New-York tribune., 1888-03-25
A STRANGE ESCAPE.
THE STORY OF TWO PATRIOTS.


fair island, and all I'm turn have vanished, leaving
at lsst-as manifest destnyto be Italian, ana ior
Italians. OF tho many struggles ere this coad DO
effected Palermo In particular bears wehdehned
traces
To say nothing Of ts earliest days, or OF those
medieval ones, when the bells Of San Giovanni del
EromIi rang for scIlian vespers, there are later
memories quite as thrilling, OF DEEDS wrought ior
liberty, within tho span Of our own lives Repeating
the past, too, Palerman bells had again their part
to play; and in 1860, the Campanilc OF the Gancia
sent out peal that united Sicily, once for ALL against
her Bourbon Kings.
No ono who loves freedom and honors courage can
pass unmoved this plain, now shabby convent-church.
Priestly robes and discipline could not eface in It's
brethren the underlying spirit OF patriotism. "hen
Italian unity in question, they never feared to end
hand and prove themselves the sedtous, pestiieht
brothsrhood' their enemies deemed them. This same
patriotsm-their black mark In Bourbon days-is now
their chief distinction, and In every way they strNe
to commemorate It. AT ono end OF the buildlng
marble tablet recalls the fact that here francesca
Riso inaugurated the revolution of 1861 while in
'front.' at nearly the buildings length from this tablet
s another SO extraordinary In appearance as at once
to catch the eye. Irregular In shape of white
MARBLE now badly weather-stained, and rimmed with
iron Il bears these words Duca della Saivezza"
literally, "The hole OF delverance,' OF salvation.
longer inscription above states that through this
opening (or opening It before the tablet covered
IL,
body could pass through escaped two men, Gasparo
Bivona and FlIppo Patti thus saving their lives, and
at tho samo tImc achieving one Of the boldest deeds
OF the revolution.
Now, as l was examining this tablet ono day,
crowd gradually collected round me- Not that the
story to them-no; but with the sympathetic
friendlInoss of italians, they olt fresh interest In
what so deeply Interested the forestiee In unison with
my silent translation hoy sCly read out tho words
and when at last turned to co. stout shop-kccper
politely addressed mo- "sinco these things interest
the signore forcstere may also please him to know
that those prod gallant onesl still live'
"what' exclaimed. for tho heroes OF such an
achievement seemed almost as mythical as Greek
gods. "what they actually alivei They are here
in Palermoi'
"Even SO, signore mio FlIppo Patti lives somewhat
out Of the way, Is true but Blvona Is right here,
in the hand, as ono may say He Is wonderful
fellow, signore; call and SEQ him. He will tell you
things to open tho eyes wde-things that are true,
6gnors."
1t seemed to could hardly do better than follow
this advice; and the Same evening sought out my
hero. He was at home-a home which, like himself,
bore witness to the changed state Of Itay-belng the
old convent Of Santa Anna, now secularzed Hero,
by tbs daring lucerna, surrounded by bis family, he
sat-a somewhat over fifty, spare, of medium
height iimpng slightly he rose to meet me, but
otherwise alert, with dark eyes, gray hair and beard
that once had been black the eyes, and with most
mobile, animated physiognomy 1t was easy to see
that Nature had fitted him both to act courageously
and to be ready Of resource In emergencies.
"You know about francesca Rlso. Signore!' he
began "we It was he that set the ball Of revolution
rolling In Sicily He head and front Of the move
ment-Capo della RvoluzIono We had borno and
borne with those Bourbon pigs; but he 1t was that
Hrst said tho time had come to act. So hc planned
what should do, and one evening, the third of
April, eIgLtyuIne of IS got together"
Ia Mt nal diffuSe
that to gi0e II ii his words becomes impossible
Keeping his characteristic phrases, however, now,
reluctantly, condense his story, and give it in third
person.
francesca Riso, then, fontaniers of Palermo, with
eighty eight other citizens, began the rebellion OF
1890 On tho evening OF April they concealed them
selves tho Gsncia intending to sally forth at dawn,
and take possession Of the public buldngs-the zccca
and Flnanze-in that quarter At the same time, act
ing In concert their friends without were to rise, and
carry other important points In the town The bell
of the Gancia to be the signal the trlcolor their
badge, and their watchword, "Viva pItalia o la
Lbertal'
1t was q wel-aid plan, and should have succeeded
But while the patriots were In hiding a traitor had
gone to Manlscalco, the Director of Police and re-
vealcd tho entire plot-tmc, signal, names-overy-
thing. Speedily troops filed the Piazza Marina,
were placed fronting the GancIa guards were
stationed at the and far the eighty
popoanl were concerned the revolution was over be-
fore had begun In the face of their certain doom,
however, they fought like heroes; and entrenched In
the Gancia maintained themselves almost two hours
Then, many being killed and Riso himself mortally
wounded, the survivors sought such safety as they
could. The majority, against Bvona's advice, took
refuge among the rafters, between the ceiling and roof
Of the church, whore they were soon found. Some
sprang down among the soldiers and tried to cut their
way through many were killed. hardly ono escaped.
VIII nd Al " IN
. few days later and fusladed; among them, the old
Giovanni father Of francesca Riso. The latter,
mortally wounded, removed to the hospital and
died there, from his injuries Such at least Is the
cepted story, and probably the true one. l have
heard It saId however, that he would have lived to
be shot had he not avoided that fate by poison
Meanwhile, Flippo Patti had Joined his fate to
Blvonas and their escape Is In great part due to the
lattors astutenoss and steady nerve. First OF all.
they fed the Campanilo but seeing that the
was surrounded and safe descent would be i'm
possible, they clambered down to the root There,
looking through skyight, they perceived two Of the
brethren, on their knoes, below, praying Their rap
upon tho glass Instantly directed toward them two
frightened faces, but for time they could get
answer to their signs, the priests evidently fearing
that they wero spies. At last, however, they
told by signs of course, that II the window open,
It was possible to climb down, by means Of the cor
nlce and woodwork With blow Of his fist, Bivona
broke tho glass. The blood spurted out from
severed vein in his wrist, but twisting handkerchief
about 1t like vice, he tied the knot with hand
and his teeth, and then managed to swing himself
down, followed by Patti. "a fow days afor this
interview Bvona took the Gancia, tracing
tho fight and their escape from point to point.
remember thinking, looked up at the skylght, that
not many would have found tho descent easy, even
with both wrists soundJ
BY the time they were down, the monks had van
ished. but found In one Of the side chapes,
praying to all the saints for safety. The fugitlvcs
made II clear they not spies, although to be
friends-n this crisls-was almost fatal But thoy
were brothers In misery, and there longer any
fear Of betrayal From the body OF the church they
fed to small at the opposite end from the high
altar full OF chairs, which were stored here when not
In USE lane was hastily opened In the mass, and
they crawled In. twisting themselves hero there any.