The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-03-11
MAD FROM A BLOW.
The Precious Freight Found On an
italian Brig.
Startling Story OF the Captain OF the Leon
ardo da vipci-A Queer Craft From
siciIy-A Young Woman Made Insane
by the Violence of Her Husband.
IN. Y. Morning Journal

IN. Y. Morning Journal
Split sails, frayed cordage, broken rails
and splintered spars mark the big italian
brig, Leonardo da Vinci, now lying at
Martins Brooklyn Stores. Her deck was
swarming with dark-skinned sailors set
ting things to rights when a Journal re-
porter crossed 1t yesterday and descended
TO her cabin.
~ am the Captain" said tall man,
whose English is softened by his Southern
accent, "Captain Giuseppe Dulcano, at
your service.
"voyageW exclaimed the sailor, "Corpo
di Bacchol II was frightful. The waves?
The windi The stormf Bahl care
nothing for these. The Leonardo is a
stanch boat. can trust her. But thelady
/ can not trust"
"What ladyi" asked the reporter.
''Iisten to me-" replied Dulcano. 1--WE
left Messina one day seven weeks ago and
saw her white houses and tall spires fade
away before the sun set. We were laden
with olives, lemons and oranges plucked
from Sicilian vines and groves. The Med :
iterranean was smooth and blue, and all
went well until the night after we passed
Gibraltar"
"What then; a stormW
"Worse," said tho Captain. ~ was on
deck putting my cigarette when Tomaso
Finelli, with wild eyes and hair on end,
rushed up to my side, and throwing him
self on his knees commenced to mumble
prayers.
"'What's the matterS' cried. Are you
madp
"'The ghost the ghostp he stammered
between his paternosters, lin the hold-in
white, with long hairp
"Seizing O lantern rushed below.
There, leaning against a pile Of orange
boxes, was the half-fainting figure of a
woman. l hurried forward to her, for am
q Siclian. Supporting her around the
waist, carried her to the. cabin next my
own. Food, waterp shouted; the woman
Is starvingp
"We forced wine between her white
teeth; we searched the lockers and gave
her all their choicest dainties. In two
days the pinks came back TO her pale
cheeks, she opened her blue eyes, she
raised her tender arms toward her yellow
hair and clasped her forehead wildly. She
Is an aristocrat She Is beautiful All our
women are beautiful, but when Italy's sun
does not tan their cheeks and darken their
hair they are the beauties Of the world.
But her blue eyes did not light up with
reason. Her wrongs have stolen her
mind" whispered Dulcano, sinking his
voice and pointing toward door locked
on the outside. "She is in there"
"Who is your mysterious passengerr'
asked the reporter.
~ will not tell you. Her fathers pal
ace graces the Marina, in Messina, that
beautiful street that overlooks the waters
of our bay. Her father forced her Ia
marry man high-born, too, but no true
Italian. He learned bis manners, his
smooth smiles, his contempt for women
in Paris. He abused his wife; half Italy
knows that. and know It,"
Dulcano brought down his fist upon his
knee with a crash that shook the cabin,
while his eyes blazed with rage.
"Well" ItH goo ..'Ye ri rHiUI
"The rest we gather from. the lady's
raving. She lies and means. "A blow, a
blow, my father, he struck me, blow,
blow.' Her infamous husband must
have raised his hand to her Wounded
In body, her naughty spirit crushed she
has flown from his roof, crossed the
rough-stoned quay in her dainty slippers,
crepb by our sleepy watch and hidden
herself in the hold. There the fright
ened Tomaso discovered her-.he only
good thing ever knew the lout TO do"
"You take her back with your
~ take her back TO her father and to re-
venge,p concluded the captain. "Your
police here have tried TO discover her.
Tommy, detective, I think they call him,
has sought to detect her aboard the Le-
onardo. lie has detected nothing. She
will return with me-a Sicilian sailor and
gentleman" ruF g..