The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-05-17
A sIeiIian Vendetta.


A few days ago the strangest case OF
vendetta, perhaps, which ever occurred
in New Orleans was reported by the
press. The seeker after vengeance
made two separate attempts upon tho
life of his victim, in the presence OF
witnesses and in locality by no means
unfrequented. In this case, however,
the bloodthirsty individual does not
appear to have been experienced He
struck his victim, it is true,-- q Sicil-
ian never misses his blow,-but he
does not seem to have been "a master
hand" He used his knife and pistol
somewhat clumsily. 80 that his victim,
borne to the hospital, still lives and
may continue to live. 1t was in the
hospital that the extraordinary charac-
ter of the men was developed by some
curious circumstances. The prisoner
was brought to the bedside of the
wounded man in order that the latter
nigh identify him. Three young men
had sworn positively to having seen the
assault, and their statements were cor
roborated by other witnesses. Brought
face to face, the black eyes of the pris
oner and these of the victim met calm
ly, searchingly, and dispassionately.
Not the faintest trace of emotion was
discoverable upon the swarthy features
of either Italian. ''Is this the man
no stabbed you" asked the officer.
In his soft, broken English the suffer-
er quietly replied: ooh, no; he is as
my brother. We have slept together
and worked together. He could not
have stabbed me, because he loves me
so muchw
Staggered as the police officers must
have been by such an unexpected dec
laration, they were still more surprised
when the prisoner requested permission
to kiss his victim, not that it is at all
extraordinary for men of a Latin race to
kiss one another, but because of the
terrible secret hatred which must have
been yet burning in the hearts of both
men. And what Judas-kiss was that,
contentedly received by the one, and
warmly given by the other Prosper
Merimee never suspected the possibili-
ty of such an occurrence even when he
wrote Colombia. That the victim of q
should deny the identity of
his enemy when in the hands of the
Jaw is no longer q matter for surprise;
it has TRANSFERRED frequently even in the
history of New Orleans crime, But
his terrible hipocricy of affection,--
his masking of hatred with the tokens
If friendship was something apparent
y diabolical and incomprehensible.
What is that grim law of bandit honor
which closes the lips of dying man as
With the ghastly magnetism of night =
mare? The secrets of the strange GUS
ON have surely never been written;
he facts may be chronicled, but the
lotives are known as yet only to those
Tho are the victims of these wild eth
IS of revenge aud murder. Probably
ne Judas OF the recent affair would
ather have gnawed the skull of his
ounded enemy, like Dante's Ugolino
| the Icy Sea, than have kissed his r
yet it is also possible that he II
as influenced by the desire to battle .
lie officers of justice, to thank his VIC -
N for adherence to the code of ven
eta honor, or even to humiliate him
It further by an outward mark of "A
given as Il secret defiance to
tray the secret law which protects
e assassin and paralyzes the tongue
his victim.--N 0. City Item.