Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-15
A Mystery of Crime.

cution in the form of jeers and stones hurled at them by the eastern variety of hoodlum.
 A Mystery of Crime.
 Story from the Italian Courts that sug-
 gests an OId-Fashi oned Romance.
 From PAu Mall Gszette.I
 All through the spring the italian public has been eagerly interested in the trial for murder of Count Alessandro Faella Day by day the gradual unwinding of the plot be came more fearful and more complicated. Suddenly, in the last days of February, Count Faella died in prison. The story is strange less so than the murder trials of the Renaissance which 1t recalls to mind and the actor is difficult and complex in character. Count Alessandro Faella, of Imo- Ia in the Marches, WAS 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 opinon of him seems to have been con- fined to neighbors of his own rank. The distillers and merchants of Imola whispered contrary suspicious among themselves. But these whispers were low, for no Italian is fond of making enemies, and Faella was man ts inspire fear-irascible, violent and given during his sudden anger to strange contortions and tremors. Nevertheless, his friends esteemed him highly; and Count Fa- ella had many friends, and one intimate-the parish priest of Imola; rough and awk- ward man, kind and ready to help, and more able than most of his class to put his good deeds into words; for Don Virgilio Costa had patrimony of one hundred thousand francs, and was indeed, considerably richer than his well born friend Alessandro FaeIla. The two were great friends, though ill-assorted in po- sition, and Don Yirgilio, naturally retiring and little expansive person, was devoted in his admiration and affection for FaeIla. Sometimes the neighbors would say, 'He Is laying plot for you, take care; :" but Don Yirgilio was too expert a confessor not to know that envy may often take the form of good advice.
 THE MYSTERIOUS C-srERS
 Last summer and during the early aufunln Count Faella was occupied in building a vil- ino outside the Porta Bolognese of Imola Early in 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 Faella told them it WAS eistern for cooling wine and in that case there was certainly nothing strange about it. On the vigil of San Casciano he sent his ste ward to Venice on business, having borrowed his key of the summer house; and he ordered different men to bring him some long slender pieces of wood, hurdle, and thirty three sacks of rice-husks from Imola. This done be 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 Giovanni; and even her he sent out to the post in the town, for the only visitor be ex- pected was his intimate friend, the priest Don Virgilio Cssta. That day, the i2th of August, 1881, several people saw Don Yir- x1-- T7-& e. 10 ID-Iz 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 pea sant met him near Faella's villino, reading a letter or some piece of writing. very intent ly; and that might well be, for the priest had taken with him purse known to hold important documents. One farmer, too, whose land joined the counts, saw hira show ing priest round the estate and talking eagerly; and the man wondered, for many gentlefolks had come to see the new villa, but a priest, never.
 WHERE IS DON vIRGuIo!
 On San Caseiano's day, therefore, many saw Don Virgilio looking quite natural, and not as if he were on the brink of any great and after that no one ever saw him alive again People wondered loud ly, and his sister Giulia Costa fretted herself ill about it but there was no sign of Don
 
 sub prefect of the town, Cav. Angelo Bianchi, received very singular document, a pam phlet on locomotives, out of which selected printed words, joined with those written above them in manuscript, united in a message to the effect that Dor Yirgiio had gone to Ge- neva that he felt call to proceed thence to the uttermost parts of the earth, preaching the gospel, and that he constituted his dear friend, Count Alessandro FaeIls, the sole ex- ecutor of his Eill, for the benefit of the poor of Imola. A strange announcement, surely; strangly sent. The sub -prefect, much per- plexed, went to consult Signorina Giulia, who made solemn deposition that she did not believe word of the message and short ly after died. But before her death very awful discovery was made. The conjunction of Fsells's name in the an0ny- nous message. and the fact tkat 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 Yirgilio had gone of just in time to avoid repaying s heavy loan that he had lent him. No doubt the priest intended this executorship as a slight return. But by and by the more curious spirits began to won- der 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 ex- CAabSS, ofCA HUI SisSu OIc lO were not the most Solid form of wealth.
 THE MYSTERY OF THE WELL.
 The pesants marveled, 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 7th of October last the well was exca- vated in the presence of many witnesses The we'll was filled to the brink with eerth and stones, with husks and gravel hurdle on one side, some long slender sticks. chiefly broken paving stone that FaeIla had bought of the municipality early in August, and lowest of all, kneeling, one hand still raised as if to keep of the pelting shower of stones, battered corpse in a long priests cassock, mantle still tucked round one arm, and three-eornered beaver hat It was,r of course Don Yirgilio Costa From the posi- ton of the corpse it was certified that the body could. not have been thrown in by force; the hole must have been concealed by the hurdle, supported on sticks and hidden with the rice husks that streEed all the floor And there, as the friends passed through the room, talking, doubtless, as was their habit, on things most difficult to understand. the earth must have given way under Don Vir- gilio, and suddenly have let him down into the oubliette. Count Alessaudro Faella was immediately imprisoned, despite the most kgeAoSASAAatS indicted on two counts-forgery of the bills of exchange and wilful murGor
 AS INGENIOUS DE.FESsE
 The line of defense was complicated and daring. Faella declared that while at his villa at Boligno he had received an anony- nous letter telling him that the corpse of Costa had been thrown into his wen at Tno- Ia, and that finding this to be true he had buried it there out of fear, and lest he should be considered an accomphce. He declared that some torn papers found in his basket which corresponded with torn page in the singular pamphlet, had been placed there with intent to do him harm He pronounc- cd the whole accusation an artifics to destroy him, devised by the really guilty parties. and protested that the bills of exchange were genuine.
 The trial began on the Ist of February, Count Fsella being too i'll to attend personal ly. From the first it was evident that ali the defense 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.xell known abroad. Most of the witnesses for the defense broke down in their statements or expressly rejected them on better understanding the case. The eri- dence for the prosecution included four ex- perts of handwriting and one hundred and ,s,Fk l.