The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-07
CONvICTs OF NOBLE NAME.
Titled Criminals Who Are Now
Wearing the Prison Garb.
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
Convict garb is now worn by a large
number of princes and great mobiles in
the old world, fact called to mind by
the sensational trial not long ago of
Prince Charles of Loos-Coswarem, scion
of the formerly sovereign house of that
name, on charges of forgery and fraud.
In olden times this strange anomaly
would have been impossible, since the
mere fact of being branded as felon
on the shoulder and forehead, and having
occupied a seat in the galleys carried
with It the loss of all nobility privileges,
titles and prerogatives.
It is in Italy and Russia that instances
of this kind are the most frequent, owing
in all probability, to these two countries
being afflicted with a larger number or
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 Vtllarosa-
Notarbartollo, who are undergoing term
of penal servitude for the cowardly muir
der of a young infantry lieutenant named
Leoni, who was betrothed to their SIS
ter, the Princes Katarina. The assessina'
ton took place at Palermo, in the mag
nificent Villarosa palace owned by them
and where they had invited the youns
officer to dine in the most friendly man
broken the bread with them the princes
took his life by stabbing him in the back
as he was about to leave the palace.
The trial was to have taken place at
Palermo but the two princes, like many
other great Sicilian mobiles, were affiliated
with the Malta, which rendered it abso-
lutely impossible for the government TO
secure witnesses for the prosecution or ju-
rors willing to risk their fortunes and
their lives by rendering a just verdict. 1t
therefore became necessary to change the
venue to Naples, where, owing to the re-
lations that exist between the Sicilian
Malta and the Neapolitan Camorra, con-
viction was obtained with the utmost diff
hculty.
Another prince confined in the same
convict prison is the Prince and Duke of
Caracciolo di Bella, sentenced to ten
years at hard labor for the murder of his
wife. The latter, woman considerably
younger than himself, was renowned for
her beauty and wealth. The Princess
Regina 'Avalos, which was her maiden
name was regarded as the greatest heir
ess in Southern Italy. Orphaned at an
early age, Regina had already witnessed
one sanguinary tragedy before she had at
tanned her 18th year. In her presence an
aunt-a woman of the most incredible vio-
lence of temper-had shot down and killed
in cold blood one of her farm bailiffs,
who had been guilty Of some gross inso-
lence.
When Regina grew up it was determin-
ed that she should marry and the BRIDE
groom chosen was lieutenant in the
navy, who was a brother of her aunts
husband. On the morning of the wedding
day, however, the lieutenant was found
in his apartments with his brains blown
out and a revolver at his side 1t was a
clear case of suicide but no explanation
was ever vouchsafed as to the cause of
his act, most extraordinary rumors be-
ing current on the subject
Eighteen months later the young prin-
cess married Caracciola di Bella. But the
union was unhappy one. Hence. when
one day the princess was poisoned, leaving
a will in which she bequeathed every cent
of her immense fortune to the husband
whom she detested, suspicion was natu-
rally aroused against him on the discov-
cry that the drug that caused her death
had been purchased by him, he was ar
rested on a charge of murder, convicted
tude.
There are at least score Of princes
Neapolitan, Sicilian and Roman-doing