The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-23
ghe ghis uiu Eaa Tuesday ornn, 7eten.ber %, 1902

.a
Pope won his fame as mai ksman, and
that its possession meant mucn 20 him
IN those days OF poverty is indicated by
1t. Freely translated it reads:
Dear Brother Tiffany friend, Pre-
late Lcaghay offers to let me have his
gun cheap. for nine scudi; he paid six
teen for it. L don't want to write to
father about it. Think of some means to
obtain the money for me- This is an
opportunity which comes only once in a
lifetime. Your loving brother, NINO.''
In a gathering of leading citizens who
had known the Pope. one who was over
40. told the story that his mother had
told him.
My family used to be serfs of the Pee
cis," he said, and one day my mother
brought the tax, consisting OF cream and
cheese. Nino, as the Holy Father was al
ways called as child, was so anxious
TO have taste of the cream that he
fell in his mad haste. When my mother
picked him UP she addressed him with a
phrase much heard in Carpineto
Anything else wanted, brother?'
y mere brother in my own cloisterr
cried Nfno.
Cardinal, said my mother, ironically.
i want to be Pope cried Nino. stamp
ing his feet"
Only once was the Holy Father ever
beaten. That was when he was twelve
years old. He and his brother, who was
year older, We're so much excited when
their mother, the Countess Anna, was
pursued to her very door by brigands that
ya-1f o~sA e
the robbers. In those days the banditti
we're picturesque-looking creatures, wear
ing velvet coats and trousers. with silver
buttons, red shirts and head handker-
chiefs, and carrying many knives and
pistols. Their father rescued the young
sters just in time, and then he thrashed
them with much vigor
To this day there is nothing the Holy
Father loves better than to recall his
youth in Carpineto. Notwithstanding the
ysars that have passed since he was in
Lis native village. he keeps close track
OF everything that goes on there. Not
long since the rector of ST. Johns church,
in Carpiueto, took to Rome members
Father might bless them in passing. They
"Nit cOs anu SIlS just Leu
stood still before the group and, calling
up one after another he said: Are you
not old Peppo's son or grandson? And
you; are you not Sabina's daughter? And
you must belong TO the Nagnis." He went
on naming the family of each, recognizing
the traits and characteristics and he
made not single mistake.
The Pecci palace in Carpineto is now
occupied by Count Ludovico, the Holy
Fathers unworthy nephew as he de-
scribes himself. He is a man of middle
age and he has the Pecci features He
opened the door himself before 1 had
time to see the knocker on the bronze
Icrtals which show the heraldic star and
the tall cypress tree of the Pope's coat-of-
arms. He introduced himself and added
Mgr. Adami advised mo of your COM
ing, and l shall be glad to give you
every assistance. Never before was a
newspaper correspondent in Carpineto for
the purpose of telling the world of the
cradle OF Pope Leo Kill
n servant in livery took me to the up
per chamber a room hung in yellow silk,
with furniture of rare gilded wood. A
marble slab, set into the wall, attracted
my attention. because of the inscription,
which may be translated thus: