Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-28
LOVE AND STRYCHNINE.
The Tragic Story of Beautiful italian
Cigar Girl and Her Lover.

Maria ANGELA Perazzo di Giacomo. n
very beautiful Italian cigar girl of San
francisco, loved and was loved by Gin.
seppl Glannatti, a handsome young Italian
musician of the military band at the
Preside. Her parents, who were poor.
dld not favor his suit, and ordered Maria
to marry Dominica Demantel, a well-to-
90 saloon keeper. She obeyed, but her
heart was Giuseppfs, who, after her mar
riage, frequently visited her. Her hus-
bands business kept him away from
home all night. On the morning of No
VemDer Z, when he returned home. he
found his wife dead on the floor of her
room. She left letter saving that she
could not put up with cursed marriage
to one she did not love. II die contented
in the love of Giuseppi Giannatti,' she
Wrote. Ine lover was arrested, and the
San Francisco Chronicle thus relates his
story:
During the past three days, her lover
says, she has been feyerish and excited.
and has continually talked about death.
asking him If he was afraid to die, and il
1t would not be the proper thing for them
to die together. When he visited her
tuesday night 1t was nearly $50 O'Clock,
and he had been drinking heavily. As the
door was opened she bounded forward
with glad cry, and clasped her arms
about his neck with a force that caused
him to reel and almost fall. Then she led
him to her room and caressed him with an
energy that almost amounted to ferOcity.
only occasionally leaving him to pour out
whisky from the large bottle for both.
FINALLY they both retired. After several
minutes the woman said: "Joe, let me
give you drink with some bitters in it.
You like bitters, don't you. Joe?'
Giannatti acquiesced with drunken
MIN
the brim from small bottle. Handing
him one, she drained the other, and then
cOaXed him to follow her example. But
Joe" was drunk and obstinate. and did
not like the liquors bitter taste. In a
moment he spat out what he had taken
into his mouth, but she persisted and held
the glass to his mouth for him to drink
the remainder. He took it into his mouth,
but his oYertaXed stomach refused to ac
cept the burden, and again it went to the
noor. The agonized woman turned 10
reach for the bottle, and fairly screamed:
"Oh, my God, Joe! don't you love me?
Drink, Joe; drink with me, It will
make you alive and loving, dear
est; please drink But Giannatti
could not drink, and half the con-
tents of the bottle were spilled in an en-
deaVor on his part to pour out the liquor.
by TINS time the deadly strychnine began
its terrible work ON the woman, and She
could scarcely speak as she staggered to-
ward him once more, family calling:
"Drink, Joe, drink just one. Oh, God.
Joe, you must drink if you love me.
Don't you see Pm not afraid to die"
These were her last articulate words. and
with them she fell to the floor writhing in
the most terrible commissions until death
relieved her some ten minutes later. So
bered in an instant, the dead woman's
lover smoothed her dress, took from her
throat pin containing his picture, which
she always wore, and fed. He travelled
rapidly, and long ere DemanePs discovery
was ensconced in his own quarters.