The age-herald., 1897-12-03
Had :. ed His Country 53 Years
 q i'd At the Age of 78
S PREPARED TO DEFEND HIS NAME
His Wife Said to Have Been an Interruptions Extortioner Name Mixed Up in the Forthcoming Investigation
 Committee of Inquiry Named.

Rome Dec. 2.ZToday the chamber of deputies appointed a committee of five to inquire into the charges against Stg- nor Francesca Crispi, former premier, in connection with the Bank of Naples scandals and the alleged illegal traffic ffl decorations. This action is the result of the decision of the court of cessation, which quashed the judicial indictment brought against him on the ground that the ordinary tribunals of justice were not competent ito deal with such charges brought against a. former member of the government as to his conduct while a member of the government.
 The court of cassation held that such charges must be brought out by parlia- ment, which was the contention of Sig nor CrisIG, and the judicial cons,deras- ions were thrown out.
 A special committee was appointed af- ter an impassicned speech by Signor Crispi, in which he desired the most searching inquiry, which he declared could reveal nothing against him.
 Proof Against Calumny
 T, am proof against calumny," he satd, land should have brought suit against my .calumniators if the matter had not been referred to the chamber"
 Signor Crispd recalled his services on behalf of Italy, and admitted that there had been times when he had erred. He claimed, however, from his conquerors an unbiased judgment and asserted that he was prepared to testify before the commission and to omit nothing, so that the matter might be probed to the deep est, adding pathetically: "But it wil1 be very hard at 7S, after devoting fifty three years to the service of my coun- try"
 This passage of the speech provoked vdclent Interruptions and the president of the chamber formally cauflons1 ;he two sociallstic deputies who were par tcularly virulent.
 Calm in the Hour of Trial
 Signcir Crispi, after order was restored, said: 'I remain calm even In the f;ics of my adversaries' invectivesl I have q serene conscience and I shall die when my time comes with the name of Italy upon my lips But ask to be allowed bo pass my last years in quietude, but if Italy needs me shall always be ready to serve her, but do not have and never have had ambition for power"
 At the conclusion of his speech a num- Der of deputies gathered about him to congratulate him and to shake his hand.
 Causes of Charges
 Signor Crfspi, the most brilliant Ital- ian statesman since the days of Cavour, is called upon to face in his. extreme old age, not accusations of political crimes. but ordinary felonies. He has already been subjected to the humiliation of magisterial examination in connection with charges of complcity in the gigan- tic frauds that wrecked the Bank of Na- ples, the Bank of Rome, the Bank of Sf- ely and other kindred institutions. The Crispi cabinet was driven from office as the result of these scandals. In each cas- the insolvency of the bank appeared to have been brought about through the blackmailing exbort.ons to which 1t was subjected by, leading politicians and gov ernment officials of today. Much disor- der took place during the administration of Catspi and mot even his most rslent- less enemy has ever accused him of plundering the banks to add to his pri- valte resources. On.-the contrary, his countrymen for ,rth4 most part, accepted ; his assertion that the money extorted from these institutions was used by him for the secret service of the government and in electoral expenditure.
 Crispi's Wife a Plundercr
 The judicial officials who inquired into the circumstances attending the failure } of the ba nlsts discovered that one of the most yoracious plunderers was signora Crispi; the veteran satesman's wife. It was stated at the time that from one bank alone something like 10,000,0O0 francs (s2,O00, OOo) found fits way into hsr private bank accounts. and it was urged and is stin urged that Signor C1ispi, not being a rich man, must have known of his wife's predatory actions, as in no other way could she have ac- counted for the big sums of money she expanded upon her establishment while he was in power. Dt was said at the time that some of the influential friends of Signor Crispi at court undertook to explain the circumstances that led up to