Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-01
THE CARDINALS CORPSE
Grave of n High Church Dfgnitary
Robbed by Five RascaIs and his
Appariti0n Appears.

The robbery Ct Lord Crawford's body has
caused great excitement in England. Mr.
| Labouchere, who is never at a loss for an
apropos story, relates the following incidents
"When Cardinal Spadello died there was a
pious but warm dispute as to where he should
be buried. His family, who we're all Princes
del Spadelli, demanded that he should lie in
| a splendid mausoleum which had been erect
ed for members of their house on plot OF
consecrated ground within the gardens of
their palace at Villanuova, near Naples.
The Chapter of S. JUSTINE, whose arch
bishop the cardinal was, claimed, on the con-
| trary, that he should be inferred in the
| choir of their cathedral; but the Benedictine
| monks of Villanuova set up a much more
decided claim, on the strength OF a torn piece
of paper on which the cardinal had at some
| time or other scrawled in pencil wish that he
might sleep in a certain cool nook of the mon
astery's burial ground. The relatives opined
| that this was a mere aesthetic wish-the fugi-
tive thought of a moments reverie, but pub
lie opinion was against them. 1t said that
the torn piece of paper ought to prevail.
The truth is that Cardinal Spadello had
been a very good man, and the people wanted
to see him buried in way suited to the idea
they had formed of his character. 1t was
said that for some time before his death he
had led an ascetical life, though he was very
rich, and the monks conjectured that he
might possibly work miracles if he was laid
in their ground. The Benedictines found it
exPedient to proclaim that they had won the
special favor of heaven, and they caused
door to be opened in the wall of their bury
ipg-ground, in order that the faithful of both
sexes might be admitted to view the tomb
once a week and deposit offerings on it.
Cures of paralysis, neurosis and internal
complaints not easily discernible to the dag
nosis of physicians, now became frequent in
the district, and it was thought kind thing
by local practitioners that the cardinal
should never trench on their ground by heal
ing in6rmities within their compass"
THE eHoULs.
The story then goes on to relate how two
brothers named Forconio, with three kindred
spirits named Ribaldi, Sacripanti and Co.
quino, planned robbery of the grave. |
Ribaldi and Sacripanti remained in the |
chapel. "The two Forconios and Coquino |
having arrived in the vault they commenced |
to examine the coffin. 1t was an imposing |
more than three feet high, so that |
the deceased could easily have sat up in it
had he been moved to do 30. 1t was covered
with black velvet and surmounted by crown
Of ornamental bronze work, richly gilt. The
thieves had brought implements for forcing
open the coffin, and they supposed that the
,nes; but when they had forced the lid they
we're greatly surprised, and indeed startled,
by seeing the embalmed cardinal lying
quietly asleep to all appearance between the
attn Innings, and with his head reposing on
white satin pillow. The sight gave them
! turn. The cardinal was sttired in his +
carlet robes and laced alba; he had an archi-
piscopal inter of gold cloth on his head, and
lis hands, covered with red gloves embroid-
red with pearls, held crozier. He looked
cry august. There WAS a majestic calm
bout him which gave Coquino a twinge in the
egion of his stomach, and made the two For
onios feel as if aprocession of cold rain drops
ERE sliding down their backs. The three
ogues stared hard at the cardinal, then re- .
oiled and looked ergously at one another. {
hey said not a word but the elder Forco-
ice, drew up the cardinals cape over it, and
, concealed it from view. Then he made
gn to his accomplices, and, after some ,
ouble, they lifted out the sleeper and laid 1
inn respectfully enough on a white sheet, G
hich they rolled around him. In another r
mute they had carried him up stairs into |
lie caapel, whence they quickly bore him t
way to an ox-cart waiting outside the burial
.ound. Presto" shouted Forconio, hoarse- d
;, to the pair of oxen, and with tug at q
eir collars the two animals moved on. 1
ut they moved without the cart. TIE the h
,rror of the malefactors, the oxen went
odding through the rain while the cart h
pod motionless. The traces had been I'M S
,oked. Forconio, who was limping on in n
ont with one hand on the yoke, did not I,
'tice what had happened; but tour indie Q
ribable, agonized yells caused him to turn Q
und, and the whole earth seemed to give n
g heave under his feet when he saw tall Il
ure, drap d in white, standing up in the n
TT. .Madre de Dio." faltered the ruffian, 1
a voice which squeaked through his con- r,
.icted throat. His first impulse was to fly, v
nbs, and he stumbled. Raising himself g
I'm the muddy soil on one knee, he looked y
ouud. The cardinal, crozier in hand, was
arching straight toward him.
THE FRIARs Z
There was heavy series of splashes in =. -
: mud and some wild gasps. Forconio's ~
complishes rushed by him, mad with ter u
?; but the cripple, less nimble of foot and 10 10
IRE heavy of conscience, went on stumbling "
m puddle to puddle, fame in both his VI
es and his heart humping out frantic sobs. W
wn he went again; but this time when he p
e there was hand on his shoulder. He VI
lid not bear it; one look round, and one
nee into that awful majestic face, and the !.
minal literally howled as he tore himself IL
az, charging through the rain and the cr
X as fast he could go, till his headloug Pc
lrse took him to the ridge of the marble Ia Ia
airy, where he slipped and tumbled, all 81 81
athless, soaked and Departing, into space "a "a
J body was picked upon the following day on
ne dead. The cardinal had followed the ar ar
prit, and, having witnessed his execution, S,s
cred little moan of compassion and P,o
ked back whence he had come. One -:
d scarcely say that this terrifying
.ir having got bruited about through po
conduct of the other four ras-
J, who found it prudent to decamp from ~ II.
country, the public veneration for Car toy
al Spadello's tomb rose to a paro1ysm. 40
. Benedictine monks, like prudent persons, n
nothing 10 damp the general zeal, though
' had their quiet, pious chuckle over the -,
acle among themselves. And a particu -
friar named Antonio laughed more pious- sn
han any of the others, for it was he who as
taken the place of the dead cardinal and e
lined a costume like his just for one per- ali
nance. How the monks had got wind OF n.
contemplated burglary remains mystery the
he confessional. Perhaps it was Forco- 70
s wife who whispered the matter, for she for
found her husband morose and tiresome; ~,
within a year of his death she married -
handsome Carlo Carlino, who keeps that inc
ty wine shop, the first to your right hand ne ne
on enter the village" ,n u
, Importation ar Foreign Potatoes. the
he importation of Scotch and Irish. and tot
!, English potatoes into New York, con- me
es to attract attention. 1t would seem, anc
the first blush, like carrying Goals to qul
Icastle," but thus it is. One New York ma
imports hundreds OF tons per single me-
mers, and others are engaged in it less OF
In the United States some two WI
ion acres are annually planted in pota- tice
The last report of the Agricultural 10"
eau gives the annual yield as one hum
and eighty-one million SIX hundred and Fl
,ty-six thousand four hundred, or more m NM
, three bushels and 3 half per capita. This a fr,
the drouth seriously damaged the crop hon
East and West, while the late paintings sl ss
y South were failure. The Scotch z5p1
lact is said to be Inferior TO the Amexi ~ !it
nd sells for 6fty.ee les per buekel. - -,
BIZ there was also shon potsto crop, edf
lUryG mzsIemented by supplies from n
. sootia ano Prince Edward'A Island. deh
first importatlnh of Scotch was made in thor
!. For ten yssrs from 1870 potato took e
IL Ma