The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-04-14
SHE Welded J A | COUNT,
But'Now confcsses She Made
tlG a terrible Mistake. ~.
AN ITALIAN N0BLEM AN

Shows How a Man Can DO Low
n Than a Brute-The Countess Mon.
:. tercoli Airs Her Grievances
Il 4; Before tho Public. II
PnfLADELrftfA,Aprill3, l3,-The Counte
Of Monlercoli, formerly Miss Virgin
Knox, Of Pittsburgh. tells the followlu
story ofthe wrongsshe hassuiIered at til
' hands other husband:l 1T is not nece
aary to 90 into the eques.ioa Of ,whyI ma
ried this man. had been given reaso
. to believe that he had money, but I di
not tic myself to him on that account
because Il was richly endowed rTh
mere fact that he claimed to bo q. Coun
meant little to mo, because I was educa
tedin Paris, had crossed the ocean thre
or four times and had gained full ap
probation Of the valulessness Of titles
I did believe that be was a noble,na,
and that lie possessed sufficient none,
to support a wife. "
i "But all these matters apart, I mar
ried him and triply married him before
Mayor, priest aud clergyman. There
have been many false statements mad,
about his treating me cruelty the very
first day I was with him. Itistrue thai
when we sailed from New York I cried
most bitterly, but that!was only because
was leaving behind me my dearest
friends. The man never revealed his
character until the second day OF the
Voyage. Then he came to me and asked
meto give him sufficient money to pay
the barber who had shaved him, /
naturally said, Have not you enough
money TO pay the barber?'N1 e.
"He answered, Certainly, but l
hayen'tthe change II then said TO him,
|slmply speaking from tha experience Of
an old.tlme transatlantic traveller: 'Whv,
my dear, gentlemen settle such accounts
at the end OF the voyage @,oq .
! BEAT HEg WITH A HAIRDRusn.
Ibid not dream even then that he
was an. adventurer aada pauper. lie
made some laughing excuse and invited
me into our atateroom, and when l
Joined him there he picked up hair
brush and beat me as though were a
dog, and demanded that I should give
him, what money I had in my posses.
sion. He said to me then:1 4 am an
Italian, nobleman, and you are nothing
but an American woman, and have so
honored' you by marrying you that il
you possessed millions upon millions
You could Gnever make the bargain
equal
His treatment Of me upon the vessel
was 80 brutal that the captain interfer-
red. My husband took me to Paris
where he coerced. me into giving him
more money and beat me SO the land.
lord OF the hotel interferred.. Then lie
carried me 10 his home in Fossacesia in
Italy, and there I was made ,n absolute
prisoner, the windows Of the house
oeiag barred to prevent my escape. He
demanded that |, should make drafts
upon my American relatives for. large
sums, OF money, and when refused he
attempted to starve me to death. .1,had
some money remaining which 1 con.
cealed beneath the mattress OF my bed
and that he discovered aud stole. G,s7l.I
81; ". AN!1NdENIous TALE. n
The people Of the town knew him as
a villain, and believing that his cruel
treatment was the cause OF the death Of
his: hrst! wife, became alarmed ut my
non'appearance. To satisfy their clan,or
he manufactured most remarkable
tale. My father, who was well.known
man OF literary ability and inherited
wealth, was named William Wilbur
Knox. Ofcourse in Italy the common
people do not understand anything
about our American social methods, and
so my husband was believed when he
announced to the, townfolks that / was
the Countess Wilbur, daughter OF the
Count Of that name, and that ! refused
10 appear in public until my horses a d
carriages arrived from America. ''l''H1 ,
:"This, naturally, was sufficient reason
ior my not appearing in public while l
was being actually starved. Ny hus.
baud came To me, and with fiendish de.
light, told me Of the story he had circu.
lated, and stated that unless / gave him
sufficient money to purchase horses and
carriages could not leave the house. l
gave him every penny hal in nv DOS.
session. but even then he would not re-
lease me from my confinement.
THE CONSUL TO TIE RESCUE.
ut fortunately happened that the
American consul at Fossacesia was nc.
Iquainted with the rumor that my hus.
band had absolutely, murdered his fits.
vile by starving her. to death, and hay.
ing an inkling ofmy condition and learn.
ing that l came from Pittsburgh, be zen.
word to the Mayor OF that city TINT II
there were ANY people there who had
any.interest In the welfare of YOUNG
woman who was once known as Virginia
Knox, they should at once come to italy
and save her life. My mother was go III
that she could not leave home, but word
was sent to a cousin OF mine who was
located in Berlin, and he came to nv
rescue. ,sn. ,lu,. ~
Meanwhile my husbands brutality
had reached a stage sabeyond belief
When be found I@eould give him nc
more moneyhe took. poker, and bea,
me across the back with itso severely
that four months afterwards the wells
were still visible. "A man never treated
a dog as that beast treated me. I was q
prisoner, l could not escape. li' ,s'7
;n,.t ~ tHUMILlATING. TAuSTs. r.
Every time he struck me--and thai
punishment was idaily-he told that he
was a noblenan and was only. ar
American woman, and l must comics.
that that suggestion Of the difference
made my blood boil even more than. hi.
eowardly blowe. Finally my couain
having received word from America
came down from Berlin, aud found thai
he could only gain access to me by ap
pealing to a judicial tribunal. The
court heard his story in amazement
and the Judges were evidently loath t
believe his statement thata wife coult
be made a'prisoner under such circum
stances. He presented the case 81
strongly, however, that the Judge!
themselves came to my husbands hous'
with q police escort, and when they hat
found me and listened to my tale the,
tOOE me frnm thot uhoda NJ infnnv ~ :