Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-22
AN EVIL EYE
ITALIAN DEPUTY
Reported Bad Optic Blights Ca
reer Of Talented and Am
bilious Politician.
SUPERSTITION THAT STICKS"
Constituents Continue to I,e-elcct Him
simply Because They Fear His
"Balcful" Glance.
Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence,
~ ONE Dec. 12.--Superstltlon has
- blighted the career Of a promising
IN Italian deputy IN Rome. Count
Morizl. He is a talented man. am
bilious of political distinction. and a
good speaker. But because no Is reput-
ed 10 possess the "evil eye he can
make no progress. In no other civilized
country could a man Of the counts
prominence and callber be made the
victim of such absurd folly, But In
italy superstition is rampant, and edu-
cation seems powerless TO diminish II.
All classes are more or less Infected
with It. II Is IN the italian blood.
OF all popular superstitions, that
most ridiculous Of all--the evil eye--is
most widely believed in. Even cultl-
waited people while dlsclaiming any
faith IN 1t, usually fight shy Of those
who are supposed to be afflicted with
the fatal gift. The person possessing
II is credited with being thereby pro-
tected from injury himself. but en-
dowed with baleful power OF INJECTING
injury on others, which he may exercise
Willingly or unwlttingly, Therefore,
he Is a man to be summed.
FEELS 1T KEENLY.
A man like Count Moriz. who courts
popularity feels this treatment most
keenly. 1t Is his indomitable spirit that
makes him keep up the hopeless fight
against his sinister reputation. 1t II
said that his constituents continue to
re-elect him merely because they fear
that II they voted for any other candi-
date they would fall under the spell OF
his evil eye. But 1t helps him nothing
| to be returned to parliament again
| and again. III he gets up to speak In
| the chamber the house at once emp
| ties, II he advocates certain measure
| Il Invariably fails, because his sup
| port 10 considered good reason for
| leaving II alone. When he enters the
| chamber his political enemies at oncs
| cry IN his hearing, BE careful, be
careful" and when he leaves he is
| given plenty OF elbow room. On one
| historic occasion he went to shake
| hands with the then premier. Gen.
| Pellox, and the next day the cabinet
| fell! Could proof go further?
MANY QUEER STORIES.
Many are the queer stories told OF
| this victim of popular superstition and
| his victims" Once he stood up to
speak, and in the fervor of his elo-
quence happened to point in the dlrec-
ton of one OF the ministers sitting be-
| low the platform OF the president OF
| the chamber. The president at that
| moment moved his hand, an inkstand
was overturned, inundating the head
| and shoulders Of the unfortunate min
lister. Was 1t the presidents fault?
| Not at ALI 1t was Deputy Morixis,
Had he not pointed at the minister?
| The president was merely the vehicle
| of the evil eye! Another time Count
Morizi stumbled going up the stairs
| at the chamber, and clutched hold OF
| the nearest object, which proved to be
! journalist, who on leaving the build
| ing was run over by cab.
! The deputy is married to a fascinat-
, ing foreign lady, who finds that all
though he makes charming husband
| his unfortunate reputation Is some
! what OF drawback 10 social pleas
/ ures. If they are asked to dinner. by
some one who likes them and thinks
the evil eve ridiculous calumny and
II leake out, their would-be hostess IN
overwhelmed with regrets" from the
: others invited. And thus 1t comes
/ about that they are left very much to
themselves.
ALSO HAS FATAL DEFECT.
| Another person In Rome, more IA
nous than the deputy. IL also popularity
credited with this fatal defect. fTc is a
well-known archaeologist. who has an
American wife. and although he is not
Z actually tabooed by society, he Is far
too well liked for that, things are
apt to happen when he Is about.
Other people VIII be injured
and he will escape others will lose, say
nj bridge and he will gain. Hotel SIT
tlng-rooms empty In the most myster-
ious way when he enters, while his
dining table Is left severely alone.
A well-known American novelist on
1 Roman subjects, who has lived the best
| part Of his life here and who has a
| villa at sorrento, gave his opinion on the
! subject OF the evil eye and on the ar
| chaeologlst and his reputation to some
one who published II in an American
| magazine. This came under the archaic
| oligist's eye who taxed the novelist and
| insisted that he should write a denial
| and force the editor Of the magazine To
| publish IT, The novelist, put In a cor
| ner because II seems that he really did
| say what was published, had great diff
| flculty In pacifying the archaeologist
| but In the end persuaded him that the
| denial would arrive on the scenes so
| late that everyone would have forgot
| ten the incident, and Il would only
| serve to revive the GOSSIP One Won
| ders II IN novelist. who is said TO have
| a half-belief in the evil eye, has suffered
| Ia any way from this little episode.
WHAT EVIL EYE MEANS.
| For an idea Of what IN reputation OF
| having the evil eye means socially In
| Rome one should read Marion Craw-
| ford's "Pietro Chlsleri," which. how
| ever IS only a faint reflection Of the re-
! 'litv. So Intangible thing Il really q
| great danger In q society which be-
| levos I'm H. II you have an enemy what
more subtle revenge can you take than
To spread the report that he or she mas
the evil eyer Events viii probably
sooner or later play into your hands
The caiumny Is reached aud the mis-
I chief done The charm employed
agninst this malignant glft II TO point
the FIRST and little fingers Che Devils
horns) at the person supposed to be
exercising It. or TO touch wood A hand
thus held cut In coral or ivory is the
most common charm" 10 be bought
In ITALY and especially In Naples.
Most superstltlons IN Italy are assoc
ciatef With religion. II house IL
haunted Il Is usually said 10 be by a
priest or monk IL q child or woman has
a vieion II IS Invariably NJ the Madonna
|