The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-17
ROMEO and JULIET.
The Old, Old Story RetoId With
Modern Accessories.

WlVVUl AOtOpDVl ltHe
| A Young Lieutenant Shot and Killed by
| the Brother of the Girl He Loved-The
Girl Goes Insane-The Murderer Sem
| fenced to Prison for Five Years.
| In the criminal court of Naples the
story of Romeo and Juliet in modern
| life was told recently. Lieutenant
lery, while stationed in Palermo. fell
desperately in love with Catherine No
tarbartolo dc Villarosa, beautiful
Young woman The Notarbartolo fam
ily is among the most powerful in Sicily
where good deal Of the old feudai sys-
tenn fourishes in spite Of the Italian
unity, Donna Maria Bentiragna Widow
Notarbartolo and the mother of the
young woman, had a brother executed
in 1859 for political offenses, and she
was banished, but she returned to Sicily
with Garibaldi. Although she is sixty
four years of age she administers the
rich patrimony of her family The
beautiful Catherine was her youngest
child
The question before the court was
whether the young officer committed
suicide or was murdered by the brother
of the young girl. His body was found
at the door Of the Notarbarto!o mansion.
He had been shot through the heart
and pistol was found at his feet. The
evidence for the prosecution was that
he had been called into the house by
GATHERINGS old nurse. Calogera Tinni-
relic, and that GATHERINGS brothers, who
were his sworn enemies, had waited for
him at the entrance and had shot him.
francesca Notarbartolo. who was ac-
cused of having organized the plot. had
previously fought duel with the lover
It was a one sided fight, however. in
which all the fury was with Notarbar-
tolo. Leone, who was an expert swords
man, foiled all his desperate attacks. and
allowed himself to be wounded rather
than run the risk of killing the brother
of his ladylove. francesca was also
the recognized chief of the Malta society
in Palermo Eleven times he was on
the point of being arrested but on each
occasion he was saved by the Malta. and
at one time he was concealed in the
house ofNa near relative Of the chief Of
police.
The trial of the case extended through
two years in Palermo, and then the
venue was changed to Naples, where it
lasted for eighty days. Love letters in
abundance from Leone to Catherine
and from Catherine to Leone were read,
in which the tender passion was painted
with all the high coloring peculiar tothe
Italian school. The brothers Notarbar-
tolo did not deny anything of the love
affair between their sister Catherine and
the young officer; they simply confined
themselves to a denial Of the charge OF
murder. One Of them, Pietro. declared
in his examination that Leone was COM
pletely unknown to him when he re-
ceived the following note:
sm-I love your sister Catherine. Pronounce
the last word. If it should be No." give you
my word that shall! abide by it and insist no
longer.
In describing the effect of the letter.
Pietro said: 81 spoke Of that letter to
my mother who said, The young man
is crazy. The marriage is impossible. l
informed Lieutenant Leone of this decis-
ion and advised him to postpone as far as
possible the stupid notion Of getting
married. We parted on the best of
terms. A few days afterward while we
were at dinner, we heard pistol shot
outside the door. We came down and
found Leone dead at the door. He had
just sent bullet through his breast. :"
.The medical reports seem to estab-
lish that Leone did not kill himself. but
was murdered" the president Of the
court remarked.
son the contrary" Pietro responded.
HE shot himself in the heart. Lovers
always shoot themselves in the heart
and bankers always shoot themselves in
the head Whether it is the heart or
tho brain, it is always the affected part
that they aim at. +"
The old nurse, who carried the letters
of the lovers. denied that she induced
Leone to cone to the house.
The deposition of Leone, ST., the father
Of the young man, was particularly dra-
matte Hesaid: when learned that
my son was in love with one Of the No
tarbartolo young ladies | knew that it
was all over with him. Ali the lovers of
the young ladies were killed BY the
brothers Notarbartolo. francesca killed
Boccardo and his brother-in-law Cop
pola."
eff | struck down Coppola, the &C.
cused francesca interrupted, lit was be-
cause he began to court my sister Con-
stance, and then deserted her to make
love to my sister Maria. And now poor
Constance is crazy from love" /:
'You are also accused of having killed
Lieutenant Leone Why did you run
away after the tragedy" the president
asked.
Because knew that would be sus-
pected have already been in prison
for beating policemen, and know what
it is to be shut up in four walls"
Other witnesses gave the details of the