Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-05
LOVE AND CRIME,
Stories Of Romance and Murder In Sunny
Italy.
london s~lanaara.l

cousin Leonardo. hafiaella was the
prettiest girl of the village, and might
almost have had her choice of all the
marrying youth of the country side.
Her cousin Leonardo was, however,
well to do, and the engagement be,
tween the two cousins had the full
appreciation of the parents on either
side. For once it seemed as 1t the
course of true love were destined to
run smoothly. Thus matters went on
until October came round-the harry
est month, the special time for rustic
holiday-making and festiyity. One
evening the whole of the St0relli fam
lily were away from their home, on the
occasion of some village merry-making
all save Raffaella, who had remained
alone in the house. No doubt she
supposed that her lover was, with the
rest of the world, enjoying himself,
and that she would have to spend the
evening in solitude. suppose it
must have been for the edifcation of
her own conscience that she started so
when the latch of the cottage
was raised with a sudden click !;
for there was nobody there to
profit by her dramatic performances.
Whether she endeavored to make
Leonardo believe that she was aston
ished to see him | cannot say. AT all
events, she made no effort to close the
door against him. "Soll eravano e
senza alcun sospetto,p like Dante's
/" Francesca di Rimini and her lover
4 y = and the result was the same.
And from that day forth the villagers
remarked that Raffaela and Leonardo
had changed characters, or at least
parts. For it was now the lass who
was forever seeking the lad, and
the lad who showed little or no desire
for the society of the lass. Before
long all CoratO knew that Leonardo
was betrothed to q certain Caterina
Taricone. AT first Raffaella refused
to believe the terrible tidings.
But soon the official announcement
left no possibility of doubt. Then the
miserable R~affealla confessed her fault
to her family, and the condition in
which she found herself as its conse-
quence. Her father and brother
~thereupon did their utmost to induce
Leonardo to repair the evil he had
done instead of concentrating the
ruin of the unhappy girl by the heart
less conduct he meditated. In vain !
Then the demon of revenge began
to take possession of Raffaella's heart
and brain. The continual reproaches
of her family. dishOnOred by her con
duct for the first time in the annals of
the village community, drove her to
despair, and at the same time to vengc-
full fury. The conduct of Leonardo,
too, seemed carefully calculated to
exacerbatc his victims wrath and
misery. He lost no opportunity Of
Haunting his happiness and that Of his
new bride in her sight, and in scorn-
ing her in the sight of the village
world. And still Raffaella contained
herself, biding her time. At last a
son was born to LeOnardo's wife-also
one to the d%isgraced and betrayed
Raffaella There was a procession to
carry the legitimately born son in the
church for his baptism, and Leonardo
had the horrible cruelty to make spe-
cial arrangement that it should pass
before the cottage Of the Storellis !
The miserable contrast between the
fate of her own child and that of the
rival who had wronged her seems to
have been the last straw which made
Rahaella's burden Orcthanshe could
bear. Snatching a knife from the
kitchen table she rushed out of the
house and plunged it to the hilt in the
bosom Of her betrayer, as he was walk
ing in the pride Of his triumph and
happiness at the head of the village
procession. Leonardo fell dead. Raj
faella, of course, was arrested on the
spot, and tried at the a%ssizes. There
was no possible shadow of doubt as to
the facts of the case, but the Jury,
"cOmprehending, as the reporters say,
the force of strong affection and the
fatal transports Of love-" declared
Raffaella Storelli, not excusable, OF
even justified, but inpQGeat.
Now Tor my second story. This
time the scene is laid at Messina, in
the purple land par excellence,
where law protects not life. A
middle.aged married man, one Vim.
cenzo IpterFpya, was, and had beer
for same time faithless to his wife, anC
persisted in maintaining relations will
a mistress in the city, despite tn,
earnest and reiterated e%ptreaties an,
remnnstranees Of his wife. One even
ing Last month he and his mistress an
a cousin Of hers were drinking to
gether in a tavern in an obscure cor
ner of the public room in whic.
! CHANGED to be sitting the deserte
! wife, together with her son, a yer
powerful young man in HE sWenuet
year. Thus the guilty couple wer
uncosscl0usly seen, aud the youh
| man was the witness of the outree
! inflicted on his w9thaf, aud the Eau.
r Of his AtheE After a time, durin
G which Che bad black blood had bee
mounting to the brain and eyes OF I'll
: unhappy wife and her son, the othC
! party rose to leave the tavern, upo
which the outraged wife and her sol
springing together from their corne
i confronted them. The husband
mlsttess, The Arst " lose all pommaR
9 OF herself, hurled a bottled at the hea
! of the injured wife. Thereupon a
y the tiger nature of the young man WI
= rqFss4 md igt aqTss. .SgEmgi8@ vi
her dead 1T his feet with one dagg
blow, and in two more stretched !
Bi5 N %&fee tSsaRGpie aH wy, 9 q
widow fplT faintinp on the floor. h