New-York tribune., 1875-12-11

among them SlgnOr PeruZZl, the syndlcI lho i"'i-
dents attending his appearance before the court
were not little comic. and have moved the Italians
to laughter to degree which has perhaps In some
measure prevented them from regarding the matter
in more serious light. The syndic did not answer
when called. About quarter of an hour later he
rushed in spattered with mud from head to foot and
had to listen to a reprimand from the President OF
the Court, who finished his harangue by fning the
Syndc 20 francs. Sgnor Peruzzi listened say
the Italians, with that serene seraphic smile OF
hisr which never deserts him. But when the nne
was announced the voice Of Florentlne cltizeh
was heard remarkng to his neghbor in the court,
That's bad; now he will clap on new tax"
The laugh was long and loud. When the Syndic,
however proceeded to declare that he had signed
the document in question in the interest Of art ana
of the FlOrentine artists because he had heard from
trustworthy persons that the Americans were IN the
habit Of passing off their own the works or poor
Italian scuptors most of those who heard him be-
gan TO think that the matter was somewhat 100
serious one for laughing. And in truth, ii seems
truly mOnstrOus thing that person occupying the
position Of Sgnor Peruzzi should have taken such
step on such grounds. Next to Mr.. Stephen Weston
Heay himself l should think that the Syndic went
to his home from the court with the most uncom-
Portable feelings.
But the testimony on which the defense mainly
relied was that of the skilled workman Fortunate
Frauchini, who had worked for some years IN the
studio of Mr. Connolly and to whose skill and talent
the calumnious writings, for which Mr. Healy was
being tried attributed especially the works on wch
the reputation of the young sculptor was mainly
based This man was called for the defense and was
repeatedly examined and cross-examined different
days. The evidence he gave was very inconsistent,
and varied considerably from day to another But
a. ina tNVIl ha
sufficient for our purpose here to cite two docu-
ments. which were produced to the utter astonish-
ment of the Court and the public, and the disnay of
the defense Franchini fully admitted thatthey were
both wholly in his own handwriting. The first
bears date 29th December, 1874, and Is to this
effect:
az the undersigned worker in marble, declare
that was in the studio of Mr. Connolly in the exer-
else of my above-named profession. as l have been
in the studios of Others and that never did for the
said Mr. Connolly any work of different nature
from that which have done for Signor Fed, Signor
Ball. and Signor Caroni," Fedi is an Italian
sculptor Of the highest reputation and Ball Is an
American whom Mr. llealy declares in the writings
in question to be wholly innocent of any of the mai
practices Of which he was accusing othersl Il de-
clare that | never executed for Slsn0r Connolly
either designs, models or any artistic work that
while was Ill his stuulO saw SBHoI NohuVliy Ooh-
tinually modelling, and never saw anybody else
model there. As for the group called Honour and
Death did not know of its existence till AFTER lts
completion which was three years from the COM
menceInent of it. have never seen any studio re-
sembling that of Sgnor Connolly in which the
sculpture has q character of its own, entirely dlner-
ent from that of the F0rentine artists"
But il anything more required for the utter
confusion of the caumniatOrs and their cause, that
more was forthcoming in the shape of private let
ter from Franchini to friend of his own, one San
toni. dated Nov. 7, 1874, in which the following
words occur:
signor Connolly, and the oalumnies they continue To
spread against him 1t does not surprise me- For Know
by experience how malgnity and envy may blnd people
10 the point of inducing them To become calumnialos
and vile impOstOrs and assassins And you know
very well that in calling them so, am not throwing away
O single word
1t NAV be worth while to observe that the writer
of the above in using Italian fashion, the strongest
words he can find, does not probably mean to accuse
the persons he styles "assassns" of any murderous
intention. He uses the word as one might say
"wretches." "
Much more testimony was adduced to the same
effect. But after the above citations 1t would seem
gliding of refined gold to trouble the reader with
IT, At the conclusion of the sentence which con-
demned Mr.. Heay to fifteen days imprisonment and
1000 francs fine, and the publisher of the lowste to
eight days imprisonment and 500 francs fine, both
gave notice of appeal. Nevertheless, am disposed
to hope that the world win not be troubled by hear
ing anything further Of the notorious american
Arts Frauds Question" I. A. TRoILoPE.