Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-05-13

night and then returned to Naples.
The Viceroy, upon hearing of his re-
turn, distributed half of the thousand
crowns among Neapolitan hospitals,
and returned the rest to Morelli, say
ing that this would suffice to teach the
public how fools are punished.
About the same time there was in
Naples another rich merchant named
Ferronelli, noted for his avarice. This
man had had the misfortune to lose an
embroidered purse containing fifty
gold ducats and fifty Spanish pistoles,
together with a ring worth thousand
crowns. This loss was cause of great
grief to Ferronelli; and he sent crier
through Naples proclaiming that any
one finding the purse and restoring it
and its contents to the owner, should
be rewarded with the fifty pistoles. A
poor old widow found it, and brought
it to Ferronelli. As soon as he saw it
and its rich contents, he felt tempted
| to cozen the old women out of the
greater part of the promised reward.
The temptation was too strong for the
avaricious man to resist; and while he
was counting over the pistoles, he
dexterously pushed out Of sight thirty
of them. and said to the widow: II
promised the fifty pistoles that were in
side the purse to the finder; but | see
you have already taken thirty of them.
Here are the other twenty,
The old woman protested that she
had not taken single coin; but it was
in vain. Ferronelli insisted that she
had already appropriated thirty of the
pistoles, and must, therefore, now be
contented with the balance of twenty
The old woman was obliged to yield
and went away with what she coult
get, which was indeed a large sum fol
her.
Talking matters over, however, will
her friends afterwards, she was advised
to lay the affair before the Viceroy ant
beseech his interference. The mer
chant was summoned before the Vice
roy, and gave his account of the mat
ter.
The Duke, when he had heard Fer
ronelli's story, replied: ut is not likel,
that the old woman would have alb
stracted part of the money in the purs
as, if she had been dishonesty inclined
she might have taken the whole. Thi
purse, therefore, can not be yours; 70
yours, you say, contained fifty pistoles
and this one does not. In my opinion
you ought to be punished for havin,
appropriated what does not belong t.
you"
my lord, urged Ferronclli, 81 recog
nize the purse perfectly. | know tn
embroidery; besides, there are my rim,
and my fifty ducats in it. bescecI
your Excellency not to allow me to b
deprived of what is rightfully mine"
"You must be deceiving yourself,
z replied the Viceroy. "Does not the min
turn out all the ducats alike, and it i
! not possible that the jewellers shout
have made more than one ring Xix
yours, and that there should be NOR
than one purse embroidered in the sam
= fashion as yoursP The essential poin
is that your purse contained lift
pistoles, while this one does not"
Then addressing himself to the wid
} ow, he said, go, my good woman
take the purse; you are fairly entitle
to il"
One example more of this Vicoroy
method of dispensing justice, and W
will conclude. There was in Naples
young Spanish exquisite, one Bertran
Solus. One day while he was loungin
about in one of the buster parts of tn
; city, a porter, carrying n bundle c
: wood on his shoulder, tried to max
his way through the crowd. Solus WA
directly in his path, and the porte
called out to him several times; "Mak
way, please" without producing an
effect, He then attempted to pass hir
T as best he could; but, unfortunately
the wood came in contact with tn
young mans velvet dress and gave
an ugly rent. Highly indignant h
laid an information against the porter
t and asked that he might be punished
The Viceroy, having inquired privatel
into the circumstances before goin
into court, told the porter that h
: was to pretend to be dumb, and was t
reply, by signs only, to any thing tn;
might be said to him. When tn
Viceroy took his seat on the bencl
, Solus laid his complaint before him
and asked for Judgment against til
: porter. The Viceroy turned to tn
t porter and asked him what he had [
say in reply to the charge. The porte
: only shook his head and made sigr
with his hands.
"What judgment do you want me t
give against dumb MANI" asked ii
: Viceroy of Solus.
Q "Oh, your Excellency, the man is a
: impostor. / beseech you not to b.
l lieve that he is dumb. Before he III
l against me, l distinctly heard him cl
l out: Make way"
"Then." replied the Viceroy, ''if 70
: heard him ask you to make way fC
4 him, why did you notP The fault
l the accident was entirely with yoursel
g and you must pay this poor man con
5 pensation for the trouble you ha,
e given him in bringing him here. -
| Charles H. Campbell, IN Baiiou's Nag
/. zine.
, A SINGULAR VILLAGE.