Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-09-23
A Strong Man of Italy.

Like most strong men, Salvini is fond
of recounting the feats of strength per-
formed by others, and especially he used
to dilate on the extraordinary nerve and
strength of Venetian mason and builder
whom he had known. Some time ago,
90 interesting were the tales he told of
this man, Signor Salvini was asked to
jot down what he could remember of the
stories he had told, andthis ia the sub
stance of what he wrote:
ssThe name of the man about whom
you ask was Lucbini. He died few
years ago in Venice at an advanced age,
but up to the last preserved much of his
extraordinary strength. He was by trade
a mason, and though not rich, was
always in comfortable circumstances.
His strength was allied to wonderful
presence Of mind and GOODNESS under try
ing circumstances. Once, for instance,
he was carrying out to a villa he was
building some miles from Venice large
sum of money with which to pay off his
workmen. He carried the money, which
was in silver coin in bag over his shout
der, though it would have taken two or
binary men to lift it.
SAT night he found himself some dis
lance from his destination, and so was
obliged to put up at small inn. He
went to bed early, placing the bag OF
silver in the bottom drawer of small
chest of drawers in the bedroom. About
midnight he was awakened by rough
shake of the shoulder, and, opening his
eyes, saw by the light of small oil lamp
two Of his own workmen, each of whom
had q stiletto, the uncomfortably sharp
points of which we're pressed against
either side of his throat.
"Luchini grasped the situation in
stantly and saw that he was in posi-
ton where his enormous strength availed
him but little, 80 he coolly said: What
do you want?' The money was the
answer. Where is it?' Take it, said
Luchini, lit is in the drawer and he
pointed to the chest Of drawers. One of
the rufians remained to guard the re-
cumbent Luchini while the other went
to the drawer indicated and tried to open
it. 1t would not bulge. Give me the
key he growled. 1T is not locked an
nounced Luchini. open it, then,' said
the robber, and still with the stiletto at
his throat Luchini rose, and with one
hand pulled open the drawer the other
could not even bulge with all his
strength.
cat the mems bidding he then pulled
out one Of the bag of money and threwit on
the floor. The thieves then began to fill his
pockets with loose coin 80 as to tighten
somewhat the weight of the bag. At the
sight of the glittering coin the others
avarice outstripped his prudence. With
drawing his poinard from Luchini's
throat, he bent down and buried his
hands in the pile of money and began to
follow his comrades example.
"The looked-for opportunity had come
for Luchini. He calmly bent forward,
grasped one Of the robbers by the hair
in either hand, and then spreading out
his arms and bringing them together
again with incredible force, he crushed
in the two mems skulls as if they had
been egg shells. They were dead
without a grosn. Hearing noise
at the window Luchini looked out
and saw that q third scoundrel
was keeping watch outside. Taking up
one OF the dead men in one hand, he
opened the easement and calling out,
There's something for you he pitched
the dead robber at the living one with
such force that the man below was not
only scared almost to death, but was
seriously hurt, and limped off as fast as
a fractured leg would allow him.
Luchini went back to bed and calmly
slept till morning. "-[New York Tribune.
rluI - r. n. - c.. =,