Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-06-08
Howl the Dead Followed the
King.

From the News ana queries.
In 1871 l was at Naples when All Ital-
ian corvette, the Amirale Caracciolo, was
launched at Castellamare. The vessel
was christened by the Countess Teresa
Caracciolo, the daughter Of the chief of
the elder branch Of the Caracciolo. l
was staying at Naples as the guest of the
young lady's father, and heard from
him very remarkable story connected
with the death of the very unfortunate
officer in honor Of whose memory the
vessel was named. The circumstances
which led to the execution of Prince
francesca Caracciolo in 1899 are well
known. Ishall merely state, therefore,
that he was condemned by court-mar-
tial composed of Sicilian officers to be
hanged at the yard-arm of the flagship
for bearing arms against his lawful SOW
ereign. When the official commu4ica-
ton Of the finding and the sentence OF
the court was brought to the prince, he
was explaining the names and use of
the various parts of the rigging to some
young Neapolitan noblemen who hap
pened to be on board the ship. A glance
at the letter was sufficient to show him
it's contents. He showed no sign of emo
ton, but requested the officer who
brought him the dispatch to wait for a
few minutes while he finished his expla-
nations. This being done he retired to
his cabin; and after vain attempt to
get the sentence changed to more hon
orable manner Of death, he resigned
himself to his fate, which he uet with
great fortitude.
Some days after the event the king,
Tho had been for an afternoons cruise
OF a Sicilian ship ofwar outside the bay
was returning to Naples in the evening.
1t was moonlight night, and the sea
was perfectly calm. There was, indeed,
80 little wind that it was difficult to steer
the vessel. The king was sitting in the
balcony OF the stern cabin, watching the
sea, when suddenly he became aware
that something was following the ship.
AS the object came near it was easy to
distinguish that it was the body of
man in the upright attitude, as if tread
ing water; aid very soon the king was
able to recognize the features of Admir-
al Caracciolo. His eyes were open and
seemed to be fixed on the kim, and, ex-
ceptt for it's CHASTITY pallor, the face was
unchanged. The explanation was SIM
pie. After being submerged for some
days the body had become so buoyant
tHht luS WetSHtS dlLdCleu 10 Gne JeoG
were not sufficiently heavy to keep it
under water; but they retained
it in an upright position, and it was
drawn along by the current created by
the movement Of the ship. It is easy to
imagine the horror of Ferdinand at
what he believed to be an apparition
from another world. When at length it
was explained to him what had happened
he gave orders that boat should be
lowered and that the corpse should be
brought on board and taken to Naples
for Christian burial. But the super
stltious Slcilians dared not obey the
royal command, and the ship, drawing
in its wake the upright body of the adj
miral, sailed slowly into the bay of
Naples. Here q boats crew was OBJ
tanned from an English man of. war, who
TOOK theaadmiral's body ashore, where
it was deposited in his own palace, and
at length received the last rites of the
church.
A different version ofthe story is given
in Southey's Life of Nelson" / have
here related the traditional account
preserved in the family of the admiral
exactly as it was told me by its
chief.
A branch of the benevolent society the
Catholic knights ofAmerica, has been organ
ized at 81. Paul in the Office of William L.
Kelly. The following officers were elected:
PRESIDENT W.L Kelly: secretary, D. D. Har-
'ng.on, treasurer, Z. u. Dawson; medical
examiner, James C. Markoe.
l-