The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-11-16

| Nicolo lived for several years after tina
time in Venice. but finally he was found
murdered. and there are many reasons fol
supposing that the crime was i~nstigateC
by Antonio Caiergi. who is evidently the
| prototype of Shakespeare's Iago.
BY PROFESSOR CESARE LEV.
After three centuries of doubt the myster,
! in regard TO Othello and Desdeinona la,
| been solved by means of valuable document:
which were found through mere chanc
among other papers in the archives OF al
| old patrician family.
The documents were cast aside as OF NJ
value at the sale OF the Grimar. Palace.
The palace is one of the most celebrated
buildings in Venice. and rightly so. sine
Raphael, Fra Giocondo and San Michele
the stars of the italian Renaissance. arr
said to have enriched it with the gifts OF
| their genius.
This is not the place to reproduce the i'm.
n,ense mass of documents which relate te
this story, but here, in brief. is the true &C.
count of the historical incident.
Nicolo Querini. a wealthy, handsome and
high-spirited man. but of q violent temper
had fallen IN love with Palma Querini
daughter of Elisabeth Caiiergi. who was
Pietro Querini's second wife. and had mar
ried her in t5S3.
wealthy grandfather came forward at the
wedding and furnished the necessary funds,
part of which he gave in cash.
As security for the payment of the bal
ance he assigned certain real estate. which
had been given to his daughter, Blizabetta.
as her dowry.
Palma was not the only child. for she had
a brother. Tommaso. who represented his
mother at the lawsuit which followed.
For some time after their wedlock hus-
band and wife loved each other tenderiy.
and there are letters from Palma to her
husband. who was TAR away from her at
the time, which are full of love. and IN
which she assures him Of her unwavsr1ns
loyalty.
subsequently,. however, Palma's quick
tempered husband. after spending some
time In Dalmatia, had returned to Can
dia in 1883. and had done gallant work
IN defending the island against Barbarossa,
became Jealous OF her. and then the trouble
between them began
In 1Sss. and perhaps in his absence. a son
was born to them, who was named Giovan-
nj. He survived them and inherited their
property In 1862
Did Palma betray her husband?
Was Nicolo's Jealousy unfounded?
To this latter question an Affirmative an
swer seems at first glance the only one pos
sible.
Some light on this point is thrown by a
letter written by one Of Palma's cousins.
named Carlo Querini.
He held some rank on that Same vessel,
the Zena, which was at one time COM
manded by Nlcolo Querini. to Palma's
mother. EisabettaCa lergi. in which he
begs her to i%nterpose and use her influence
on behalf of her daughter.
LAWSUIT BETWEEN
ELISABETTA AND HER COUSINS
What kind of a woman this Elisabetta
Calergi Querini was We might never have
known If there were not on record the pro-
ceedings In a very bitter lawsuit which was
carried on between this Elisabetta Calegi
Querini and her cousins Antonio and Maf1eo
Calergi. On the one part, and F1ordalise
Dandoio, nee Calergi-and Elisabetta's
kinswoman-o the other part
This Ffordalise. who was sister CT another
Maffeo Calergi, who, moreover. was cousin
to all three, charges An1rea. Etisabetta's
father and uncle of Antonio and Maffeo.
with having got rid Of his young son-in-law.
Elisa betta's first husband. and afro up
braids him for his arrogance and evil life
The homicide took place in 1a15. when Ellis
abetta was scarcely fifteen yearH old.
In reply to these charges Elisabeth and
her cousins say that Maffeo was a violent
and brutal man.
That he treated his wife as though she
were the vilest of women.
We see IN one of Antonio Calegrf's let