The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-10-19

Forty eight hours afterwards. the doc
tor proposed to drive into the country,
at which the ladies we're delighted, and
all three were soon in carriage bow
ling along the Viadel Camp.
Miss Vernieri asked many questions
as to the palazzi and villas they passed
till they approached grand edifice
whose magnificent site awoke her admi'
ration.
"Whose was it?'
The doctor, as if suddenly struck by
an idea, ordered the driver to stop.
"Here," he said, lis precisely what
you want, country residence till the
close of November. This palace is di>
vided into suits of apartments. Come
in and let us see how you like them.
They alighted and entered, and the
Doctor asked for Madame Flourens.
An iron gate was then opened admit
ting to court yard, from which they
mounted two flights of stairs. and then
they were ushered into drawing room
where they were politely received by
the lady. DR.. Cosimati the" intimated
that Miss Vernieri wished to take apart
ments for the summer III the palazzo,
and would like to be shown through the
various suits. Madame Florens was only
too delighted, and offered her arm to
the young lady, who mechanically took
it. Then the mother said languidly.
"You can go alone, my dear, and make
your choice, which is sure to satisfy
me. l am tired, and will wait here
with the doctor till you come back"
Madame Flourens and Miss Vernieri
then moved off, and the moment the
door closed behind them the mother
and doctor slipped stealthily through a
private passage, gained the staircase,
and were soon IN the court yard.
Meanwhile Miss Vernieri was making
the tour of the apartments, and 1t was
not long before Miss Vernieri learned
that she had been left in an asylum for
lunatics.
After her discovery. Miss Eernieri
asked Madame Flourens, the lady super
intendents, how she could have consent
ed to become an instrument i'll such
base conspiracy.
The lady smiled sadly.
"Were [ to believe all those who say
they have been brought here as the vic
tins of conspiracy, should have few
patients. "
"But," demonstrated Miss Vernieri,
what legal proof have you that / am a
fit subject for an asylum?
1.-The doctor who came here with
you,' replied Madame Florens, "appli-
ed to me for the admission of a patient.
told h1m he must first have a certiti>
cate of the patient s madness, signed by
the director of the establishment. who
is the first alienist in Naples, Dr.
Miraglia.'
"Ah." broke in Miss Vernieri, to
whom this name was revelation, "the
perfdious plotters. That cousin of his
whom DR.. Cosimati presented to me.
WAS DIR. Miraglia, then! Bnt how
could the doctor certify my lunacy? |
talk nationally enough. Oh! the mon
stersl" "Figlia mia. behold my justi
fication," and Madame Florens produc-
ed the certificate of the alienist, Mirag>
liza, the director OF the asylum.
Thereupon Miss Vernieri addressed
herself to the task or devising her ex>
trication from the Flourens asylum.
Viglantly watched, she yet succeeded
in getting letter conveyed to her lover,
and he went straight to work to rescue
her and bring her prosecutors to jus.
tice.
He got the Procurator of the King
to send forthwith to the asylum an in
structing Judge (gionice instrntore)
and . notary. These gentlemen obtained
immediate access to the young lady, and
examined her, with the most painstak-
ing minuteness, putting questions OF
every kird, laying traps for her, and TAX
ing down her answers. She came out of
the ordeal triumphantly, and the result
was Procuratore del Re for her release,
and criminal proceedings were at once
taken against DR.. Costmati, the widow
Vernieri, and Dr.. Miraglia. No sooner
set at liberty, then Miss Vernieri fed
to the aunt at whose house she had met
her fiance. Their marriage took place
Immediately.
Meanwhile the conspirators, whose
object to invalidate Miss Vernieri' s
right to control of her fortune by max
ing her out mad, were put upon their
trial at Salarno. They had already ia
ken legal steps to complete their nefa-
rious design. when the young ladys re-
lease upset everything, and turned
them from appellants into defendants.
The section of accusation (as the ltal :
ian phrase goes) acquitted the mother
as the cupe of Costmati. Miragha was
admitted to have acted with bona fides,
and he, too, was declared guiltless be-
fore the law. The doctor was fully con-
vlcted. The public Minister demand
ed, as his sentence, there years impris-
onment-a year for each day during
which his victim WAS immured in the
asylum, and that sentence was pro>
nounced by the Judges.
Dr. Costmati appealed, and the
term of imprisonment was reduced to
one year. Not content with this re-
mission of the sentence, the doctor-al-
ways, be it remarked, enjoyed provis-
ional liberty, that is, not imprisoned at
all, applied to the court Cessation; but
his plea was rejected. Then he solicited
the Kings mercy but Signor Viglianl,