The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-08

The story Of David Lszssrstti. Tho Prophet
Of Monte I4abro.

rom ". Jr,don rm,s
ROME. Aug 23-Thc story Of David Lazza
retti affords curious picture Of the moral con:
Italy and that not in the Willis 81 Calnbria or Of
Sicily but in hourishinR Tuscany. Taken alto
lowers { is a strange medley q superstition Of
the dark ages and S0cialistic Hropagnnda o. we
prophets inspired manner. his ardent tom
peramcnt. his accent ringing with. fanaticel
zeal, his face animated by gscotic, fcrY9r, his
might suppose II to bc the description of one Of
those strangely constituted natures which some
slt or sem o, c9h,ur9s ago went 70 form the long
tic orders ot that tmo Perhaps u David Lnz.
2arctt had lived in those days. the Church would
have been able to direct tho method Of his mad
ness TO her own service, and instead OF being
shot down in what WINS little more than vulgar
brawl. he might have died in tho odor Of sane.
tity and his namo have found It's way into tho
celestial peerage
He was born at Arcidossn. In the province Of
| GrOsseio. about the year 1880. His parents be-
| lQnged to the poorest class. II was sont for
short time To- The COMMUNAL school. and then
| would nppear that he learned sufficient to be
a9 b, TO road he got hold q such romances as
and the g Bella Mnghelona." and fed his imagi-
MASON with dreams OF greatness, in which. OF
re- he was the GhiSi qco ,I ndss nrNsS VIZ
| said, in tho Garibadian Legion. but, not OBJ
tanning the distinction he desired. he returned
career, commencing by writing tragedies.
Meeting. however with no success in this
pearcd. After some months he returned, 50
| changed that he was scarcely recognizable. He
had lot his beard grow, His .porson was un-
| cared for. He walked about with his eyes
! nloit. spoke In short sentences rs II Inspired by
some superior being and pretended not 10
! know either his family or friends. He hal
high mission to fulfil, destined 10 render him
great among the greatest, even immortal, TO
| you | say. oh miserable mortals. that God
speaks through and for me. Behold the in
| scruiabe decrOcs Of Providence. Woe 10 those
who 90 not believe in my words. which are the
He recounted that whom he loft Arcidosso in
tending 10 20 to Rome. he met the spirit Of one
him TO- 20 and spend the night In cave hard
by. The place was indescribably dark he
saw the vault Of the cavern open, and y the
H sry and S S. 9 fa9 9 So G %heSe the sp E
Of paradise. Co" said the Virgin to him.
and prepaEEe new world %0rhy , Of = ne o. my
DOM 10 thee" aided st. Peter applying at
the same time red-hot iron against his fore
Ioc sieno rinces." At that, recounted David.
Of day awoke. renewed strengthened. and in.
.pired. AND with this indclibe sign upon my
Down upon your knees and adore the hand
| otGod; and rs he said this. he lifted his broad
tapped hat and displayed a fresh cicatrce in
the form OF a heart between two capital Cs with
their backs turned toward it, His hearers,
poor and ignorant peasants. half frightened at
knees and kissed the hem ~ his coat t.. '''''
| The veneration for his saintiness. living as
he did on bread, garlic. and water, steadily in
| hundreds and from hundreds to thousands. aud
| they dalermlned TO build for him on the summit
| OF Monte LabrO-more than 5000 feet above the
level Of the sca-a hermitage with LOFTY tower
| twelve rooms attached to- II for his apostles and
| o chapel containing images Of the Virgin. Saint
| Peter, and hl msolf-not forgetting. adds one Of
| the papers IN" customary money hoN Tor ohlh-
tions No sooner had this resolution boon
taken than il was carried into effect and every
/ sunday and tesi0 hundreds upon hundreds ~
men. women, and children were seen ioiling
| professionally up the hill carrying large nass's
| OF stone. chanting the Rosary rs they went. and
| believing that the heavier the load they carried
the more meritorious was their labor. In an
incredibly short space OF time an immense
| Hnrmitase built Thu sunday before the fatal
| conflict occurred more than 5000 pcople.
chiefly peasants. had aScendod Monte Labro TO
But III David The saint did not limit himself to
preaching o new religion and to making
He 10 to lay the basis OF
he in lcated in the masses the necessity for an
equal division Of lands and property. with
commoh as,riGu,or and tic SSSt genera admins
that at the timo when Socialism is making great
strides in Germany this now prophei should 100
religion from the summit % high Hill In Tus-
cany. Ill words had such nm cifcct that In u
6uNrt time he nAl lluufe1 q lufst lnulOel OF
Individuals. not peasants only. but persons ~
substance and oven position. 10 make over their
possessions 10 him by regular acts Of transmits
siOn he became the owner, moro Or less by
right Of n large extent of property and was
able to dispose Of the lgbor u some sixty peas
ant families.
and at hH nsne Of one one " Rete the prphs
was arrested and taken 10 Scansano. tho sum
When lie vehicle which conveyed David Lsz.
zareit reached the pIazzi II S.ansano distln,
gyished ,personnee, Who then hol4 lIgh leEal
! oflta az Florence throw himself UPON Ills knees
before the prophet kissed his hand. aud cOn-
Quoted him with ell honor 70 the prison. and all
s.ociety for Catholic Interests IN The town aud
| province 81 GrOssciO announced urJt ~ Oll Ia is
pew martyr and m2F'yTdi9,m. Ths prls0nerii
having succeeded in convincing tho Court that
the prosecutor had no cose on The ground That
other oerason "A sentence 81 Imprisonment was
pronounced against INN hy M lower C"Mrt
which was aiterward annulled on appeal; But
although the law was powerless against MIN an
order was issued prohibiting him 10 remain IL
lie then ramblcd for awhile about Italy was
arrested in Umbria for vagabondage, went 20
France, wherc he remained i9r some time. and
finally reappeared again on Monte LaOro. ms
time Accompanied ~ a French priest. and
quickly rcasserted his old inilucnceln the eyes
was favored by The Society for Catholic Inter.
r ests but about this time, for some cause no
explained. he began to inyeigh against the
priests and particularly the Archprie,t 81 Gros
seto and turned his old friends into his bitter
est enemies. He then announced that i was
necessary to exterminate tho priests and two
thirds OF mankind who must be killed N
honest battle by the Lazzarites II not being pos
Z sible in any other way - complete the redemp
ton Of the human race
I This declaration was made In ono Of his pub
: | locations entitled Ecstares. TRANSFORMATIONS
ana Prophetic Revelations Of David Lazzarcitl
the New Messiah. Christ Jesus. Monarch, Judge
| and supreme Head Of the Complete Redcmp
; ton Of Men" and which commences with thes
e words;
g The Now Messiah prophesies that within
- twelve years he will have Anuihilated all m
: empires. kingdoms, and republics 81 the UNI
. verse forming thcm into one solo empire. iron
/ which will depend thirteen monarchios ,includ
- ing that Of the supreme Pontin. who only wi
give laws to all the human races. reduced 70
| Rigorous unity Of religion, rights. and politics.
| Recently his Iroachng had turned almost cN
| clusively on the necessity Tor cNtermlnntlol
and that the object Of the procession which WI
| iuterrupttd By the police, with the tragic resu
| announced was the division Ol the properly
tie villages around Monte Amlata
Mysterious Disease Among Cattle.
F,on Re Eronrn, hinai