The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-26
POSSESSED BY DEJILS.
Thirty Young italian Women Growing Ike
Cocks mud MewinR Like Cats.

Ffor' Ne PrH Nan Gos,se
ROME, Jan. 3.-In little village away un
In the province OF Udine. on the borders Of
Italia lrrcdenta there IL great Rlarm and
commOtion for the young girls Of tho place,
one alter another, are showing outward and
visible signs of being possr1scd by n devil 40
cording to all accounts there arc now about
thirty young women In this unhappy condition.
Why the evil one should have selected 40 OBJ
secure village tor his operations docs not seem
quite clear. Indeed. the blame is not laid on
him. hut on tho priests. Inquiries made by the
authorities have ELECTED the fact that in Lent
lust ycnr series Of discourscs were delivered
longih and with much dotnil tho pains Of he'll;
thereby terrifying weak young women that they
were already lost and thnl the devil hnd entered
into them. The priests who ut first were rather
plUnscd with the Impression their brother
made, have since found that though they had
again Holy water produced no effect. tho most
searching cxorcisms fail. mud even such prnc-
teal measures rs beating the person affected
have been found useless.
While the III Of madness IA on tho possessedr
crow kc cocks. or, NEW like, cats or bark and
howl like dogs and wolves Whit IA worse, they
shock their neigh hOrs 10y bnsphcinous and OBJ
scene language. being especially violent against
the priests, cursng them for their inability ~
relieve thelr suffering 10y casting out tho devil.
The project of the province has sent cOmmis-
sion TO Verzegns, the name Of the village. to
500 what can be done 10 stop tho progress 81
this madness; for. by force Of example and ter
r2r, II threatens to spread Inc people OF lh9
district cannot be persuaded but that tho dovil
Is really ut large among them
A curious incident of the Same kind was ro-
latHt 10 me lew months NgO ny lfltnN WHO
had heard II from the lips al one of the doctors
nj the lunatic asylum nj Siuna. AT Sicna there
Is \ very largo asylum In proportion to the
number Of inhabitants. Int IL II nearly always
full. Among the patients IL man who was
formerly servant 70 a priest IN tho town. and
had been remarkable for his picty and devotion.
A year or two ago he began to show signs OF
religious mania, and his master. IN hope OF
curing him. sent him to n country house lot
change Of air aud scene. Tho man appeared
to get better, and after some months returned
TO the town. but tho mania soon hognn to show
itself again. He had an idea that he was .
| Bishop. and used 90 prcnch I'm the streets; so II
WIS resolved to place him In tho asylum. Two
attendants were sent with n carriage to
| remove him: and TO get him away
| religious function. AZ he WIS driving through
| the streets he blessed the people. and, on ncar-
| ing tue asylum. he expressed wish TO 20 In
| and bless the poor mad poople. and so was
| taken in. II was easy to persuade him that the
| patients were hls flock, and he used to preach
! 10 them and 10 nsSist III" Keepers ~ many luie
| WAYS; and 50. being gentle and hurml"ss. he
| became q great fHvOritr Among his flock was
very violent lunatic, who constantly used lnn-
/ guage 20 bltsphemOu- and disgusting that II
/ shocked the k"cpors, ana even tho other un-
] TENTS: and 10 this man hr specially devoted his
! attention. trying to reason with him ana BRING
| him TO Il calmcr state. but always IN vain.
One day without any warning. he fell on tho
| hlasphcmer and strangiod him; telling tho
! keepers that the man WIS possessed with tho
devil that he had long tried to cast nina out but
| IN vain, ana So rs tho uoss 'Hsrd creature was
! too wicked to live, he had Killed Linn. But now
| IL seemed ~ " the spirit Of the dend man had
| entered into his murderer lloligiun was Tor
gotten. md IT, place was inkcn hy al! the vicious
passions 81 ms victim: Ihe lnost ninsEh-n2m y,
| hitherto had been purU OF evil speaking. hla
! gentle nature gave place 10 the violence which
| had characterized the man he had Killed aud
| from being the most trantahlc ol patients he has
| now become one Of tho most dangerous. and the
| ono OF whom the Keepers are most ~ irnr.
! Tncy all firmly believe that the evil suirlt cAsi
! out Of the murdered man actually did enter M
| to the body VI tho murderer.