The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-27
AN ITALIAN VALET, PRINCE.
Scandal in Roman FamiIy-A Title
bought.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Adventures like Cagliostro and Casano-
va can still make their way in Europe, as
Is shown by the strange story Of the
Prince Of Carovigno. who has been reject
ed five times from the Italian Chamber If
Deputies. The title is a genuine one, and
the Prince has legal right TO It, though
there is nothing princely in his birth or
his career, which he has recently made
pubic In a pamphlet. He is 81 years Of
age, a native of Trieste, where his pa
rents kept porter's lodge. and his name
Is Camille Ventura. He was trained for
a domestic servant and served several
Austrian and Italian noble families until
he became valet TO Count Kufstein, whose
naTue GlttGrs ss a mediatisel prince IN
the Almanach de Gotha. The Counts
wife, by birth a Princess Odescalchl. be-
longing to the highest Roman aristocracy,
with her name, too, in the Almanach de
Gotha. fell in love with the valet, who
was much younger than herself. and turn
ed over to him, while still blinded by her
passion. 100000 lire $500 000), of her pri-
yate fortune. When she came to her
senses she called in the Odescalchi family
TO help her get back her money. There
was a sensational lawsuit, which the fam
lily lost. and the Princess is now confined
under guard IN one of the Odescalchi es-
tates in the Abruzzi
With his late mistress money safe in
his possession young Ventura determined
to enjoy himself. He made up his mind
that he would like to be a prince, and
soon found an old and extremely poor
Neapoitan noble, the Prince of Carovig-
no, who agreed to adopt him as his son
in return for 10000 lire ($S, COO down. and a
pension of 300 lire $40 a month. The Nea-
poltan nobility was indignant and re-
monstrated with the old Prince, but he
stuck TO his bargain, saying he was starv-
ing and al 10 years of age could have
found no work but that of a street sweeps
err. for none of his class was likely TO
help him. The adoption entitled Ventura
to the rank of Prince Immediately, though
in Italy rank no longer gives any privi-
leges.
The new Prince then determined to en-
ter Parliament He presented himself as
a Socialist candidate to the electors of
Pietrasanta, on the Tuscany coast and
threw money about lavlshly. He was
elected, but the Chamber of Deputies
would not admit him, alleging that he
was under the legal age for representa-
tive, thirty years. He was returned a sec
ond time, and again rejected for the same
reason. At the third election he had at
tanned the statutory age, but the chamber
refused 10 accept him on the ground that
being born in Trieste. he was not an Ital-
IAN Naturalization papers were prepared
for him. while Pietrasanta elected him for
the fourth time, but the Odescalchi family
exerted its influence to prevent their is
suing. and for the fourth time he was re-
jected. An attempt TO prove that he had
bribed at the election failed, and the rea-
SON given was again that he was no Ital-
ian, an unpleasant argument for polit-
clans to employ who make capital of the
cry of italia irredeuta." After the fifth
election the government was able to prove
bribery, and the Prince of Carovigno was
condemned to fortnight's Imprisonment
and Ave years loss of electoral rights. on
which ground the chamber turned him
out for the fifth time
In spite of this he proposes to keep up
his candidacy, and counts on his Petra
santa electors backing him up until he
succeeds, as they are likely to If his mon
ey holds out.