Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-23

MURDER OF BAILlFF BY PRINCESS AVALOS.
murder of a young captain of artillery
of plebeian birth named Leone. who had
had tn. audacity to fall in love with their
only sister.
They had invited the young officer in
the most pressing and friendly manner
to dine with them, and after he had bro
ken bread with them they took his life
by stabbing him in the back as he was
about to leave their Villa Rosa palace at
Palermo.
When the case was brought to trial, it
was discovered that the two dukes. mem-
bers of the leading clubs of the Sicilian
capital, were not only members of the
Malta society, but the ringleaders of a
gang of titled and lowborn blackmailers
and bandits who for years had been
preying on members of Italian society
and on foreign tourists.
Owing to the power OF the Malta and
the prestige. possessed by the dukes, it
was found impossible to secure their
conviction at Palermo, and it was not
until the venue of the case was transfer
red to Rome that verdict Of guilty
could be obtained.
In the Maddalena, too, is confined the
Duke of Caracciola, who is working out
a sentence of ten years hard labor for
the murder of his wife: The iattef was
a famous beauty and the greatest heiress
in southern Italy and bore the name of
Princess Regina Avalos.
Orphaned at an early age. Regina was
brought up by her aunt, woman of in
credible violence of temper, who. in the
presence of the young giN, shot down
and killed one OIL her farm bailiffs who
had been guilty of some insolence.
Regina was atfianced to lieutenant of
the navy, a brother of this aunt's hus-
band. On the morning Of the wedding
day the bridegroom was found in his
apartments with his brains blown out
No explanation Of this tragedy was ever
vouchsafe3. Shortly afterward the prin-
cess married the Neapolitan Duke of Ca
racciola, but the union was an unhappy
one. Hence when one day the duchess
was poisoned, leaving a will in which
she bequeathed her immense fortune to
the husband whom she loathed, suspicion
was aroused against him, especially on
the discovery that the drug which had
caused her death had been purchased by
him. Tried on a charge of murder, he
was convicted and sentenced to ten
years imprisonment.
Among the convicts doing time in the
great German penitentiary at Elberfeld
is Count Schleinitz. son of the statesman
who for well nigh 20 years held the Of
flee of minister of the royal and imperial
house to old Emperor William.
The young count himself was formerly
a member of the personal staff of the
late emperor, whom he served successive
ly as page of honor, rs equerry and as
chamberlain. About three years ago a
newspaper published in Berlin called The
Independent was seized by the police and
its editor thrown into Jail for biacsnail
of the most fragrant kind. During the jul
Gicial investigation it was shown that the
confederate of the editor was Count
SchleinftZ, who communicated to the for
mer the secrets of his relatives and
friends for the purpose of placing them
in position to be blackmailed The mon
ey thus extorted was divided equally be-
tween the editor of The independent and
the count.
Arrested in London on an eXtradition
warrant, Schleinitz was brought back to
Berlin. degraded from his military rank
and condemned to long term Of impris-
onment at hard labor.