The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-21
SEEFCRgCIFED
The AwiuI Story Of a Religious
Fanatic in Venice.
DROVE NAILS INTO HIS FLESH,
TvoadsrfaI Ingenuity IN MS ssif1SFturs.
How He Got on ths Cross~A Net Over
thsApparatus to Hsla Him n He ReII'
iIaas I'VE Atssn.rs.at sslcnestruetlon.

Boston Traveller: This Is q remarkaole
story, wen attested historically and
impossible OF doubt, OF a man who cru
cifed himself: who, in pious frenzy,
emuIated as well as he was able the
death OF Christ eighteen hundred years
before, and whose terrible wounds,
added 70 his refuSal to take food, were
responsible for his death.
At the beginning OF this century there
lived at Casala, In the territory OF Bel
Juno. Italy a man named Matthew
I,Ovnt. He was the son OF poor parents
and was at first employed In the coars-
est and most lab0rlous works OF NUS
bandry In this manual toll his imagi-
nation became fired with tine ease ana
comfort Of the lives OF the rector and
his curate. who were the only persons
in the village who did not ansoIuteiy
work with their hands. Matthew
thought II would be a fine idea, there
fore. 10 study for the priesthood and
BECOME q gentleman; 50 he induced the
Ind-hearted 'cnrate to take him for tut
Hon. He learned to read and write q
little. but his family was 30 poor that
further study was impossible. and ne
VIVA Obliged 20 renOunce his books and
turn 20 the trade of shOemaking.
I0yat hated BhOemaking, and ne
never became q good workman. the
sedentary life and the silence to which
apprentices were then condemned made
him tacituru and gloomy An extreme
Of religious devotion began to dtstin-
S1,iah him. and he received the scOrn
and ridicule OF the young people VI Hio
native village.
Al last, wearled OF their taunts, he
decided to go to Venice, and on NoVem-
her 1S 1902, he arrived In that wonder
FIJI city and went 70 seek his brother,
Angelo. who was employed by the
house Of PalntInl. gold reiners, in the
street called lie Cordonl But Angelo
had no room, and took Matthew TO the
house OF a widow named Osgualda,who
lived In the street lie Vlsdo, NO. 6t1I.
He remained there until September u
OF the following year, on when Gay
no made m attempt to cruelty himself
in the middle OF the street called tho
Gross OF Blri upon q frame which he
mad constructed from the timber OF his
he'd That was q little too much for
fine widow OsGualdi and she elected
Matthew forWith. He afterward got
LODGINGS IN the third floor OF a house
orsupied by Valentla Luccheta, near
the Church Of st. Aloise. in the street
Della Monache, No. 2SSs. For some
time he was tranquil and apparently
sane.
: In July. 1906, however. the old idea
NJ self-crucih1ion came back to LoVat
with increased strength; re woIks .t
n little every day on the instrument
of hiS torture, and collected nails
ropes. bands and crown Of thorns.
Az he foresaW that II would be ex-
tremely difficult to fasten himself Sc
ctIreIy upon the cross, he made net OF
1maIi cords capable Of supporting his
weight. In case he should happen 20 dis
engage himself from 1t. ~.
AnInEsnIoas Device.
This net he secured at the bottom by
fastening It In a knot At the lower ex-
tremIty Of the perpendicular beam,
little below the bracket designed to
support his feet. and the other end was
stretched to the extremities OF the
transverse spar. which formed the arms
OF the cross. 50 that II had the appear
ance In front Of q purse turned upside
down. From the middle Of the upper ex-
tremIty OF the net, thus placed, pro-
ceeded one rope and from the point
Al which the two spars formed the
cross Intersected each other, a second
rome proceeded, both OF which were
firmly tied to beam in the inside OF the
chamber, Immediately above the win
dow. OF which the parupet was very low,
and the length OF these ropes was Just
sufficient to allow the cross TO rest nor
IEontnlly upon the floor Of the apart
ment. ,,
arations were complete, and he deter
mined TO end the matter on that day,
He proceeded to put on his crown OF
thorns, several OF which pierced the
skin OF his forehead. Then he barred
MS body, wrapping only cloth about
the lolns. Next, passing his legs be-
tween the net and the cross, seating
himself upon 1t. he took one OF the
| nails destined for his hands and drove
Il Into the left palm by striking us
head on the floor until It appeared
through the back OF the hand. He. now
adjusted his feet to the bracket which
mad been prepared 70 receive them, the
right over the left. Taking another
nail Ave inches long and placing Il on
| the upper foot with his left hand, he
| drove it with mallet which he held
| in his right until It not only pene-
| trated both his feet, but, entering the
hole prepared for It in the bracket,
| made its way 50 far through the tree
| Of the Cross as to fasten the victim
firmly to It. He planted the third nail
/ IN MS riBnG mana, rs nc LaA ul1hA6 80
with regard to the left, and having
bound himself by the waist to the per-
pendIcular OF the cross by . cord which
he had previously stretched under him,
he made q wound In his left side with
q shoemRker's knife.
Matthews bloody and awful prelinl-
inarles having been accomplished, It
was necessary for the deluded wretch
to get himself and his cross out o. the
window so that he might be exhibited
to the public gaze. which he deemed
an Important part OF his plan. In car
rylng this out he displayed the most
marvellous ingenuity. The cross was
laid upon the floor horizontally, It's
lower extremity resting upon the para
pet of the window, which was very
low; so, raising himself up by press
ing upon the points OF his fingers (for
the nails did not allow him to use his
whole hand either open or clOsed), he
made several springs forward, until the
portion OF the cross which was pro-
truded over the parapet, overbalanclng
what was Within the chamber, the
whole frame, with the victim upon It
darted out at the window. and re-
~s