The Portland daily press., 1879-11-20
Letter from Italy.
The Story Of the Fadda Trial.

ROME, Oct. 31st, 1879.
The great Fadda trial. which has taken up
general interest for so long, has come to an end
to-day with the resulting sentence OF death
passed on CARDINAL and penal sergitude for life
to the instigator of the crime, the wife Of Cap
tain Fadda. 1t was the usual story Of the
illicit love of married woman and the conse-
auence of it on the low and brutal character OF
her lover.
Amongst company composed of petty &C
tors, clowns and mountebanks. which was in
the habit of visiting the province of Calabria
in 1864, to show off their tricks and feats in
the small towns and villages, was this man.
named Pietro CARDINAL, whose years had been
passed in this sort Of bohemianism, but who
as is naivey put by one of the newspapers
here-"instead of occupying himself with his
hanging bar and chairs and balls and knives
passed his time in giving great deal OF his
attentions TO the ladies!" CARDINAL had occa-
sion then to make the acquaintance OF the
Saracen family when the daughter Rafaella
was yet unmarried to Captain Fadda. Wheth-
er anything passed between these, the hero
and heroine of the tragedy, may as well
be left unsaid. Fourteen years after
wards CARDINAL returned to that town where
he had known her and found her married to
an honest and brave soldier, and renewed his
intercourse with her. All this time CARDINAL
had been living with woman named Anto-
neitta Carrozza who accompanied him, and
was generally known as his sister; she saw the
relations between him and the wife OF Fadda
but instead of flying into passion of Jealousy
and wrath, she made "the great sacrifice that
poets paint as the greatest and sublimest-that
of giving up her love for him that he might
love anotherl" After that they all came to re,
side in Rome. Time passed. the wife returned
| to her family because it was her pleasure to
| live away from her husband.
1t was the 9th October In modest cham
Der in the Via Carbonari Captain Fadda was
occupied in writing up his accounts, &C., when
someone with message knocked at his door
and said that there was parcel addressed to
him lying at the railway Office if he would
claim it. Fadda sent his orderly, who accom-
panied the message bearer to the Office Ar
rived there it was found that it was shut up
very naturally, because it was Sunday. The
man told the orderly to wait while he went to
fetch the keys; but instead Of returning to him
he went back to the house of Fadda and pre-
sented him with letter. As the Captain
read it, CARDINAL, for it was he, plunged
stiletto in his body The fight that ensued
was terrible, for no less than score OF times
did the assassin strike his victim and not till
the last did the latter call for help; but when
he did so and CardaniG bolted he had the
strength to totter to the door and point him
out to two policemen who chased him, found
him stained with blood and arrested him. And
ebo txrIi off
In the trial the last great speech Of Rossani
for the defense of Raffaella was splendid and
listened to all through with the greatest inter
est 1t ended in these words:-"Gentlemen OF
the Jury! one word now before we hnish; iet
your minds run over the history OF the world:
how many nations have fallen! The Egyptians
seemed to be eternal and they passed away,
leaving behind them but one idea, that OF JUS
tice From them arose the Greek, anu from
them the Roman, whose glorious eagles went
over the world in their glorious fight; and yet
the Latin greatness fell But out OF those ru.
ms flutterS vet that sentiment OF justice. ana
| so through the chivalry of the Middle Ages.
| I'VE want iustice,' we say to our adversaries.
If YOU are convinced that this woman IS gull
ty, condemn her; but if you are not perfectly
| sure, if in the secret of your consclences you
have doubt, remember our laws ana 'nS' ioi
| honesty's sake you must say: NO.
| The great point in the trial was to know the
extent of the completely on the part OF the
wife of Fadda with the assassin; the jury found
I that though it could not be proved tnat siie
I had promised to marry Cardinali should Fadda
be done away with, she was found guilty OF
| having instigated the murder by giving the
| funds and otherwise helping CARDINAL, know
| means and that without her cooperation the
murder would not have taken place.
| The sentence produced a profound impress
| sion. and the widow of the assassined Fadda
| fell into violent convulsions on hearing the ex-
/ i'll ,1 that nf
And now for brighter subject. Rome at
this time is enjoying beautiful weather, and
the time of the malarious feyers has come to
an end. The country around is unhealthy IN
| the summer, and the far-famed malaria makes
| itself felt ON natives and foreigners but with
the cold weather of October and November all
fear disappears, and strangers may live In
| Rome with impunity, ROGER HENRY