The sun., 1882-02-26
IN INTERESTING mrRDER CASE
An italian Count Accused or the A ssassina
tiOn OF u Priest.

ROME, Feb. Count Alexander Faclla will
b. the rrotalonist Of u remarkable murder trial
In Bologna very soon. He is uu Italian aristo-
ernt. accused of the murder of Roman Cath
Ollie priest. The accusation has created much
excitement in Italy The Count is native of
1mola IA town in the ancient pioNinccS Of tho
Pope. When the Count was boy his father
committed suicide, The young count studied
at Bologna. and graduated ut the University of
Rome In 1919 hc served as u volunteer in the
Iicdmontcsc army He won reputation ior
bravery and great personal courage. He be-
camc>a lieutenant of artillery. and received
decoration for military valor. Ii WAS silver
medal with IL blue ribbon highly priced by the
Italians. The Count had cAtraNHlsant tastes
and spent his money avishly. His pay was
small and insufficient Tor his expenses. Sgnor
ScarobeiI, hls stcriathcr. occasionally supplied
In 1870 tho Count was among the soldiers
who fought against the Pore. and who passcd
through The opening of the fattq ria Not long
iJftcrwurd hs married Signprint alminia P
orfniis!io. He then went into the corn, bust
and th@ ' ohsr at at cartel art del Rio. near Bologna
He sccm, To- have dearly loved his wife but he.
was quickly led astray by his passion Tor gam
bling. Ia n lew years his wilrs fortune was
gone. He also wasted several small fortunes
Became involved in debts. Some II the citi-
gems of imoia liked him. but his enemies were
far more numerous than his friends. He VIA
yiolont and overbearing ana no one but his
Wifg could control him. Charges, oi swindlins
na m@ntrl by Sh"S S1{aS S maar r' Dee" supple
On Aug. ~ 1881. Imola was startled by the
sudden d@l1'iearnf1 @ I Of te KY. @ Don ,ifsiiiT ,t
clues. and finally found II scrap OF paper on
which the following words had been written:
am leaving for America. Dos CosrA
Suspicion Of foul play increased. The police
learned that the priest had been seen at the
Failro'.'i depot with Count faYi.t lew weeks
hal given him n little purse which h" request
ed Inn to keep for hlm. The rriests house
oout.uH,d ;he liev. Don Nirsiis Costa, promi.-
sory note ~ iavorof Faella for % 900 lire about
Evci. body knew that the priest was very rich
and ti,at the Count was very poor and ov"rbur-
s,,specind of murder. The obiigation Signed
by Tie priest Was believed to bc u forgcry. 1t
was 7urm sei that the cunning Count had
When brought before the tribunal on suspi-
cion. the count maintained tIat the priest
cd to collect the debt from the estate Mean
time tnc Counts house was searched, \ scrap
An.rrica. Nobody believed that lie had gone
siuatiun. lie asked for u permit 80 lc,tvc lmola
on business. +. was granted; and two detectives
aroused. and slipped from the train before
reaching his pretended destination, one of his
the, Count finally surrendered himself to the
auihorlties, and va; taken 10 BP,'Ena and sent
to lfl'' prison Ol ~. pIONHTnl IN monte
:, ON Oct: tn" priests hat was found in tho
Counts house. ,ery strict search was then
was found in a well excavatcd in tho interior
OF the Counts villa. twas covered with rice,
S nT 6s 6ss'hs si lam hahi WAS M IL ma i'is p as
though cndeavoring to protect ihr head, and
large stones. The body was found ~ The depth
of about twenty feet. A broken stick. bag.
and a rug mat were taken out with the e,"rpse.
erd SS % T' f, s oyt Of tho hpst pras ud S had s ey
dsntly been thrown into tis well and buried
alive under earth stones and rice grass.
The Cunt strenuonsly asser,ed his inno-
ei1 eensG :, The proofs Of hs guilt ho%s.sr' are
e P s rr I l'S Ee coSn has Dss"s
will be proved that he had only known him
ei-ht months Promissory notes by the score
soc % or loo o." lire 0 Ali bore S fc;snd sGnn
i,,, inm,s II looks as though he had eonc9cied an
that IA" rrhe-t citizens OF bologna and Imola
w.rr - .c itniont, the victims.
five different times. The les estin.vny To be uiIer-
ed a!r.ldy nils n,ne large volumes. There are
q gr,ai many witnesses. and TIE number. of
Count is a,so suspected Of poisoning Signor
Tasslnar On" of his country agents. After his
note i'urrorting to have been signed 10y Iussi-
mari u Prison m 5 the Count Is silent n1 dnd nd d.
tempted suicide He is noS throwing out sig
mails of insanity, He complains Of pains in his
ilt'ht'. ana acts WIN MS
defence viii undoubtedly be insanity. Facts in
his career will give 1t a eolorinE AT times he
used tn throw his soiled linen out Of the win
DON. II hi, cook was late with dinner he would
visit tn" kitchen with "A drawn sword and
thr"atrn Ia Kill him. II servant did not do
nm crrand quickly he would run him around
the rp'm AT the point Of u siictto. once he
bought u valuable horse at u high price. and |
within a few hours killed him mi. III 81 passion.
His wife has visited him while ia prison. He 7,
prt' "ndrd not to know her and answered none !
Of her questions. His father drowned himself
IN the '',;inrno River his sister died insane and
his brother while student at Pisa was nick
namct! the madman." His counsel have sum
mpn"d l.omhru.o and Ncrga. the most cello |
brtt''d rhyslriaiis OF Italy. as experts. His /
h~N"ir are Bltuch and B;.Itanti.
.hr Preparations for the trial have been |
solll- on ipf =. month. A. vi" accused j. a rep. /
reHeniatisr ~ Ia" highest rr'i-- ii society the /
people are intensely Interested. /