Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-09
TRAGEDY IN The GYPSY FEAST
Glamour of Ancient Vendetta nlu-
mines Nomadic Marriage Altar.
KING HOLDS THE SACRED SECRET
Traditions of ROmany Wrapped Up
In Mysterious Gathering at Flor
ence for worship Mt the
shrine of Hymen.
KING HOLDS THE SACRED SECRET

The glamor and tragedy OF a vendetta
some centuries old is involved in the mar
riage, so guarded in it's secrecy, which
will become the contamination Of the gypsy
festival at Florence.
Two hundred OF the nomads are gathered
there in annual festival, where with the
fervor that bespeaks their care-free life
and old world e-motionalism, they make
gay the season OF matrimony. Doubly sig
nificant is the festival viewing IT as the
possible climax OF the feud which has so
long existed between rival clans. The
sacred traditions Of Romeny are wrapped
up In it's mystery.
For four days the gypsies nave been
~feasting at Florence. Happy with their
drinking and eating, even the tribal con-
v%entlons which they know are lax. In the
abandon that only those wastrel wanderers
may understand they make merry. And
why ot-bu the real reason is whispered
back and forth only between the old
heads Of the camp.
Old Scars Ever New.
Swarthy faced men in comic opera garb'
with dark eyes and fierce mustachios'
strangely suggestive Of the banditti Of the
Appennino, gather nightly in the tents
about the bubbling flagons to tell that old,
old story in the weird accents Of Wild and
unfamiliar tongue. The old scar now SO
near healing may be nearly so old as the
Rosetta stone, but still It is ever new.
There are still staunch hearts and long,
cold. keen knives. one word means peace,
another battle to the end, a continuation
of the century old strife.
This much Of the ~all-important wedding
of the festival is known: A stslwart young
gypsy from the Joe Adams clan Of the
southern states and a young woman sup
posedly entirely unknown, limited to have
come from the far orient, are to be mar
ried. No gypsy will tell what the sig
n~ificance of this wedding may be, and per
chance he doesn't know himself.
A mystery of two years past is rendered
the more deep by the sudden appearance
Of Nellie Marks, daughter Of o Marks,
now with the ~feasting tribes.
Two years ago this young woman van
ished from the home of her father, who
was then living in L~eavenworth.
Father Knows NO Bonds Now.
A message came from her some months
later through the little understood chan
nels of gypsy life, that she was held q
prisoner at a place near Seattle, The
father in his desperation threw aside triba,
obligations for the nonce and appealed tc
the police authorities. The officers got
little more than a trace of the girl. Then
she was lost. -Four days ago she appeared
at Florence. Her story has not been told
King Marcus Costillieo of the camp a
Florence holds the secret of the marriag,
In his power. When he decides that the
fete has gone far enough the betrothed pail
will appear and the ceremony will be per
formed.
Meanwhile the women are gathered IL
their tents, the men In another. The womei
make gay all day drinking wine. In tn,
mems tents 1t is the festival Of roast porl
and much beer. The chant OF gypsy SOM
rises above the murmur of the camp. TIL,
music of an orchestra leads the merriment
FraternaI strife within.
The camp is not all peace and serenity
King Costilleo is a much exercise,
monarch. Fights are but trivial perform
aRces. Sunday night bitter words spran.
from a discussion in the mems tent. TIL
rivals lined up and knives were drawn
The kings cries for quiet were UNDECIDED
He sought entrance to the tent and foun
every flap tied down.
1t was TO have been a fight to tn
death.
The hing retired to his tent and returne
with a heavy bore shotgun. With carefu
aim he laid low the tent with a shot int
the center pole. The crashing canya
startled and scattered the combatants.
The little nation encamped at Florenc
is as much apart from all the world q
though in the valleys OF Asia Minor. The
are one people and alone in their joys an
troubles.