The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13


intention of making a complete exposure
OF the blackmail to which the Bank of
Sicily had been subjected by the Crispi ad-
mnistration and it's friends.
The moment seemed propitious for such
an expose, for the Crispi cabinet had just
been driven from office on account of the
Bank of Rome scandal But before the
Marquis Notarbartolo could accomplish
his purpose, he was mysteriously murder
ed while on his way from his country
place at Termini to his town residence at
Palermo. At Termini he had taken his
place in a first-cass compartment, his va
let occupying third-class carriage. The
train did not stop until it reached Paler-
mo, and on its arrival the compartment
occupied by the marquis was found emp
ty, careful examination revealing the facts
that the cushions had been pierced by sew
eral knife thrusts, and had been subjected
| to some washing process, as if to remove
| stains, while the bars that held the over
| head netting were broken, as if they had
| been clutched by the hand of a person
| struggling to prevent his being pitched
out of the carriage.
By a strange coincidence there hap
pened to be a detachment of fifty cara
bnieri, or members of the magnificent con-
stabulary force of Italy, upon the rain,
and their assistance was at once invok-
| ed to search for the marquis The latters
corpse was found at about half an hours
distance from Palermo, pierced with near
| ly twenty dagger thrusts and resting on
| the parapet of a bridge that spanned a
mountain torrent, into the waters of which
| the assassins had evidently endeavored
| to hurl the body. Curiously enough, only
| the pocket book containing his papers had
been taken, his watch, his money, his
| rings, etc, not having been touched.
Shortly afterward Crspfs friends again
| recovered control of the affairs of the
| ooxarnuoant and al andp9UOrS to DIlrSIle
the perpetrators and, above all, the in
| stigators of the murder were discouraged
| by the authorities Indeed, a police COM
| missary of the name of Blast, a Milanese
| by birth, who turned a deaf ear to hints
| and insisted on following up the clues of
| the crime, was suddenly transferred by
| orders received direct from Rome to
| different part of the kingdom at the very
| moment when his efforts were on the eve
Of being crowned with success.
A few weeks ago three counterfeiters
were arrested at Naples, and while in
! prison, possibly with the hope of currying
| favor with the present administration,
| which Is hostile to Crspi, they made
| confession based on incontrOvertable
| proofs. to the effect that while in the en-
ploy of the Palermo Railway Company as
| inspectors and conductors, they had as
| sassinated the Marquis Notarbartolo, in
| compliance with orders received from
prominent personages connected, like
| themselves, with that terror-inspiring 81
| Gillian secret society known as
! the Malta. The authorities have
not as yet actually given the
names of the people who are charged with
| the instigation of the crime, but have plac-
ed them under police surveillance, and
have indicated who they are by mention
ing that they might be found not far from
| the Monte Citorio, which is the place of
meeting of the national legislature. This
| is entirely in keeping with the popular ru-
NOR and report. For it is notorious that
| all the deputies haling from Sicily are
| affiliated to and servants Of the Malta,
which elects them in return for their
pledges to promote the interests of these
| supporters, not alone in the matter Of
| OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the colossal sums
voted for useless local improvements-but
| also in connection with the shielding of the
| friends and members of the Malta from
justice.
Dona Lima Crispi is a Sicilian, and is
| popularity credited with belonging to the
| Malta. If she does not, she at any rate
| finds her most intimate friends and asso-
ciates among individuals who do. Every
thing, however, leads to the conviction
that she is a member of the Malta, which
she has undoubtedly utilized to obtain
money from the Bank Of Sicily. Almost
everybody in Sicily, save men of unblem-
ished honor, such as the Marquis Rudini
and the Inflated Notarbartolo is affiliated
with the society. When, few years ago,
the two Dukes of Villarosa, cousins of the
| murdered marquis, were placed on trial
at Palermo for the cowardly assassination
in their own palace of young officer who
was betrothed to their only sister, IL was
found impossible to obtain conviction in
Sicily, owing to the fact that they be-
longed to the Malta and that no one dared
to give evidence against them. Eventu-
af . nj al .rrua rp1
to Naples, where they were found guilty,
and are now undergoing a long term Of
penal servitude for their crime.
That Dona Lima should be affiliated with
the Malta is in nowise surprising. For
her antecedents are of so questionable
character that Queen Margharita declin-
ed absolutely to recognize her until long
! after Crispi had become prime minister,
when the premier placed Humbert face to
face with the alternative of either secur-
ing her majesty's consent to the presen
tation at court of Dona Lima or subJecting
the country to a cabinet crisis. Queen
Margharitas objections are based on the
low character of the people among whom
bona Lima was reared, on her unsavory
history prior to her association with Girls
nj, which Is a matter Of police record in
her native city of Syracuse. and lastly the
fact that she had induced Crispi to desert
for her sake a wife whom her majesty
was very fond.
Crispis matrimonial affairs have always
been OF a somewhat complicated nature.
In his youthful days, when he was as
ISOLATED with Garibaldl and Mazzini, win-
| ming celebrity for the skill and ingenuity
with which he designed the explosive
bombs and Internal machines used for
revolutionary purposes, he married a
young girl, whom, when driven into exile,
he took with him to Malta and there do
serted In 1859 he Joined Garibaldis army
as a simple soldier The vivandiere Of his
regiment was a celebrated character OF
the name Of Resale. Dressed in the ira
ditional red blouse, with musket on her
shoulder. she took part In all battles, slew
with her own fair hand countless NUM-
hers OF the kings troops. and at the close
OF the campaign yielded 20 the soliclta-
tions Of Crispi whose life she had saved
on two occasions. and married him In due
fern. Crspi soon acquired prominence
and high Office. Nine. Resale, after hay-
ing shared his dangers, was naturally cali
ed upon 10 share his successes. She was
presented at court, and became great
favorite OF Queen Margharlta (the crown