The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-11
THIRD DEGREE" In ITALY
MEANS Used TO GET A PRISONER
TO CONFESS.
ThVec Government OmcisIs Charged with
s~ubOrnation NJ BcrJury IN the Case of
Four Anarchists the Police waited 20
suppress-Torturc Of Q Life Prisoner.

" hJhiy OUS evening zen yehTb X dH hC
was driving back from the races at the
~Capannelle. The King. who Escaped I'M
scathed. calmly turned TO his aide-de-camp
and remarked: This is one Of the risks OF
my trade" and drove on. The anarchist
was bounced upon by the police and carried
to prison.
On the same day many anarchists were
arrested. as the police had the conviction
that the attempt was the result Of a plot,
but all we're subsequently freed and Ac-
ciarito was sentenced to imprisonment for
life with ten years solitary confinement.
which meant that during the first period
Of imprisonment 10 should be fed on bread
and water In such quantity only M would
be sufficient barely to keep him alive. that
he should be confined in a bare room six
feet square with a small window which
let in air but not light. that he should not
be allowed TO talk even with his ~jailers,
that he should not read or write or walk
except for an hour each day in a long.
covered corridor.
When the trial was over every one sup
posed that the man himself m his crime
would be buried forever in the prison of
Santo Stefano. Then one fine day about a
year after Acciarito's trial Alessandro DORA.
Inspector-Ge General Of Prisons. a very active
and jealous Official. made a discovery.
Acting under instructions from Giuseppe
Csneveili, Director-G General Of Prisons, and
with the cooperation Of Alfredo Angelelli,
Governor Of Santo Stefano prison, it was
reported that he had persuaded Acciarito
to give the names Of his accomplices. These
were Immediately arrested, five Of them,
all anarchists-Ceccarelli Diotallevi. Gudini,
Colabona and Trenta. The last managed
to escape and vent abroad.
The original trial was reopened. In June.
1890, Aociarito and his aocomplices we're
brought before the Assize Courts of Rome
and Acciarito gave evidence. He said that
he was q victim and a martyr. that his COM
panions had i~nstigated and helped him to
COMMIT the crime, and hat instead OF
screening hin and covering his escape
after he had committed it ,hey had left
him to shift for himself.
The fou men protested loudly that they
were innocent and that Acciarito was lying.
There was great confusion. The -four new
prisoners, mad with anger. hurled insults
at Acciarito. who in turn attempted to as
sault them. The lawyers for the defence
added to the uproar by upbraiding the
Judges and jury. The public. ~sympathiz-
ing with the four a~ccomplices. tried to set
them free by force. and troops had to be
called in to keep order.
Subsequently counsel for the defence
e~ndeavored to prove the innocence Of their
clients. They asked the Court to hear
new evidence tending to show that some
Of the prisoners were out Of Rome at the
time OF the crime; they requested that Ac-
ciarito should be medically examined to
ascertain whether he was insane. and they
attempted to convince the jury that Ao-
ciarito's accusations were a calumny, but
all to no avail. The Court rejected all
side issues and ruled hat the trial should
be continued.
Then the lawyers left the court and aban-
doned the defence. The Court punished
them for contempt and appointed other
lawyers to defend the prisoners.
The same procedure was repeated over
of the case was suspended and the trial
was put on. A year passed and another
trial, the third one, was held. not in Rome
this time. but at Teramo, a small city in
central Italy, where anarchists are sup
posed to be unknown This trial was very
short. Acciarito clamly said that he re-
tracted every word Of the accusations he
had made a year before at Rome and he
Affirmed that the four anarchists were in
nocent, that he alone was TO blame, and
he ended by bursting into tears.
Aocisrito during the year had changed
considerably. He had grown thinner, his
face was very pale and his eyes red and
swollen a. one who had went a great deal.
He appeared bowed down as with a great
sorrow. The mute desperation Of the first
trial and the fierce struggle for liberty and
deep thirst for vengeance OF the second
lac both disappeared. He seemed indifer-
ent to his surroundings and o~verpowered
with . great grief.
as King Humbert had in the meantime fallen
a victim TO an anarchists weapon at Monza.
Acciarito was expiating his crime and the
solitary confinement in the prison Of Santo
Stefano had begun to tell on him, people
said, and that was all. His alleged accom-
plices were set free and he was sent back
Still, there were people who wondered
why 30 great a change had taken place in
Aociarito. Gradually, bit by bit. the story !
leaked out, and the reason of the change
became known, until to-day Acciarito, the
anarchist, is the object of much sympathy. !
The story recalls the time of the Inquisition,
though not the rack but other means were
employed to get him to confess.
Acciarito, IL seems, was in love with a
girl, Pasqua venaruba, with whom he
lived. At one time he worked as a black
smith and lived q quiet, honest life. Work
not plentiful and the couple often
suffered hunger.
him, heard how laborers suffered on account
OF the Government Of the King, and how they
continue to suffer until both were
He thought long on what he
heard he developed hatred for the rich and
powerful, he gradually became an anarchist
and acted at once, not for the cause, but TO
better his condition. This much the police
found cut, probably from Pasqua y~enaruba,
who in tears told The life story Of her lover
In the hope OF saving him. (
When Acciarito was first convicted he
what was in store for him, but as
sumed all the responsibility and all the
consequences OF the crime and went to
prison Wit head erect, although he turned
once TO smile and exchange a mute farewell
the woman he loved. As soon as he
reached Santo Stefano, contrary to ex-
pectations. he was greeted kindly by the
Governor, Angelelli. who talked with him
and told him that ne was prepared 10 plead
for bis pardon provided he would give the
names of his a~ocomplices.
Acciarito said that he committed the
crime alone and had no acoomplioes. but
Angelelli suggested that he should think
well and that he would surely remember
their names. The prisoner then began his
solitary confinement.
The Governor continued to be kind to him
and TO help him to remember. He allowed
him a special diet, even fruit, biscuits and
IL Ia saio; he gave him writing ma
terials, and for coinpanionship he placed in