The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-06-20
A Mystery Of Crime.
A Story from the Italian Courts that Sug-
gests an old-Fashioned Romance.
1Pall Mall Gazetts.l


SO than the murder trials of the Renaissance
which it recalls to mind and the actor is diff
cult and complex in character. Count Ales-
sandro Faella of Imola in the Marches was a
poor nobleman with an extravagant passion
for riches. Many creditable informants tell US
that he used to have an equally vehement
sense of honor; and whenever any peculiarly
delicate problem arose in Imola, Count Faella
was the arbiter. This opinion of him seems to
have been confined to neighbors of his own
rank. The distillsrs and merchants of Imola
whispered contrary suspicious among them
selves. But these whispers were low, for no
Italian is fond of making enemies, and Faella
was man to inspire fear-irascibe, violent
and given du,ing his sudden anger to strange
contortions and tremors. Nevertheless, his
friends esteemed him highly; and Count Fael-
la had many friends and one intimate-the
parish priest of Imola, rough and awkward
man, kind and ready to help, and more able
than most of his class to put his good words in
to deeds; for Don Virgilio Costa had a patrimo-
ny of 100000 francs, and was indeed considera-
bIy richer than his well-born friend, Alessan-
dro Faella The two were great friends, though
rally a retiring and little expansive person,
was devoted in his admiration and affection
for Faella. Sometimes the neighbors would
say, HE is laying plot for you, take CARE"
but Don Virgilio was too expert confessor
not to know that envy may often tske the form
of good advice.
Last Summer and during the early Autumn
Count Faella was occupied in building Will
ne outside the Porta Bolognese of limo
la. Earlyin August the chief work was done;
even the summer house was built, and in it
there was large well, which perplexed the
rustic gardeners and workmen; but Count Fa-
ella told them it was cistern Tor cooling wine,
and in that case there was certainly nothing
strange about it. On the vigil OF San Cassiano
he sent his steward to Venice on business, hav-
ing borrowed his key of the Summer house;
and he ordered different workmen to bring
him some long, slender pieces of wood, hur-
die and 80 sacks of rice husks from Imola. This
done he paid them and told them he had no
further need of them for day or two, so that
he was left in the house with no one but the
housemaid, and even her he sent out to the
post in the town, for the only visitor he ex-
pected was his intimate friend the priest Don
Virgilio Costa. That day, the 18th of August,
1881, several people saw Don Virgilio walking
towards the Porto Bolognese, in his usual
black cassock, his cloak tucked round his arm
to be out Of the way, and his three-cornered
beaver on his head. A peasant met him near
Faella's villino, reading letter or some piece
of writing very intently; and that might well
be, for the priest had taken with him a purse
known to hold important documents. One
farmer, too, whose land Joined the counts,
saw him showing priest round the estate and
talking eagerly; and the man wondered, for
many gentlsfolks had come to see the new vii
la but priest, never.
On San Casciano's day, therefore, many saw
Don Virgilio looking quite natural, and not as
if he were on the brink of any great determi-
nation; and after that no one ever saw him
alive again. People wondered loudly, and his
sister, Giula Costa, fretted herself i'll about it;
but there was no sign of Don Virgilio. Only,
several days afterwards, the sub-prefect of the
town, Cav. Angelo Bianchi, received very
singular document, a pamphlet on locomotives,
out of which selected printed words joined
with those written above them in manuscript,
united in a message to the effect that Don Vir-
gilio had gone to Geneva; that he felt call to
proceed thence to the uttermost parts OF the
stituted his dear friend, Count Alessandro Fa-
ella, the sole executor of his will for the bene-
fit of the poor of Imola. A strange announce
ment, surely; strangely sent The sub-prefect,
much perplexed, went to consult Signorina
Glulia, who made solemn deposition that she
did not believe word of the message, and
shortly after died. But before her death very
singular and awful discovery was made. The
conjunction of Faella's name in the anony-
nous message, and the fact that Faella was the
last man seen in the priests company, seemed
at first simple enough, for the two were known
to be great friends, and Faella would say Don
Virgilio had gone off just in time to avoid pay
ing a heavy loan that he had lent him. No
doubt the priest intended this executorship as
slight return. Bnt by and by the more curl.
GUS spirits began to wonder why Costa, who
was rich, should borrow of Faella, who was
poor, and who, moreover. must be heavily
weighted with the expenses of building his
new house. And some even went SO far as to
say that Faella's bills of exchange, even had
he given one to the priest, were not the most
solid form of wealth.
The peasants maryeled, too, that the well in
the Stanzone had suddenly disappeared, and
when, as autumn drew on, very evil smell
arose from the spot the municipality declared
their intention of Investigating the matter.
On the 9TH of October last the well was exca-
waited in The presence OF many witnesses. The
well was filed to the brink with earth and
stones, with husks and gravel; hurdle on one
side, some long, slender sticks, chiefly broken
a paving stone that Faella had bought of the
municipality early in August, and lowest of
ALL kneeling, one hand still raised as If to keep
off the pelting shower of stones, a batter ed
corpse in long priests cassock, mantle still
tucked round one arm, and three-cornered
beaver hat. It was, of course, Don VirgiliO
Costa From the position of the corpse it was
certified that the body conld not have been
thrown in by force; the hole must have been
and hidden with the rice husks that strewed
all the floor. And there, as the friends passed
through the room, talking, doubtless, as was
their habit, on things most difficult to under
stand, the earth must have given way under
Don Virgilio, and suddenly have let him down
into the oubliette. Count Alessandro Faella
was Immediately imprisoned, despite the most
passionate protestations of innocence. He was
indicted on two counts-forsery of the bills of
exchange and willful murder
.f1.o~ axxl, TOD f,x,A 4
ing. Faella declared that while at his villa at
Foligno, he had received an anonymous letter
telling him that the corpse of Costa had been
thrown into his well at Imola, and that, lind
ing this to be true, he had buried it there out
of fear, and lest he should be considered an
accomplice. He declared that some torn pa
pers found in his basket which correspondent
with torn page in the singular pamphlet sent
to Bianchi were not of his writing, and had
been placed there to do him harm. He pro-
nounced the whole accusation an artifice to de-
stroy him, devised by the really guilty parties,
and protested that the Dlils OF exchange were
genuine.
The trial began on the 1st of February,
Count Faella being too i'll to attend personally.
From the first it was evident that all the de-
tense could do was to gain time, and in the
attempt it proved that, although the English
may have classified obstruction, the thing it
self is perfectly well known abroad. Most of
the witnesses for the defense broke down in
. their statements or expressly rejected them on
better understanding the case. The evidence
for the prosecution included four experts of
handwriting and 1O2 of the persons most high
ly considered in Imola and Bologna. 1t was
proved that Faella had forged no less than %
bills of exchange for very large amounts; and,
as far as an intention can be proven, it became
clear that the trap which so successfully
caught Don Virgilio was baited for another
victim, a friend and creditor of Faella's named
Alpi But Faella to the last maintained his
Innocence: proof after proof only made his
protestations of honor and purity of purpose
grow the louder; but even he perceived the
game was lost. One day, when the trial was
nearly at an end, the Contessa Faella went to
see her husband in prison. The next morning
they could not wake him, he was dead; and
though a rumor was set afoat that the strain
- /. G. LII /; 10,