The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-24
Atrocities of Count Cognazzi
and Moussa Elakkad.
KING HuMBERT TRUSTED BOTH.
They Planned the Butchery Of Regi.
ment by Abyssinians.
The Counts Decorations Covered His
Breast and Jingled when He walked
mo Crime Too Monstrous for Him
and His silent Partner. the Arab.


--All Italy is talking at the present moment
of the startling discovery which led to the
arrest few days ago at Milan OF Count
Cagnaxzi at the moment when he was about
to step aboard . train for Monza, where he
was engaged to dine with King Humbert
and Queen Marguerite.
The count was until the moment of his
incarceration the principal civilian officer
at Massowah, and he controlled the admin
istration OF justice, the local treasury. and
service OF supplies It will readily be un-
derstood thar I've reigned supreme in Italy's
colony on the Bed sea. Although covered
with orders and decorations, and honored
until the day of his 1rrest with the warm
friendship and support Of King Humbert
and Premier Crispi, he now lies heavily
chained in tha hold of government ship.
which is conveying him to Massowah.
where he il to be tried for his life on q
charge Of high treason and frauds.
The trial, which cannot fail to terminate
in his conviction. will likewise result in the
liberation Of his whilom partner, Moussa
Elakkad, the most extraordinary scoundrel
Of the present age. who ct present occupies
circular cell in the great convict prison at
San Stefano, and who, moreover, enjoys
the rare distinction of having been SEN
fenced to death no less than three separate
times.
It is just about ten months ago that
King Humbert, commuted to penal servi-
tnde for life. the sentence of death passed
BY Count Cagnazzi upon his former friend,
Moussa Elakkad. The latter is the son of
wealthy Egyptian landowner and mer-
chant He was born in Alexandria some
forty years ago. and first attracted public
attention in 1874. when he was accused
OF having poisoned his rich uncle,
with the assistance of the latter's fair
wife. whom he subsequently married.
It was further charged that after . few
months Of welded life he had murdered
his confederate also, in order to be able to
enjoy his uncle's wealth alone. The pres
ent khedive, Tewfik. made Moussa = pasha,
but he did not serve the khedive faithfully,
- he also drew heavy pay from the de-
posed ruler. Ismail. at Paris. and from
the pretender, Prince Hahn, ct Constanti-
nople, tor serving their interests against
Tewfik's government.
For three years Moussa Pasha lived
peacefully at Massowah. absolutely indif-
ferent 70 the curses and anathemas
launched at his head by the friends ana
relatives Of the many victims Of his
treachery. and from the very beginning Of
the Italian occupation Of Massowah in
1885 be onoe more became person of con-
siderable importance. After the Dongola
massacre. where whole Italien regiment
fell into an ambush planned by Moussa
and was destroyed 70 the last man by Abys-
ainians. this wonderful schemer opened
~yuith = aonfKibution of }6oo puhIto spbs
scfiptiun for the erection Of : monument
to the butchered Italians.
Although there Was reason to believe
that he was concerned in the preparation
ofthe massacre, shortly afterward he visited
Rome and was invited to dine with the
king and 6ignor Crispi. his prime minister,
who vas 40 much pleased with him that
he obtained for him the cross of the Royal
Order Of ST. Maurice and st. Lazarus.
A few months later an immense sensa-
ton was created, not only along the shores
of the Red sea, but also ct Rome, by the
news that Moussa Eakkad had suddenly
been arrested on charge of conspiracy TO
surrender Massowah 10 the hostile Abys-
sinians under Rasa Aiula at the moment
when the Italian commandments, GEN.
eral Orero, with the major part Of the gar
ris0n, was absent at Adowah. The dis
covery of his treason was placed to the
credit of Moussas former partner and
friend, Count Cagnazzi, and it was he, too,
who, as the principal civilian official, con-
Quoted the proceedings; who presided at
the trial. and who finally pronounced the
sentence of death upon him.
The arrest and imprisonment of Moussa
led to the lapse of q number of govern
ment contracts in which he was interes ted,
and the law suits brought in connection
Herewith by various Italian and Austrian
firms against his estate at Massowah, and
subsequently against the Italian govern
ment at Rome, resulted in laying bare the
fact that Count Cagnazzi had been Nous
sa's silent partner in all his legal and IL
legal, fancy and commercial transactions,
and that the arrest of Moussa on . charge
OF high treason was due to him. 1t
turned out. in short. that when
ever anybody interfered with the plant
or projects of the count he Immediately
proceeded to get him out of the way by ar
resting and condemning him to prison as .
traitor to the Italian cause A number of
more or less innocent persons are. there
fore, working out sentences of penal servi-
tude in the great penitentiary of the king
dom, and it is probable that the approach
ing trial of Count Cagnazzi at Massowah,
whittier he has been conveyed in chains,
will result in their liberia ion.
ENGLAND TO REMONETIZE SILVER.
xr.~.~ys~. - vwcha~m>. A.. -. r..u~