The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-03
Strange Story Told by a New
Jersey S~t0nemason, Who
Says He Was Once an
italian Bandit.
BECAME I'LL AND CONFESSED.
Now lie Has Taken the Girl to
Italy and Is Conducting a
Fight for a Title and
Fortune.

4sSi L - =
New York, March 2.-This month-per
haps next ~week-there will come to trial II
Naples, Italy. q suit which shall determine
as a legal fact whether an Italian COUNTIES:
has been living in Union Hill. N. j., FOL
twenty years as the ~daughte OF an humble
but prosperous stonemaSon.
The stonemason. Michael Venturel, is ar
Italian who came to this country In 1851
He says he kidnapped the girl, who was the
orphan daughter of Count Alesandro Fflof
at Mirino del Mare, when she was not ye'
3 years old. at the order of her cousin,
Francesca Ambrasio. who paid MIN Sl,N
for the job. Ambrasio was next heir, after
the child, to the estate. valued at $l.VD0.oOo
and that was his motive for wishing pretty
little Almida out of the way.
Venturel kept the secret until recently,
when he was stricken with pneumonia and
thought he was going to die. He made a
confession. and upon his recovery went
back to Italy with his wife and Almida to
establish the young woman's claim to a
title and a fortune.
Union Hill is much surprised at the turn
affairs have taken. Almida is very pretty
too pretty, thought many, to be the daugh-
ter of a stonemason such as Venturel. But
she had been with them always. and what
did 1t matter?
Some time last fall a strange italian came
to see Michael Venturel in Union Hill. He
sought no employment. but was a guest of
Venturel for several weeks. 1t was noticed
that he paid marked Difference to the beau
tiful girl, and that he was in the close con-
fidence Of the Italian contractor. Then he
went away.
vENTUREL BECOMES ILL
AND MAKES A CONFESSION.
Toward the end of last November Ven
turel fell Ill of pneumonia. His doctor told
him he must die. and he sent for his Priest.
A messenger then FASTENED to New York
and rQtJ1rra6 with AChiUa I Oflhnf a ytpfa cd
Italian lawyer.
Write down what I am to say" deTand-
ed the sick man. that 1 may swear to it."
elaboration In Italian, Mr.. Oishel writing
the affidavit in English. the notary putting
it down In Italian. During his confession
he kept fast hold of the hand of the girl,
Almida.
I'm 1883" he began, II was captain Of a
company Of brigands in Italy. We lived in
the mountains back of Avelene. Sometimes
we stayed in the village. 1 was born there.
These were great days. and l lived a mans
Not far away. at Marine del Mare, there
lived a gentleman in a villa. 1t was a villa
the tourists used to seek. 1t was large and
beautiful. for the gentleman was Count
and Of much wealth D. since he e. was vast the head
Of the great chocolate company Of Naples.
The lady of the villa was the Countess
ant people. They had been married ten
years before there was a child 1T Marine
del Mare. Then a daughter was born to
them. 1t Is she who holds my hand. Write
that down without mistake.
when the child was 2 years old the
Count. her father. died of a fever. In six
months the child,s mother died. She loved
the Count too much Chevalier francesca
Ambrosio came then from Naples. He was
the brother Of the Countess. and we of
the brotherhood knew about him in Naples.
THE PLOT AND THE
THEFT OF THE BABY COUNTESS.
The little Countesss;na was a great heir
ess, and would be married when she could
come into early womanhood. Till then the
Chevalier was to be sole trustee at Marine
del Mare.
I'm 1883, then, I was the chief OF mountain
men. as all knew. We were no enemy to
the village. where the red wine was good:
so any one could find me. 1 lived in Ave- |
lene with my wife, Angela; but the saints
had taken our three children from us. To
me came the Chevalier when he had been
trustee Of the tiny Contessina only six
He told me frankly what he wanted,
since 1t was in line with my business. This :
child he said. SIS a great trouble to me. The
fs all mine. but the child must
burden me until she Is married. I must stay
at Marine del Mare. when Naples is the
place for me. So that I will pay 5000 lire
to the man who rids me Of this burden.
You are the captain of men who will do
this for me-