, 1881-03-13

The Sorrows Of an American Girl Who
Welded IN italian Count-Furtller
Particulars of Lnte Florenttne
Scandal.
Spseial Correspondence Of The Chicago Tribune
FLORENCE, Italy, Feb. o0.-Talk about Amer
lean Slavery in the old times before the War;
cruei, bnrbarous, and inhuman us that was the
| master always in self-intercst took great caro-
OF the health OF his chnttel: but case Of great
cruelty and excessive hardship has lately come
to my knowledge In this city, through the cour-
tesy of the American Consul, which seems to
reverse the old order Of things in slave-times in
America, and which. hope, will prove to be an-
other warning to managing American mAmmas-
| There appears to be mania among our fash
ionable and ambitious Rrlstocrucy to bring
their beautiful daughters to Europe in tho hope
of catching title, or rather to sell their chill
drcn to secure onc,--for that is about what it
amounts to. Here them in this o'er-true tale. rs
gather it from the official documents on file in
the Consular office in this city, and from repre-
scntations made to me'by Col. Crosby, the Con-
sui himself, give simply the facts, leaving out
the details except SO fur US they may help to
make the ulfair, in all its horror, more clear to
the reader.
Some years ago, no matter how many,
wealthy, young, and beautiful lady from the
South, loving the glitter Of q title better than
the true love OF a good man in her native land,
met and was married to an Italian Count, repre-
scntiug one of the oldest and most distinguished
fnmiiics of Tuscany. I wish the Consul had not
requested me not to mention mines on either
side, for 1 would like to put whip Into tho
hands Of every honest man, to lash the rascal
naked through the world.'
The income Of the girls fortune was placed
exclusively and absolutely In the hands OF the
husband, and WAS ample for the support of the
Count and Countess. He took good care, how
ever, to spend tho greater pnrt Of it on himself,
placing his wife on rather short allowance. In
the course OF time, from some cause, which,
from what followed, may sufely be left to the
Imagination Of the reader, the poor woman SICK
ened, aud, under the strain most likely of her
unhappiness, her mind temporarily gave way
not seriously, but in Il mild form. Had the hus-
band loved her and cared for her as his VOWS
and his duty required, he would have had her
properly cared for In his own palace; but
no-that did not suit his Highness. as it would
possibly involve considerable expense. Occu-
pyine as he did high position in society, 1t was
an easy thing to secure an order to incarccrate
his weak, unfortunate. and suffering wife in IN
insane asylum. There are nt, least two OF these
institutions close to Florence, admirably and
humunely conducted, where patients who had
been tcnderly reared could have, consistent
with their cure, nil the luxures to which they
were accustomed, by paying 4 reasonable price
for them. Our high-born Count was not dis
posed to do this, but, in his avnrice. had this
tender Am ericnn woman thrust into one OF tho
cheapest and most miserably- conducted asy-
lutns in Itay,-a long distance from her former
friends and associates, and where the expense
of keeping her would not amount to more than
few francs 4 day. He nnd his fnsnily and
friends were careful to spread the report fhat
the Countess was hopclesly mad, SO Us to pre-
hnrf m
her. He had Il high old time, living on the fat
OF the land, and spending his wfe's money;
while she-poor thing-was incarcerated In an
is,snnc asylum. without even THO necessary COM
forts of life, and with no associates or her own
rank.
In the meantime the poor Countess had almost
dropped out of the life and thoughts uf those
who formerly knew and admired her: Hut Co..
who hears the prayers OF tho weak auu OPP
pressed no matter how many bars and bolts in-
1erycne, brought hcra friend in. u very unex-
neetea nnGr S9me .c 70 oe,opgr ho Iass 1ua
to visit this asylum, in company with ply,
sican. to see gcntlennn at one time connected
grounds, observed through a Krnte't door n
number of female patients, and among them the
poor. unfortunate Countess. Shc happehcd 70
l,otjce him, and, having known him previous TO
her incarcera don, she rushed to the gate and
begged him for Gods sake 10 nave her released,
stating, - l am no more crazy than you are
He, knowing that insane people frequently made
such statements, and having heard SO often thAt
tho poor lady was hopclcsly mad. wns d1s!nclined
TO believe her story, until after several lnlnutes
with hcr,--1nuch to the terror of ]
the guard who bud striGt orders to per%It tba3 no
enn wns renllv tcl[iu. the truth: and. from that
moment until he finally secured fSf discharge,
he left no stone unturncd to release her from
her terrible position. And just here let me say |
tint no bloodhound ever followed q trail with a |
kcener scent than does this same tot. Crosby
wbcn be discovers a case Of crime or wrong
doing, or il Is brought to his knowledge He |
never tires or yiclls up the pursuit until he has
exposed the wrnng-doer.
His next move was to send an American lady. t
an old friend Of the unfortunate Countess. to
see her, and assure herself that her story was !
true. ana to inquire as to her health and condi-
lion. Her report was convincing that great |
wrong had been committed upon her old friend, |
and that her mind haq been unbalanced but 4 /
few months after her Incarceration: the re- !
mander Of the time she had been perfectly !
sane. Think of 1t for u momenti For at least |
eighteen months the poor woman had been ]
vigorously confined among LOT Of crazy peo- |
ple cut OIL from all her friends, and denied the |
~ t,5f