Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-19

Here Il an Opportunity for SIr. Blaine.
New York Timcsl


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Here Il an Opportunity for Dir. Blaine.
New York Timosl
An opportunity viii be given Mr.. James
g. Blaine, Secretary Of State, within
very few DAYS to demonstrate tho full
yigor" Of his foreign policy in the vindi-
cation of the rights Of an American citi-
zen. who, according 10 bis story, rs told in
allidavits, has been subjected TO most vio-
lent and outrageous treatment by the Ital-
liam Government. MIcolina Alleo u
an humble citizen Of the United
States, but his title 10 that citizen
The laws of this country can make u. He
was horn in Spiu0sO. italy. in 1869. and
came 10 America with his parent IN 1870.
His parents subsequently roturned oItalv,
but he remained here and being some
thing OF bIlliard-player he came in time
- be ia demgud as q manager of some of
tic larger billiard halls OF this city. lie
served i'm this capacity about four years al
thc Roesmore Hotel. aftorward seven and
half wears M the white Elephant" in
broadway. and for thctwO and a half years
prior to his departure from this country lie
Wa manager OF tho large billiard hall q
sixth avenue and Twrnty-fourth street.
IN The mean time be had been married.
lio became q citizen of the United states
Of America Septcmbcr16 1874 bv natuTal-
Z4.lou I'm the Court of Common Pleas. His
parchment certificate under seal Of that
court he bad with him during all his re-
cent adventures. Early last spring he TO-
coiyed notice of q legacy of about thou
sand dollars which had been left him i'm
SpuosO hy AlhynO COia~a, a cousin. and on
April Isl ho lett tor Italy with his young
wife 70 collect mis- beQucst. They arrived
az Spiuoso April 18th. and the next day
Niloo received an official communication
from the Mayor ordering him 20 90 70 Io-
tenZ9 20 eutor upon bis military service.
lie called upon the Aiaror and told hm he
was an American citizen and was entitled
- the consideration due an American
citizen. lie showed his certificate of cit-
ZenshiD and claimed exemption from
Italian military laws. The Mayor laughed
at his cort .hcltr of American citizenship
and said: "ihosc papers are Of no good 20
YOU: you may as well wipe your feet with
them. Nou will have to 20 10 Potenza OF
b locked up
Mleo wished to avoid the disgrace Of
being arrested, and thinking that by
tcmpoUzing md showing his papers 81
American citizenship 10 the official, Of TIE
army with whom Doe might be called upon
TO treat le might find one who would re-
-pect the American Government enough to
inquire into the matter and give him The
decent consideration 90 which his papers
entitled him. hc. therefore, consent 4 to
go 10 POtcn2a. He was accompanied by
two Of the MAYORS messengers. Arriving
there April 22d he was taken at once
before the Consul of Labor who. after
taking his name and memoranda Of
hs personal history, ordered him TO I'M
dress. This le refused to do and again
showed his papers of citizenship and claim
al the immunity of an American citizen.
The Consul of Labor responded; Your
papers are good for nothing. Undrcss. and
be- quick about it. or We viii tear your
clothes on from YOU If l am forced 10
undrcss." AhleO said, 81 viii do So"
When he had stripped his clothes were
taken away from MN and he was taken
into an adjoining room and inspected by
urceon for military service. He was
found physically perfect and ordered into
uniform. the return of his Amerlcan-
made clothes being refused to him.
I,uEIsoNED
Then he was conducted under guard TO
Alexandria where, after being put upon
the muster-roll of the Twcnty-thlrd regi-
mcut Of infantry, Twelfth company Cap
tain FIasincs coumandng, be was sent 10
Jail and kept in close confinement for "a
month rs q punishment for not returning
to Italy when he was twcnty-one years old
10 enter upon his military duty. lie was
confined ln a cell which was SO dark that
newspaper could not be read in it. il was
wholly unfinished. his bed consisting OF
- wide board. which rested directly upon
The brick floor. During his coniinc-
mcnt he says his spirit was kept
properly subdUcd by diet Of half
"A loaf e bread per day and
al the water he wanted. He
wrote to the American Committeeman al
Rome. telling of his Imprisonment aud OF
his naturalization. and that he had return
ed only upon a Welt TO his parents and to
collect his legacy. In course Of time be re-
cpjyed an answer saying that the Consul
General had endeavOred 10 obtain ms re-
lease, but could do nothing for him. After
his imprisonment he was put IN the ranks
and served five and half months. Then
bc applied to his commanding officer for
fifteen DAYS leave Of absence 10 attend 70
private business and obtained It. All TINS
time Mrs. Mileo had been staying with
friends ~ Sninoso. Her husbaDd's pay a.
a soldier in the Italian army was onlyabou
two cents per day and would OF course go
but a precious short way toward her sup
port.
TsCArE.
Micolina Mileo had no sooner got beyond
{ he confines 10 the barracks in which he
had been chartered than he made break
Tor liberty. He went straight 70 Genoa
whore he found q French ship bound for
Zanzi bar. lie told the mato that he was
an American citizen and had been con-
scripted into the Italian army. and was en-
denyoriDg to escape from the country. The
mate said, An right, III lxy0u," and con-
coaled him until the ship was far out on
the broad Mediterranean. Al LanZiOW he
was forced u wait fifteen days for q steam
er which would take him TO France. he
paid gOf for q Storage passage ana
arrived at Mar-eilles November 2Jth with
ONLY 4Of. left. tie Immediately wrote TO
hs, wife. who carried the family purse,
and received by return mail $50, with
which 10 DAY his return fare and expenses
To- America. He bought IA passage ticket
from Marselles 10 New York for l6Of., ana
roino to Boulogne, embarked in the Neither
Isnds steamer Edam and arrived here last
lie nj once laid his case before H.. II;
Leavitt. an attorney with whom he had
loug been acquainted, and who was a
United States Consul in lSS3-oi 70 Ma
naeua. Mr. Leavitt has prepared de
tailed statement of his case for transnns-
sion 20 Secretary Blaine, with demand
for $50 600 damages from the Italian Gov
eminent for his imprisonment ana deten-
Mileo wrote before he left Marseilles Tor |
bis wife 10 join him in New York at Tue
earliest opportunity. She could not traVeI
v hen he escaped, for she had Just present
ed him with a baby boy; but yesterday he |
received a letter from her, IN winch she
saws that the Italian authorities refuse her
. nassuort and say 80 her, No passport
hail Won have under any consideration;
not until your husband returns and
lakes up his military service, t Sgs de
with whatever punishment Tor ms ue-
'ert;on which may be inflicted upon
him" ard all this notwithstanding Mrs.
Mileo is a native-born American, The pa; /
pers in this unusually aggravated case w ,l /
be- sent to Secretary Blame to-day ana ne |
yill be given am opportunity 10 SHOW
whether his foreign policy is any more (
vigorous than those of the men, who have ave |
hrm. There - said 70 " NJ
over, over a case Of this kind, but the uni-
yersal law Of nations which guarantees 10 |
he visiting alien immunity from ma,iasms
.erv,ce Rs considered COMPREHENSIVE |
~, ..e.L a., covor Mifolina MileO'S case.