The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-04-08

On Lake Como, In northern Italy,
towering some 500 feet above the wa
ter, is a rock on the summit Of which
Is the ruin OF the Castle OF Masso In
the early part Of the sixteenth CEN
fury young man named Clan Cha
como Medici. afterwRrd called 'sthe
Medici'' became ambitious to possess
this fortress. At sixteen he had com
mitted murder, and when later he
was offered the stronghold on Lake
Como as q price for demonstrating AS
forre Yisccnti be readily consented.
Meanwhile the duke. having become
himself afraid Of the Medici, laid
plan for putting him. too, out OF his
way. He gave him the Official docu-
ments comforting upon him the rock
on Lake Como and sent him to take
possession. He was also made the
bearer OF a sealed letter to the com
mandant. Becoming suspicious Of the
contents OF the letter, be opened It
and found that II contained an order
70 arrest the bearer and put him to
death secretly. Giacomo destroy "a the
letter and as soon SIS he had taken pos
session Of the fortress paid the men
who were there TO 20 away and re
placed them by his own adherents
The new possessor Of Musso made It
impregnable. mounting cannon on its
battIements that commanded the lake
He established d custom house, and
kept bis revenue officers busy inter
eepting vessels and Ievying dues upon
their cargoes IN this way he pros
pered, and bis power enabled him to
appropriate much Of the neighboring
Verritory.
The Emperor Charles v. Of Spain
then had a foothold in northern italy.
and his representative in that region.
viIlaterelo. thought that he should pos
seas himself OF Musso for his imperial
master, thus ending the Medici's pira-
cies vfllaterelo had IN prison 4 man
named sardo, whom he determined to
utilize In this work He told sardo
that If he would 20 to the Mediei as a
spy and concoet a plan by which the
fortress Of Musso might be delivered
into the Spanish hands be should re-
celve o free pardon from the emperor.
Sardo accepted the mission and de-
parted for its accomplishment. IN due
time he returned with the information
that on certain day the Madici
would leave Musso for Bormio III or
der TO take the famous baths there. A
few soldiers only would remain In the
fortress, and these, sardo said, be had
bribed to open the gates to the Span
iards
Villatarelo and his spy then com
pleted plan supplementary to what
had already been accomplished Boats
filled with armed men were to be
rowed under cover OF the darkness 70
the foot Of the rock on which Musso
stood. The force was TO climb to the
fortress. and when 1t was in their pos
session cannon was to be fired as a
eignal TO that effect A sailing vessel
Following the expedition was then to
return to villaterelo with the news
On the appointed night, II having
been ascortatned that the Mediei had
Eeally left susso. the little feet start
I'd from the town of Lecco. on an arm
OF Lake Como, called Lake Lecco, IN
der command Of Villaterelo's brother
On reaching Musso they debarIEed ana
began the ascent. Approaching THE
summit. they gave a preconcerted ig-
nal and, moving over a narrow PASS
were one by one admitted within the
gates
On the bosom Of the lake below the
Of the dispatch ship lis
tened for the sound Of the signal gun
that was to announce the capture.