St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1909-02-26
THE KEY OF TEBALDO
Curious Messenger Of Death In.
vented by an Italian.
TRAGIC LEGEND OF VENICE.
Unique Weapon With Which the Man
Of Mystery and Murder Sought to
slsy His Way to the Hand Of the
Woman He Loved.

OF mystery ana murdeT oou9nt tt
sIay His Way TO the Hand Of tn,
Woman He Loved.
The chronicles of Venice tell that IN
the earlier part OF the seventeenth cen
tury n certain stranger. man of dark
and sinister aspect, arrived In the city
His name was Tebaldo. lie appears
TO have been n man Of unruly passions
of great intellectual power, but one
whose talents found their chief outlet
In crime.
One day he observed n beautiful girl
leaving church, attended In n manner
which showed she belonged TO family
OF high degree. She was. In fact, the
daughter Of an ancient and noble
house. lie fell violently In love with
her. Though far removed from him In
station, his blind passion took no count
of this fact, and he determined TO sue
for her hand
There proved TO be. however. a more
insupcrnblc obstacle TO his suit. The
girl was already bctrothcd TO another
young nOblcmnn OF almost equal
rank and fortune. The knowledge did
not deter Tebaldo, who boldly present.
cd himself before the girls parents In
the capacity of sultor for her hand.
AS might have been expected, he met
with curt and unccrcmonlous rebuff.
The rcpulse ranked In his mind En-.
ragged beyond measure. he shut himself
up In his own house and there secretly
studied n means OF revenge. PRO.
foundly skilled In the mechanical nrts.
he allowed himself no rest until he had
invented n most formidable aud death
dealing weapon. This was large key.
the handle of which was no construct.
cd that Il could be turned at VIII
When II was thus turned secret
spring was disclosed. which, on being
pressed. launched from the key head
fine needle or lancet. The latter was
OF such delicate construction that II
penetrated the body Of the victim and
buried itself deep In the flesh without
leaving any external trace
The marriage OF the bctrothcd cou.
pie was fixed TO take place In the prIn.
clpnl church IN Venice on certain
day. Before the ceremony Tcbnldo.
cunnlngly disguised. stationed himself
nt the church door armed with his dln.
bollcal weapon. As the bridegroom
was about 10 enter tho building the
concealed wntchcr pressed the spring
and sent the deadly steel lancet into
the brcnst OF his victim. The young
noblcman had no suspicion of injury
nc the moment. In the midst OF the
ceremony, however. he wns seized
with n sharp spnsm Of pain aud snnk |
fnlntlng on the steps OF the altar. lie |
was hurricdly conveyed 10 his homo. |
where the leading Venice physicians |
were summoned to attend him. In |
spite OF their unrcmltilng efforts he
sank aud died. nor were they able to |
discover the nature Of the mysterious
and fatal seizure.
With the removal Of his rival. Te- 1
baldo once more presented himself he
fore the girls parents aud renewed his
request for her hand Their refusal 20
listen 90 him sealed their doom. In
what manner b" accomplished II II not
known. but within few days both
had been done 10 death IN the same
The exalted rank ~ the victims ere
nted profound sensation. md when,
on examination Of the bodies. n ilne
steel instrument WIS found IN the
flesh terror became universal The cit.
ize-s feared for their liycs The ut,
most vigilance was exercised ON the
part OF the authorities but M yet no
suspicion fell upon Tobnldo.
The boreayed girl retired to n con
vent. where she passed the FIRST months
OF mourning IN sorrowful seclusion.
Tebaldo. however. sought her out IN
her retreat and begged TO speak 10 her
through the grating
Ills dark, evil face had always been
dlspleasing 90 her. hut since the death
OF her hctrothed and parents II had be
come repulsivc. when. therefore. IN
the course Of the interview he pressed
her To fly with him he met with nm I'm
siant and indignant refusal Her scorn
stung him 10 the quick, Reside him.
self with rage. he brought his deadly
weapon once more into play and sue
cooded IN wounding the girl through
the grating. the obscurity of the place
preventing his action from being oh
served
on her return 90 her room the girl
felt sharp pain In her breast, EXami
nation of the spot showed that II was
dotted with single drop of blood
Physicians We're hastily summoned.
Taught by past experience. they vast,
ed no time In vain conjecture. but cut
Into the flesh and extracted the slen,
der steel. thus saving the girls life.
The dastardly attempt occasloned a ,
public outcry. The visit Of Tebaldo 10 .
the convent became known ana caused
suspicion 70 turn upon him. The EN-,
issaries OF the law descended suddenly
upon him. his house was searched, aud
there the abominable inyention was /
discovered. Swift justice followed,
and no ended his days upon the scaf
fold.
The key is still preserved In the ar
senal at Nenice.-Chambers Journal.
Lovers Cuarreis.