The Red Cloud chief., 1896-09-04

name, on charges OF forgery and fraud,
says the New York World.
In olden times this strange anomaly
would have been impossible, since the
mere fact OF being branded as a felon
on the shoulder and forehead and hav-
ing occupied a seat In the galleys car
ried with II the loss Of all nobility priv
ileges, titles and p~rerogatives.
II is in Italy and Russia that in
stances OF this kind are the most fire.
quent. owing. in all probability, to these
two countries being afflicted with a
larger number of princes than any
other. Thus, at the great penitentiary
Of Maddelena, near Naples, there are
two Sicilian princes who are dukes as
well, namely, Don Francesca and Don
Pietro de Villarosa-N otarbartollo. who
are undergoing a term OF penal servi-
tudc for the cowardly murderof a young
infantry lieutenant named Leoni, who
was betrothed to their sister, the Prin-
cess katarina. The assassination took
place at Palermo, In the magnificent
Nillarosa palace owned by them, and
where they had invited the young OFF,
Ger to dine in the most friendly man
ner. After dinner and after Leoni had
broken bread with them the princes
took his life by stabbing him In the
back as he was about to leave the pal
ace.
The trial wa to have taken place at
Palermo, but the two princes. like
many other great Sicilian mobiles, were
affiliated with the Malta, which rem
dered 1t absolutely impossible for the
government to secure witnesses for the
prosecution or jurors willing to risk
their fortunes and their lives by rem
dcring a just verdict. 1t therefore be-
came necessary to change the venue to
Naples, where. owing to the relations
that exist between the Sicilian Malta
and the N%eapolitan Camorra, convic-
ton wac obtained with the utmost diff
ficulty.
Another prince confined in the same
convict prison is the prince and duke OF
CaracciOlo Ill Bella, sentenced to ten
years at hard labor for the murder OF
his wife. The latter, a woman consid-
erably younger than himself. was re-
nowhei for her beauty and wealth.
The Princess Regina d'Avalos, which
was her maiden name, was regarded as
the greatest heiress In southern Italy.
Orphaned at an early age, Regina had
already witnessed sanguinary trag-
cdy tefore she had attained her l4th
year. In her presence an aunt-a yo-
tnan OF the most incredible violence OF
temper had shot down and killed In
cold blood n Of her farm bailiffs,
who had been guilty of some gross in
science.
when Regina grew up II was determ-
med that she should marry and the
bridegroom chosen was a lieutenant
an the navy, who was a brother of her
eunt's husband. On the morning of
the wedding day, however, the lieuten-
ant was found In his apartments with
his brains blown Out and a revolver at
his side, II was a clear case of suicide.
but no explanation was ever youch-
safed as 10 the cause Of his act, most
extraordinary rumors being current on
the subject.
Eighteen months later the young prin-
cess married Caracciola di Bella. But
the union was an unhappy one. Hence,
wheh one day the princess was pois.
oned, leaving "A will in which she be-
queathed every cent of her immense
fortune 10 the husband whom she de-
les ed, suspicion was naturally aroused
against him on the discovery that the
drug that caused her death had been
purchased by him, he was arrested on
"A charge OF murder, convicted and sem
fenced TO a term of penal seryitude.
There are AT least a score OF princes
N~eapolitan, Sicilian and Roman-dolng
time, not including those ~half-dozen or
more who are paying the same penalty
Tor completely in socialist and anarch-
49, outrages, who, although treated as
ordinary felons, may be regarded as no.
litical prisoners.
Prince Eristoff de Couric, whose title
l. OF the most authentic character. and
several Of whose relatives occupy Off
COS OF great dignity at the court OF Rus
s!a, served two years in a German peni-
tertiary for frauds committed at Ber-
lin and subsequently underwent six
months Imprisonment in France for
~oifcnses OF a similar character. He
likewise suffered ignominy of arrest in
England for swindling, in spite OF all
of which he was received with open
arms by New York society, the German
ambassador, Count Arco, who was in
happy ignorance Of his criminal ante
cedents, actually giving dinners and
luncheons In his honor and officiating
his social sponsor. He was on the
point of contracting a wealthy mar
riage in this city when he was UNI
masked in the nick Of time by a London
clubman who had known something OF
his previous history and whose state
ments were by the most fortunate OF
chances verified by the Scotland Yard
detective, Inspector Jarvis, who hap
Pened TO be in New York after other