The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-01
WOMEN PRISONERS.


hho hSPt CPs
Secret poisoning did not abate with the
downfall of the Roman Empire, but con-
tinued in fashion, especially in Italy.
where it was regarded as a legitimate
method of Kidding ones self of a rouble-
some companion or active adversary.
With such tolerance was it looked on
that in 1913 Henry. Duke of Guise, wish
ing to dispose of an enemy named An
nese, offered to a soldier a rich reward If
he would lie in wait and stab Annese ia
the back. With horror the trooper re-
fused; 1t would De aSsassinating. he was
willing to poison Annese, but not TO
assassinate him. Shortly after this IN
tefesting display of conscientious scruple
some one happened to note the remark
able number of young widows in Rome.
Almost every third woman was a widow,
and most of them very attractive. Then
some one else commented ON the fact that
whenever an old or middle aged man
married a young or pretty woman ne
soon died. Further observation disclosed
the curious circumstance that men VINO
were not, in the marital relation, as cor
rect as they should have been, were apt
to die quite suddenly.
While men were specializing about
these queer matters, but no one able to
arrive at II satisfactory conclusion, all at
once Rome awoke one day to a tremend-
Gus sensation, consisting of the arrest OF
several hundred of the youngest and pref
test widows in the city. The police were
busy everywhere. The widows were
dragged through the streets TO prison;
several committed suicide to escape ar
rest, and what was more, quite a number
of ladies of rank, and hitherto unlm-
peached reputation, were missing, having
fled from the city. What did it all meang
1t meant this.-Some months before the
clergy of Rome, learning through the con-
f%eSslonal the prevalence of husband po1S-
oning. became frightened at Its stound
ing frequency, and, despite the secrecy
imposed On them, determined to acqualnt
the reigning pontiff, Alexander VII. The
disclosures were made, the police
placed N the alert. and by cunning de-
vices discovered the existence of a society
or club or young matrons, who met at the
house of a woman named ~Hieronyma
IDara. This woman was a professional
fortune-teller, conjurer and poisoner, and
supplied her associates with the means of
taking off their undesirable partners. All
Rome was filed with horror, not only on
account of the number of the criminals
and their sex, but their a and station
in society, for among those convicted
were many whose reputation had, up to
that time, been excellent. a large num-
Der fled. several committed suicide, four
teen were hanged, nearly a andre We're
publicly whipped through the streets,
then exciled, and many OF the suspects
against whom there was no positive evil
dence, were advised to leave Rome and
never return.-St. Louis Globe Democrat.
A Child Actress.
l wish ! could recall a happy childhood,
but, alas! / can remember only work
and responsibility from a very tender age.
No games, no romps, no t~oys-nothing
which makes a child's life joyous. | a
recollect a doll, but not the time to play
with it, for we only met at night, when it
shared my pillow; and as / looked into
it's face, before / fell asleep after my
work, l often wished | could play with it
sometimes. When other children were
costly tucked up in bed, dreaming of their
sunny lives, their limbs tired only by the
romps and pleasures of the day, l was
trudging by my fathers side in all
weathers TO the theatre, where | had to
play somebody else's child, or to recite
one of the many character sketches which
my father had written for me. | was, ef
course, much petted by the public; but
oh, the work! Ny poor little body was
| often sadly tired. I was reused many a
time from sound sleep to go upon he
stage, and sometimes, in my half-wake
f~ulness, would begin the wrong recita-
ton. AT the age OF five | recited Collins
lode TO the Passions" accompanied by
special music. My poor little arms and
legs were so red from the cold that |
represented a tricolor. My poor mother
tofled night and day to drill the words
into my young head. For a long while
my health was deiicate.-MrS. Bancroft
in On md Oft the St1ge.