Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-08
AN ADVENTUROUS WAsHERWoMAN.

Most italians thought it pretty hard
lines little while ago, says n Rome let
ter, whenan adventurous washerwOman
came from FlOrance TO reclaim the
Prime Minister CreSpi as Grant nus
band. The Roman papers JOked over
the incident in broad lineS-mOre, how
ever, i'm merry palliatiOn than censor
ious criticism. The Florence washer
woman proved that CreSpi was the
father Of her children; that he had gouc
through the ceremony; had finally babe
her goodbye one morning when wash
mo receipts were dull, and said he was
going to seek his fortune. He took up
the burden ola new and jolly life III Ste
iIy. made himself" solidp with the ris-
ing democracy, and when an extension
of the suffrage came was elected 70
parliament. With clevernesS anu
fluent speech he made himself power
amongmcn, many Of whom could not
even read. He advanced to a portfolio
and finally was forced into the premier
ship. He seems 70 have forgotten his
washeTwOman wife, for he appeared III
Rome with a SumptuOuS female, the
daughter of = rich Syracuse SPECTATOR
who had many axes 10 grind though ms
popular sOn-in-law. Both became rich,
thanks to Crcspils parliamentary adj
dress. The possession Ofthe two wives
would have made no breach III MS
strength or authority among his com
patriots if heyOung King Humbert haul
not, ~ soon ;ss the fleets were proven ID
him, refuse 10 receive the premier IN the
palace or permit any business 10 DE
transacted though him.
In this state of affairs Crespi set about
making up ease to prove the washer
woman a swindler, To do this he was
forced to bring forward two other fe-
males who had shared his heart at the
very time the waShcrwOman claimed
him as her hege. The women We're
able to establish sure enough that the
uxOrious CreSpi had endowed them
with thriving families, while they were
supporting him in pocket money, but 1t
was with difficulty that the marriage
record with the waSherwOman was sup
pressed. Roman courts, however, are
equal to almost anything if it be made
worth their while, and the case was
patched up and hushed suddenly, the
waSherwOman returning 10 FlOrance,
while the children Were mysteriollsly
provided for by some unknown bene--
factor.
The Iambcrtini case was another
illustration of the venality of Roman
courts. Il was On the Piucian hill that
this sensational beauty, who claimed OF
bc Cardinal Automobiles daughter, first
attracted Roman attention. She was
Young and beautiful, and, moreover,
possessed the lineaments of the late car
djnal. Her story was like Il leaf from
theliveS of the BorgiaS. Ii threw every
society in Europe into Il qui vivc.
Sign0ra Iambcrtini produced proof that
she had grown up in Cardinal An
tunellir'S house ~ his daughter. The
story was accepted aS true throughout
Italy; indeed, there were thousands of
details of cOrrOhartjve proof, but, know
ing that the girls was pledged not to re-
veal the name other mother, at present
the wife ola powerful European states
man, the claim was readily quashed in
the courts, and many influential person.
ages who dOuld have subStantiated the
girls story removed themselves con-
venietly until the storm had blown over.