The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-10-14


opened the conversation by asking how she
could have consented to become an instru-
ment in such a conspiracy. The lady smiled
sadly. 'FigIia mia, were | to believe all
those who say they have been brought here
as the victims of conspiracy, l should
have few patients on my hands, But
demonstrated Miss Verneri, what legal
proof have you that am a fit subject for
an asylum 'The Doctor who came here
with You, replied Nine Flourens, applied
to me for the admission of a patient. |
told him he must first have certificate of
the patients madness, signed by the Direc-
tor of the establishment, who is the first
alenist in Naples, DR.. Miraglia' 'Ah"
was revelation, the perfidious potters!
That cousin of his whom DR.. Cosimati
presented to me was DR.. Miraglia, then!
But how could the Doctor certify my lunacy?
| talk nationally enough. Oh. the mon
sters.' 'FTglia mia, behold my justfica-
tion,' and Nine. Flourens produced the
certificate of the alienist, DR.. Miraglia, the
Director of the asylum in question, and of
another not less famous, declaring that
Miss Nernieri was non c0mpoS mentis.-
When, asked the young lady, does he
pay his next visit?' Tomorrow Then
tell him I must see him urgently Va
came, and with it DR.. Miraglia, who stood
the indignant invectives of Miss Vernieri
with professional equanimity, and abruptly
terminated the interview with the words
The young lady's spirit, however, was not
broken even by this rebuff, and again she
returned to the task of devising her extri-
cation from the Flourens Asylum. Vigi-
ting letter conveyed to her lover, who, it
may well be supposed, was in the greatest
distress at her sudden and unaccountable
disappearance. From the letter he quickly
understood all, and, able lawyer as he was,
he went straight to work to rescue Miss
Eernieri, and bring her prosecutors to JUS
tce. He got the Procurator of the King
to send forthwith to the asylum an instruct
ing Judge (giudice instruttore) and notary
These gentlemen obtained immediate access
to the young lady, and examined her with
the most painstaking minuteness, putting
Questions of every kind, laying traps for
her, and taking down her answers. She
came out of the ordeal triumphantly and
the result was the immediate order from
the Procuratore del Re for her release,
while criminal proceedings were at once
taken against DR.. Cosimati, the widow
Vernieri and DR.. Miraglia. No sooner set
at liberty, than Miss Vernieri fled to the
aunt at whose house she had met her tiance.
Their marriage took place Immediately,
and constancy had its reward. Meanwhile
the conspirators, whose object it had been
to prevent the marriage, and to invalidate
Miss Nernieri's right to the control of her
fortune by making her out mad, were put
upon their trial at Salerno. They had
already taken legal steps to complete their
nefarous design, when the young lady's
release upset everything, and turned them
from appellants into defendants. The sec
tion of accusation Gas the Italian phrase
goes) acquitted the mother as the dupe of
Cosmati. Miraglia was admitted to have
acted with bona fides, and he too was de-
clared guitless before the law; while the
Doctor was fully convicted. The Public
Minister demanded, as his sentence, three
years imprisonment-a year for each day
during which his victim was immured in
the asylum, and that sentence was pro-
nounced by the judges DR.. Cosimati ap-
pealed, and the term of Imprisonment was
reduced to one year. Not content with
this remission of the sentence, the Doctor
always, be it remarked, enjoying pro-
visional liberty, that is, not imprisoned at
all-applied to the Court of Cessation; but
his plea was rejected. Then he solicited
the Kings mercy; but Signor Nisliani, late
Minister of Justice, refused him that also.
The 18th of March came, and with it the
Left to power. The appeal to the Kings
mercy was renewed, and his Majesty was
advised to grant it. Sentence was COM
muted to internement in a prescribed local
ity from May to November-six months,
as Fanfulta puts it, of villeggiatura. So
much for Italian justice"