Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-09-21
A Roman Beauty A Criminal.

y
woman of rare beauty, appeared in the
Frosinone criminal court late in August,
says the New York Sun, to be tried for
numbering her first husband.
Mario Carnevali, her second husband,
took his place beside her to answer the
charge of killing her lover. This dou-
BILE trial is the elimination of a crimi-
nal romance such as has been seldom
equaled for intricacy and novelty, even
in the varied experience of the Roman
police. =,
Penelope Menghini was Is years old
in 1883. She was the daughter of a
prosperous Roman tradesman, and had
been carefully educated by governess.
Her preparation for society was to be
finished in a young woman's seminary
in Rome. She was exceptionally hand
some, was to have large dowry and
was expected to make the fine match
which these conditions almost invaria-
bly guarantee in Italy. Her mother
had set her cap for nobleman.
Early in 1883, however, Penelope
met on her way to the seminary Mario
Carnevali, retired cavalry officer with
only his face and figure to recommend
him. He was generally worthless, had
spent all his money, and was looking
for an opportunity 10 marry for money.
He learned what Penelope's prospects
were and proposed an elopement.
Old Menghini heard that his daugh-
ter had been tempted by cavalry Off.
Ger, and, to protect her, sent maid
servant with her to school every day.
Nevertheless, Penelope eventually
smuggled out of the house letter tell
ing her cavalryman that she would run
away with him.
On her sixteenth birthday he called
at the seminary, introduced himself as
her uncle, and, under the pretext of
taking her to see a sick aunt, carried
her to a Roman suburb. She lived
with him year. When she returned
home, still Penelope Menghini, she had
a baby, but it was hurried into an or
phan asylum.
Her beauty was unimpaired, and in
her eighteenth year was striking
enough to gain for her the love of Will
liam Jones, young English engineer,
who knew nothing of her past. He
had money, and she married him.
He worshiped her. She had her box
at the theatre, her horses and carriages,
and large house, in which she enter
tained her friends lavishly, yet when
Carnevali, her old lover, came back to
Rome she welcomed him secretly.
Jones soon discovered that his wife
was deceiving him. He did not have
the courage to leave her. The struggle
between his sense of honor and his love
unnerved him, and he fell i'll. One
morning his physician found him dead
in bed. 1t was suspicious case. but
as Jones was an Englishmau and did
not have kinsman in all Italy, the
body was buried without an examina-
ton.
In Italy widow must wait at least
ten months after her husbands death
before marrying again. On the day
when her ten months expired Mrs
Penelope Jones became the wife Of Ma
rio Carnevali. She had her dowery
and the property left by Jones, and for
a year or more she and her cavalryman
lived in royal style. The money was
scattered right and left on servants,
horses, theatres and races. In sport
ing society nobody cut wider swath
than did Carnevali and his beautiful
wife.
Although their home was in Paliano,
their faces were familiar at all the race
tracks Of Rome and Naples; and Carne :
vail ran few horses, but without sue
cess. When the money had vanished
they borrowed more, bought vineyard
and tried to pay their expenses by
growing grapes. Carnevali reformed.
The change lost him his wife's affec-
ton.
She made love to Augusta D'Ottavi,
a postoflice official, entrapped him and
separated him from his wife and two
children. She swore to him that he
was the first man she had ever loved,
but he got an inkling of her history.
One day, after he had approached her
for unfaithfulness, she snatched a letter
from her pocket and exclaimed:
"Take this, and if am ever unfaith-
ful you will have my life aud my hus-
bands in your hands. That is my
guarantee"
The letter had been written by Pen.
elope to Carnevali just after Jones's
death. 1t said:
DARLING MARIO William died a
moment ago. 1 tremble for fear that
an examination will be made, for, as
YOU must have guessed, poisoned him
SO as to be yours and yours only. If
am discovered and imprisoned, [ shall
pray that you remain faithful to your
PENELOPE.
D,Ottavi took the letter, but the dis.
covery of Penelope's crime cooled his
feelings toward her. She noticed the
change, tried to bring him back, and
proposed that he and she put Carneval
out of the way. D'Ottavi called her al
ogress, left her, and declined to answer
her letters.
Once convinced that. she had LOST
him, she planned her revenge. Hel
husband went to Rome for a few days
He had hardly arrived when he re-
ceived Penelope's letter confessing hel
intimacy with D'Ottavi and placing the
entire blame of her behavior on his
shoulders After ta1l;nron ;noanione