The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-15
Shadow Of Crispi's Life.
From the Buffalo Express.

For a third time the Italian bank scan
dals have come UP before the chamber
of deputies and the enemies of the aged
Crispi are seeking TO make them the
means of his ruin. A special commission
of five has been appointed to investigate
the former premier.
These scandals first became public in
1898. The history of them is in brief as
follows: There are six great banks in
Italy, all of which issue notes up to "a
certain prescribed limit. These notes be-
come the ordinary money circulation of
the country. When in 1889 and 1891 the law
regulating the circulation came before
the chamber the banks opened credits Tor
the deputies and discounted bfllS winch
were never paid The Bank of Naples. for
example had in it's safes 16,000.00J lire of
unpaid bills signed by politicians, almost
all of them friends of Crispi Other depu-
ties drew directly from the banks The
whole scandal was shown up by the reNe-
latons of a radical deputy and by cam
paign in a Neopolitan journal.
Passion ran high. former mayor OF
Palermo was murdered in a railway car
rage at the instgaton, as was believed,
of Italian deputies, because he was Ill
rector of the Bank of Naples and IL was
feared he would disclose some OF the
frauds in which deputies were involved.
The king paid 100000 lire from ms PIT
signed by politicians who were too prom
inent to be prosecuted, but he couid not
pay all.
Premier Giolitti opposed a parliamen-
tary inquiry on the pretext that the ma
tional dignity would suffer thereby. III
was largely in consequence OF TINS that
his ministry was overthrown. Then the
king sent for Crispi, who though MS
name had been unpleasantly connected
with the scandals, had remarkable sue
cess in calming the excitement. for
time matters progressed smoothly once
more.
But Giolitti who had become the leader
of the Opposition, probably feeling lnat
his overthrow was unjust, watcheo ms
chance for revenge. 1t came IN Decemper,
1894, when he enabled TO present W
the chamber of deputies documents OF
the cashier of the Banca Romano whlch
contained the names OF government oiA-
Gals, members of the chamber OF uepu-
ties, journalists and others VINO hau
taken money from the bank. The docu-
ments aimed at Premier Crispi mention
ed several drafts in his name, and he hg-
ured also in a note for 100000 lire
Among the documents were four letters
written by Signor Tanlongo, the manager
of the bank while he was in prison, ad-
dressed to Signor Giolitti. These letters
stated that the deficit in the bank was
due to expenditures among ministers
senators, members of the press ana otn-
erS. TanlongO, in one OF the ietteis' 9aiu
| that he gave a credit of 900 lire to GER
! tain nersons on the recommendation and
| assurance of Signor Crispi that the credl-
| tors were solvent He insinuated that the
/ money was not destined for those per-
/ sons.
Crispi met met the attack by stroke
! no less sensational than the charges
| themselves He prorogued the chamber.
| The excuse for this step which ne mace
| in his report to the king was: Your gov
] eminent was occupied with useful meas
ures Moving serenely above parties, we
! thought only to justify public commence
! by the sure and fruitful guidance oil al
| fairs Suddenly your hopes and those OF
the country were deceived. An eager at
! tempt was made to revive the bank scan
dial by a handful of disturbers, VINO
! placed themselves at the head oil
| strange coalition. They attacked the instl-
| tutions of the country and those VINO up
held them. disregarded all tolerance and
| sought only to create disorder
For six months Crispi ruled arbitrarily
| without a parliament. In the meantime
/ Giolitti fled from the country to escape
arrest on charges brought by Crisp OF
abstractng papers from the archlves anu
! of illegal possession OF letters belohSiNS
| to Signora Crsp After some three
| months he returned and the case against
him was abandoned. Crispi, however, mad
succeeded for the second time in stlfling
the scandals. When the parliamentary
election was held large majority oil ms
| supporters was returned. This was due
to the fact that the government has Vlr-
tual control of the nomination and elec-
ton of candidates. After the defeat OF the
! Italians by the Abyssinians last year,
popular clamor was again dlrecleo
against Crispi. and he was forced TO re-
sign The Marquis di Rudini was called
to the premiership. He. like nearly every
other man prominent in Italian politics,
had been mentioned in connection Win
the bank scandals, but nothing very Sc
rious was ever proved against nm
Crispi's loss of power has been the Sig
nal for the reopening of the attacks. Last
MAY three counterfeiters were arrested
in Naples and while in prison. possibly
with the hope of curryng favor with tht
government. they confessed that they
were the murderers of the former mayor
of Palermo III 1893. They declared thai
they were acting unders of very promi-
| nent persons, who We're connected VIII
the Malta. The names of the prominent
persons have not been made public bu1
popular rumor whispers tnat tTispi VIII
! is one of them.
| And this brings up the domestic side OF
the story Dona Lima Crispi is a Sicilian
as is her husband. She is said to belong
to the Malta. Whether this true or NOT
she is known to have associated Will
members of that terror-inspiring society
She is "a woman of rank and education
but arrogant and inscriptions. Her rec
ord prior to her marriage in her native
city of Syracuse is said 70 have been UNI
savory She is Crispi's third wife. Hi!
first wife was ii young Slcilian girl OF
humble origin whom he married whil'
he was a struggling lawyer and reVolu
ZIONIST associated with Mazzni and Carl
baldi lie deserted her and later married
the Vivandiere of the regiment in which
he was serving in Garibaldfs army. Thi
woman was known as Nine. Rosalie
When Crispi had become great and pow
erful she was received at court AM
was quite favorite with Queen Mafgue
rite though lacking in the retinemen
and education naturally expected in
prime minister's wife. Suddenly in 49,
Crispi shocked court society by marrying
his present wife. When accused of biga
my he explained that he had never beef
legally married TO Nine. Rosale, an,
that his real wife whom he had desertet
in his youth had just died. Queen Mar
auerite at first refused to recognize tn
new wife and Crispi is said 10 hav
threatened that unless she did he wou
II