The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-11-03
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY,, NOVEMBER 9, 1875. q
A Roman Mystery.
TUE BODY OF A YOUNG GIRL FOUND
PACKED IN BOX SENT
FROM NAPLES. s4 $50

About the beginning Of this month
a box measuring meter in length
and fifty centimeters in depth, and
strongly corded, arrived, with other
goods, from Naples. 1t was directed
to Francesca Baeno, and was put
aside, in accordance with the direc.
tion, until the owner should send or.
call for it. 1t had been noticed for
some time that very offensive and
gradually increasing smell pervaded
the warehouse where it was stored.
and finally, on. examination being
made, it was ascertained to come.
from this box, from which it was
then observed thick fetid matter,
was oozing. After some deliberation
the police authorities we're communi.
Gated with and an order obtained for
the examination of the contents. On
removing the lid and some superficial
packing they were Mortified to behold
the almost naked body of a young
woman in an advanced state of de
composition. 1t was all huddled ND
together, the legs bent forward and
down upon the body, and the arms
crossed upon the breast in order to
cram the corpse into the space. 1t
was packed in with tow and saw dust,
thick layer of rock-salt laid over it,
and the inside of the box had been
carefully lined to close the crevices
between the boards. Z
The body was removed as speedy
as possible to the dead house at the
Campo Verano, the. large cemetery
outside the Porta San Giovanni,
where DR.. Leoni made an examina-
ton to ascertain the cause Of death.
The first thing observed was long
incision dividing the abdomen, and
it was then ascertained that the con
tents both of the abdomen ant. tho
raN had been removed, and the cayi-
ty flied with salt. Further cxa,ni
ton proved that there were no eSter
n:h marks Of violence, and it is
therefore supposed that the girl must
have been poisoned and the entrails
withdrawn before the body was
crushed into the box to prevent the
cause of death from being detected.
Attic same time this may have been
done, and the salt inserted instead.
with the intention Of arresting de-
composition for as long a period as
possible.
The body is that of a young girl Of
about eighteen years of age, slight in
figure, and with long chestnut chair.
but as marked deformity has been
ascertained by which one shoulder
was evidently raised above the other,
it is supposed that neither passion in
whatever phase nor jealousy can
have caused the crime. What amount
of beauty the face may have pos
sessed it is impossible to Judge, so
entirely are the features marred.
From the appearance of the finger
nails, which are long aud well-tend-
ed, she would appear to have been of
gentle birth, or at any rate not Of
servile condition. The surgeons are
of opinion that death was caused
either by poisin or sufocation, as the
appearance of the brain would seem
to show. The incision along the alb
domen would seem to have been
made by a practicd hand. The po-
lice are in full communication with
Naples on the subject, but thus far
nothing has been ascertained except
that short time back application
was made by a father whose daugh-
ter had mysteriously disappeared.
- Rome Correspondence of London
Times.
IRIS all right to talk about bring
ing up child in the way he should
go, but the other nay, when Third
street woman set out to do it, man