The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-29
There Was a Case Of i Re-.
esntbjnPr Proyide9e4 3
: sAlA9AkAAg IL T.
Strange Services That We're Held In
Honor on MeIsk- Taus.
The Contents OF Quaranta's Bad Book
and the Scenes at His Meetings.

Interest In the question OF how Gioyan-
nj Quaranta met his death has we'll nigh
died out. Since his weighted body was
found one day last week at the bottom
OF pond in the north end OF the city,
the police have been trying hard to solve
Is that the Italian tied the weight to bis
body himself and committed suicide.
Those who. still hang to the murder
theory can furnish 20 CLUE, and can lind
no one whom II Is Reasonable to Suspect.
But there Is a much more interesting
feature OF the case than the probable
cause OF the fatality, and II never would
have been brought out had Quaranta died
a natural death without affording the
police the privilege Of examining his
scant belongings, When his effects were
first looked over there was d queer look
ing book among them, which the other
Italians called the "bsdn book, and they
warned the police not to touch 1t. AT
the same time II was whispered among
the simple and superstitious residents in
this North End Italian colony that the
dead man had been devil worshiper,
and had had wonderful powers over his
fellow workmen.
A careful examination and transla-
tion of this "badp book, and thorough
sitting of all the wild and exaggerated
stories told by the Italians, reveals weird
and interesting group OF facts, no less
wonderful than that Giovanni Quaranta
was devil worshiper, and tnat he OBJ
served with all strictness the strange
ceremonies OF his religion right here in
the city of Providence.
That doesn't mean that he was a bad
man, by any means; on the contrary,
Giovanni was a sober and industrious
laborer, who never lost a days work,
and never quarreled with his Eeighbors.
To him the devil was the Good and Su-
preme Being, the mysterious parsonage
m Fhns, hs. adA d De
offered his thanksgiving.
In some obscure corner OF New York
city's EAST Side" there may be O devil
worshiper, or even colony OF them,
but they have never been heard of, and,
so far as known, Giovanni Quaranta is
the only one who has ever crossed the
ocean. Another strange part OF II Is that
he was an Italian, as the devil worship
ers, what few there are OF they; in the
world, are scattered about Asia, and i'm
the more barbarous portions of barbar-
Gus Turkey. Most of them are in Meso-
potamia, and TO this sect or faction Quar-
anita belonged, although his nationality
was so very different. So much for the
fact that he was devil worshiper. The
book which ne left, tells a good deal
about the religion aud the descriptions
OF his performances furnished by the
neighbors convey pretty good idea OF
the strange and uncanny ritual.
The writing in the book is part in fair
~ good Italian and part in cipher that
is not difficult 10 transfer TO English
equivalents. Nowhere does the word
devil or Satan occur, as that is only an
the god OF Giovanni's sect. The real title
of this strange deity is Melek-Taus, and
that name occurs most frequently in the |
bad" book always on line by itself, |
and sometimes surrounded by rude circles |
made with blue and yellow lead pencils. |
ig W haf hah
illogical tree, showing the succession of |
the gods. The first name is Sheik Adj |
the father OF the Yezidees, and a margi- |
nal note, written in Italian by Giovanni |
himself is to the effect that the writing |
OF the name "Sheik Adj is a facsimile \
of the writing by Hassan ell Bassri, the |
disciple aud secretary OF the great foun-
der. Then follow more gods TO the num-
ber OF seven, each with a speci ial work in |
the creation of the wcrld, a strange slmi- |
larity to the seven days referred to in
Genesis. These gods all rode mares,
pictures OF which Quaranta had drawn
In one OF the fly leaves OF his precious
volume, and besides there are paragraphs |
in Kurdish, the only language known to
the deities OF that period.
The angel created by the first god
proved unruly, and was cast into hell
where he continuously wept tears of re-
pentance for 1000 years, filling seven inn
mense jars which have subsequently,
been used TO quench the fires of that por-
tion of hell 10 which misguided Yezidees
have been assigned. Then his atonement
was complete, and he was again raised TO
the heavens, where he outdid all his
brother angels in good works, and he was
called Melek- -Taus.
And 1t was to Melek Taus that Giovan-
nj prayed thrice each day. in the morn
ing before leaving for his days work at
the Silver Spring Bleachery, at noon
when the shrill factory whistles OF Wan
skuck announced the dinner hour, and at
eight in the evening. He was not
ashamed OF his religion, and there were
none of his fellow-worKmen who ever
cared or dared 10 ridicule him in its OBJ
servance. Wednesday was his big day,
ana every Wednesday evening he hela a
Sheik festival in his humble apartment,
62S Charles street. Nothing pleased him
more than to have his neighbors and fell
attend the weekly cere-
II o'clock at night. There would always
be dozen or more crowded into the room
TO look on, although Quaranta could never
induce any OF them TO participate.
Giovanni began by breaking the handle
from his stiletto, and throwing the blade
Mt peace with all men. There was always
a string tied TO the blade, but that's
neither here nor there. His next act was
tor walk slowly around the room seven
ines with the Saniak held in front OF
him to purify the company, and drive
away unclean thoughts. Then he dipped
either end OF the Sanjak In the holy
water OF the Semsen, and touched il TO
The open mouths OF seven holy roosters.
fashioned out OF bronze That ended, he
would take up handful of the conse-
Grated earth from the grave OF Sheik
Adj and after rolling IL into seven round
pills, would swallow them slowly. mutt
Iering prayer after each one, never fail
ing TO invite his visitors TO partake of the
religious meal. new supply OF this
Darth was sent to him every seven months.
After this, and several more detail,
would wind up with the Ko-
vechek dance in which he would throw
of all his clothing. This Hance would
last frequently until daylight, or until
he italian dropped senseless. and all the
While he would beat time on the door and
selling with the long Sanjak, offer pray.
him good Yezidee, or IL he couldn't do
hat to save for him some OF the precious
L