Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-06-06

and went on shore in the second boat
load. 1t seemed strange to be on my
old island home once more. 1t was be-
ginning to get dark. and they were
lighting the lamps on the strests. Seve-
raj beggars addressed me, to some of
whom 1 gave some sums. The narrow
street 1 was on took me past the little
chapel where we were married. i
stopped and looked in Candles were
burning on the altar, but the place was
silent as the grave.
/ returned to the street and resumed
my walk, knowing that every step was
bringing me nearer her whom 1 had
come so far to see. When 1 got beyond
the old city wall and was among the
little vineyards and orange gardens i
began to grow excited, as the cottage
where / left her was but few rods
further on / soon saw 1t, as II was
lighted. There were no curtains at the
windows, but they as well as the porch
before the door were partially shaded
by vines L noiselsssly approached the
place. / heard loud voices, those of a
man and woman, who were evidently
In a quarrel. Occasionally there was
the sharp bark OF a dog, when the man
used harsh language. 1 took advantage
OF this noise to get into the porch with
out making any alarm. / looked and
saw her whom L had loved, no longer
lovely or beautiful. She was behind a
stand, on which a wax candle was
burning. Close beside her was the dog
that had been barking. He was watch
ing the movements of a man who was
much nearer to me, but as his back was
turned 1 could not see his face. In
~. oN
face, heard his voice, saw that he had
a dagger in his hand. 1t was Pietro.
My blood was hot. L wanted to strike
| him down. But 1 kept my place. l
listened to his angry words, that will
not repeat even to you. 1t is enough
to say that they confirmed my worst
suspicious. Accusations and confeS-
sions left no chance for doubt. For a
time my anger abated. L was not
thirsting for revenge. blamed myself
| for the trust had shown. Twas weak
with the feeling OF modification, dis
grace and shame. / even thought of
retreating as had come.
did not entertain this thought long.
The treacherous male villain advanced
| toward the woman, and declaring that
he had committed a crime that would
cause his arrest if he did not escape to
the mountains that night, demanded
the money she had last received from
America AS she hesitated about CIV
ing it to him, he went toward her with
his dagger in his hand and declared
with terrible oath that he would take
it from her by force. As she screamed
| the dog leaped at the would be robber,
and in so doing overturned the stand
and candle. / sprang forward to strike
the wretch to the ground. L did what
I intended. He fell, and in doing so
| his danger entered the heart of the
| frightened woman before him. Her
blood spurted on his face and hands.
The fierce dog sprange and applied his
| laws to his throat. The candle on the
| floor set fire to the woman's dress and
| lighted up the room. L surveyed the
scene with as much composure as /
would a bed or flowers had planted.
lelsurely came out upon the road and
returned to the city. 1 bought some
cigars and wine, and took them on
board the steamer, where shared them
with the passengers and some of the
crew. I slept that night as L had not
since 1 left America No sense of
wrong kept me awake.
Those who went ashore the next
bic murder that had been committed
the night before. One of them gave
me a paper containing an account of
it. 1 have preserved It, and you can
| find It in the bundle l leave with you.
As was reading the paper and smok-
ing cigar on the deck OF the steamer
1 noticed that there was an excited
crowd on La Promenade Marina,
which is generally occupied by pleasure
seekers. / took a glass and observed
it. a wild mob was following a prI-
soner, who had obviously made an at
tempt to escape from the police. His
hands were fastened together with
irons. a dog was following him, and
every little while he would snap at him.
As he did so the boys would shout, 1
understood all about the matter.
Two days afterward there was a
quiet funeral in the little chapel where
| L WAS married. The body over which
services were held was that of false
wife, who had been murdered by her
false lover, Nicolai Pietro. AT least
| that WAS the way the papers spoke OF
it. heard the bell strike twenty-three
times In succession in tolling. That
was the number of her years. 1 will
confess that 1 was affected each time
the bell struck for the eighteenth year.
That was for the year of our marriage.
L afterward learned that the dog that
followed the murderer in anger fol-
lowed the hearse OF the murdered
woman in sorrow and leaped into the
grave where they placed her. L sm
glad that there are creatures in the
world with just intelligence enough to
see theI good in people without dis
covering the evil.
a trial for murder in Italy-is not
deferred till the crime Is forgotten.
Neither is il of long continuance.
| Nicolai Pietro was tried and convicted
before ! left Italy. The case was
clear. All the evidence was against
him. 1t was we'll known that he had
long sustained improper relations with
a woman whose husband was out of the
country. He was seen going to her
house early in the evening. He was
| found there by persons who were at
tracted to the cottage by an unusual
| light, His face, hands and clothing
were covered with blood. A dagger,
known to be his, wss sticking in the
bosom Of the murdered woman a dog
belonging to her was clinging to his
throat. The character of the man was
as bad as it well could be. The night
before the murder a robbery had been
committed and he was suspected Of it.
Articles belonging to the man who was
robbed were found in the pocket of
Pletro. The evidence was perfectly
conclusive, there was absolutely no
defense.
With this account my visitor stop
ped. He had evidently completed the
story he had to tell. at my request he
| Informed ma ahout his return from
Messina to New YORK on a vessel,