The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-20
KEY OF DEATH.
A Little Needle That Carried Muir
der With II.

In the collection of curiosities pre-
served in the Arsenal OF Venice there Is
u key, Of which the following singular
tradition is related. about the year
1000, one Of those dangerous men, In
whom extraordinary talent Is only the
fearful source OF crime and wiGkedness
beyond that Of ordinary men, came to
establish himse fas merchant or trader
IN Venice. The stranger, whose rame
whs Tebaldo, became enamored OF the
daughter of an ancient house, already
nilianCed to another. lie demanded her
hand In marriage, and was Of course re-
jecicd Enrnged at this, he studied how
to be rcyenged.
"l'ruioundly skilled m the mechanical
arts. he allowed himself no rest until he
had invented the most formidable weap-
on which could be imagined. This was
KEY of u large size. the handle OF which
WAS 50 constructed that II oOulu be
turned round with little difficulty; when
turned, Is discovered spring, whiCh,On
pressure, launched from the other end
needle or lancet of such subtle .tlneness
that II entered into the flesh and buried
itself there without leaving external
trace TebaldO waited In disguise at
the door of the church in which the
maiden whom he loved was about 10 re-
ceivr the benediGtion. The assassin sent
the slender steel unperCeived into the
breast of the bridegroom.
"The wounded man had no suspicion
Of injury, but seized with II sudden aud
sharp pain in the midst Of the ceremony.
he tainted. and was carried to his house
amid the lamentations of the bridal
party. Vain was all the skill OF the
physicians, who could not devise the
cause of this strange Illness; and In
few days he died. TebaldO again de-
manded the hand of the maiden from her
parents and received II second refusal.
They, too. persisted miserably In few
days. The alarm which these deaths
which appeared almost miraculous
cnsioncd, excited the utmost vigilance
of the magistrates. and when,
on close examination OF the bodies. the
small instrument was found In the
gangrened flesh, terror was universal;
every one feared for his own life. The
maiden thus cruelty orphaned had passed
the first months Of her mourning In IA
convent. when Tebaldo. hoping ~ bend
her to his will. entreated to speak to her
nj the CRATE. The face of the foreigner
had been ever dispensing to her. but
since the death Of all those most dear to
her ii had become odious las though she
reply was most decisive In the negative.
rebaldo beyond himself with rage, at
tempted to wound her through the CRATE.
aud succeeded; the obscurity OF the
place prevented his movements being
observed. ON her return to her room the
maiden felt n pain In her breast, and, I'M
covering It, she found 1t spotted with
u single drop Of blood. The pain in
creased; the surgeons who hastencd to
her assistance. taught by the past, wasted
no time In conjecture, but, cutting deep
into the wounded pnrt, extracted the
needle before any mortal mischief had
commenced, and saved tine life of the
lady. The State lnquisition used every
means to discover the hand which dealt
these insidious and Irresistible blows.
rhe visit of Tebaldo to the convent
caused suspicion TO fall heavily upon
him. His house was carefully searched,
the Infamous invention discovered, and
he persisted on the gibbet."