Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-19
BEAUTIFUL MURDEREss.
Poison ed Her First Husband-This Crime
Followed by Succession of Others.

ItItlDIt 0di diltiFAtlF u syAaA' 'NF''''-~
woman Of rare beauty. appeared in the
Frosnone Criminal Court late in August.
says the New York Sun, to b. tried for
numbering her first husband. Mario Car
uevali. her second husband, took his place
beside her to answer the charge Of kill
ing her lover This double trial is the
elimination Of criminal romance. such
as has been seldom equdled for intricacy
and novelty. even in the varied experience
of the Roman police.
Penelope Mcnghni was Is years old In
1SS,. She was the daughter Of a prosper
Gus Roman tradesman, and had been
carefully educated by a governess. Her
preparation for society was TO be finished
in young woman's seminary IN Rome.
She was exceptionally handsome. was 10
have large dOWry and was expected
10 make the fine match which these condi-
tions almost Invariably guarantee in Italy
Her mother had set her cap for noble
man.
Early in 1883. however. Penelope met on
her way to the seminary Mario Carnevau,
a retired cavalry officer, with only his
face and figure 10 recommend him. lie
was generally worthless, had spent all
his money, and was looking for an op-
portuni.y 10 marry for money. He learned
what Penelope's prospects were and pro-
posed an eOpemcnt.
Old Menghni heard that his daughter
had been tempted by a cavalry oflcer'
and. to protect her. sent n madservant
with her to school every day. Neverthe-
less. Penelope eventually smuggled out
OF the house a letter telling her cavalry
man that she would run away with him.
HER FIRST MARRIAGE.
on her 10th birthday ne called at the
seminary, introduced himself as her uncle
and, under the prstext Of taking her to
see sick aunt. carried her of 10 Il
Roman suburb. She lived with him "A
year When she returned home, still PEN
eOpe M-nehini, she had baby. but IL
was hurried into an orphan asylum.
Her beauty was unimpaired, and in her
18th year was striking enough to gain
for her the love of William Jones.
young English engineer, who knew no
thing of her past IL had money, and
she married him.
He worshipped her. She had her box at
the theatre her horses and carriages, and
a large house, in which she entertained
her friends lavishly, yet when Carneyall
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 10 leave her. The struggle be-
tween his sense OF honor and his love un-
nerved him, and he fell Ill., One morning
his physician found him dead in bed. II
was suspicious case. but as Jones was
only an Englishman and did not have
knsman in all Italy. the Italian doctor
let the body be buried without an exami-
nation.
In Italy a widow must wait al 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 Mario Carnevan. She
had her dowry 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
sporting society Of the better class no.
body cut a wider swath than did Carne-
vail and his beautiful wife.
Although their home was in Palliano
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 ana
tried to pay their expenses by growing
grapes. Carnevali reformed. The change
lost him his wlfe's affection.
PENELoPEs CONFESSION.
She made love to Augusta D'Ottavi,
post-otiice 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 ne
got an inkling OF her history. one day,
after ne had reproached her for unfath-
fulness, she snatched letter from her
pocket and explained:
Take this, and IL am ever unfaithful
you Will have my life and my husbands
in your hands. That is my guarantee"
The letter had been written by Pene-
lope 70 carnevar Just after Jones's death.
II said:
Darling Mario.-William died q moment
ago. i tremble for fear that an examina-
ton will be made. for. as you must have
guessed. poisoned him 20 - to be yours