oi the house where
Cesar was born. These poor women,
some twenty uine la nuinber. are always
covered with "a double yell, black, lined
with white. Mnen once this veil has
becn placed upon tl.elr neais, they never
more may lOOk upon tiic face OF father
Or friend. mother Or sister. Once year,
covered Win this terrible pail, tiiry en-
l,er "A room divided into TWO parts by an
l.ron-graling. Within its bars hang an
other black veil. Outside OF ir their
friends gather, aud. pronouncing their
names, ,inquiIe after their heath. In tuln,
'.hey n.as .lsS after tie health o. their
lmmiiie-; until. ou some Of these anni
versarie,, no familiar voice i heard, and
tnus tney learn the burial alive" have
all their dead 10 mourn. These poor
creatures, informed al the last moment
10y their cOnie.sors of the necessity OF
llhelr appearance before the representa-
ltyes Oh the law, glided ia one after an
other, like the sleetcd dead, in their
.nastty garments, took their stations at
"A ls,oie placed al dis lance from all pres
cui. turned their backs upon them, aud
having signed the necessary papers, dis
appeared IA they had entered. They
are not 10 be disturbed at present, and
will probably continue their death in
life To the end at >ubnrra.
The sale OF ecclesiastical property is
carried on with decidedly favorably re-
suits. At the first auction thirty-threc
,lDuyers had gone through with the neces-
lsary formaIities. and u large crowd as
|scnibled- An old custom which pre-
walls at public auction was duly 0bscrv-
ed. On a frame prepared for the pur-
.lpose small candles are placed. They
are SO very small that each Of them will
burn but four minutes. When bid is
made, one of these candles is lit and
covered with glass shade, that no in
tentional or unintcntional puif of ali
may reach it. As the sale proceeds and
'lanother lid is made second candle il
lighted aud the shade removed TO it,
The cr.er, a he covers candle, ,announ-
ces il thus: Prima candee vergine
secouda candele yergine terra candele.
vergine,' and->o-forih. When n candle
has been lit Tor a bidder, and burns ou
without higher bid having been made
the sale Is over. One OF the frst house,
/, put up belonged to the Hospital of st
!, Giovanna. The community bid Tor il
but several candles were lit, and ii Wen
..up from nineteen thousand TO sixty thou
! sand four hundred francs, and was pur
: chased b. private individual. The sec
ond sale was equally spirited with th'
e.lirst. Some twelve or fifteen pieces o
i property were disposed of at cxcellcn
\ prices. Another sale il expected 10 tax
place soon."