The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-06

the well-known sportsman. Olivetti. sus-
tanned on the spot so serious an injury
that it had to be killed at once. Small
wonder. then, that people, when they
meet this dark-oearded, dark-eyed noble
man on the Pincio, in the gardens Of the
Villa Borghese, or even at the state balls
of the Quirinal, point their fore and little
fingers at him, either openly or covertly,
while splitting thrice on the ground, In the
hope of averting the baneful effect of his
eye.
Nor need it be imagined that this belief
is confined to Italy II prevails In
France, Spain and even In such Northern
countries as Great Britain and Scandina-
via. In Great Britain. for instance, there
is an ilustrious parsonage who is credited
with the possession of the evil eye in con-
sequence of the misfortunes of one kind
and another that seem 10 overtalxe all
those belonging to what Is known al his
circle" having escaped financial or social
ruin, or else domestic misfortune Offen-
bach, the celebrated composer was re-
moved from one end of Europe to The
other as tettatore and so was the late
Pope Plus TX, the annual requiem services
IN honor OF whose death are stunned by
Roman prelates and patriarchs alike. ow-
ing 20 the fact that they are almost In
Varlably followed by either death or some
great misfortune overtaking at least one
and sometimes more, OF the dignitaries
who have been in attendance at the cere-
mony
Equally extravagant in American eyes
must appear the superstition which pre-
walls in all parts OF Europe with regard
10 the existence of animals possessed OF
supernatural powers. or. perhaps 1t would
De more correct to say of human beings
possessed OF bestial forms and attributes
IL rs TO the existence of this superstition
alone that must be ascribed the astounding
Immunity from detection and arrest of the
french homicidal maniac, Vacher who Is
known 10 have committed no less than
forty-siX murders during the last few
years under the most atrocious cIrcur,,
stances, and who boasts of having killed
at least three times as many more men
women and children. The peasantry made
no EFFORT TO run him to earth or to dis
cover his identity. Neither did the rural
authorities. They were perfectly content
to attribute the deaths of his victims 10
either the vampire or 10 the werewolf.
whose anger they were afraid to incur by
making any effort to hunt him down. YAM
pres are popularity believed to be the souls
OF the dead, which quit the buried body
by night to suck the blood OF living per-
sons, and il VIII be found as a rule. that
vampires are supposed to spring from the
bodies OF those who, during their life, have
borne the reputation OF possessing the evil
eye. But anyone may become a vampire
after death If an animal, especially q cat
leaps over MS corps2.
The origin of this belief as we'll az that
IN the existence of the werewolf. is un-
doubtedly due to the fact that there have
been In the past and are still to-day. I'M
fortunate creatures whose insanity takes
the form OF cannibalism and whose aff1ic-
ton Is known by the name Of Iycanthropv
The criminal records of the sixteenth. sew
enteenth and eighteenth centuries in Eu-
rope contain numerous cases of men and
women who have been put to death. gem
orally by fire, for lycanthropy or wolf
Madness which has usually led them to
deeoy women and children, that is to say.
human beings unable to defend them
selves with any vigor, into woods lone
houses or deserted spots, where they would
tear their victims to pieces with their teeth
and nails, devouring their flesh Even as
late as In 1919 an aged man Of the name of
Swiatek, i'm the little village of Polomyta
In Austrian Poland was arrested on a
charge OF lycanthropy, and convicted of
having eaten no less than eighteen women
and children. He anticipated the ven
geance of the law by hanging himself in
prison.
or course, nowadays, when such elab
crate measures have been devised for the
placing under restraint of persons az
flicted with various forms of insanity In
stead OF allowing them TO roam about the
country as formerly. there are far fewer
instances of wolf madness, or of any of
the crimes pertaining thereto But when
once superstition takes root IN the minds
OF the people IL Is almost impossible 10 re-
move It, by means either of religion or of
logical reasoning. And thus 1t IL easy
to understand how the old belief in the
existence OF the vampire and of the were
wolf should have survived to the present
day, and should cause the more or less
ignorant OF narrow-minded population OF
the rural districts to shield rather than
to hunt down the perpetrator of such sp-
palling crimes as those of the French
homicidal maniac Vacher. This will serve
20 explain to Americans who have no idea
OF the existence OF such extraordinary
medieval superstitions, the peculiar cir
cumstances which influence both the DO
htical affairs and the administration of
justice In the Old World.