The Washington bee., 1910-10-08
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
sIay His Way to the Hand of the
Woman He Loved.

tne earlier part Of the seventeenth cen
tury a certain stranger, a man Of dark
and sinister aspect, arrived in the city.
His name was Tebaldo. He appears
to have been a man of unruly passions,
Of great Intellectual power, but one
whose talents found their chief outlet
In crime.
One day he observed beautiful girl
leaving church, attended in a manner
which showed she belonged to a family
Of high degree. She was, IN fact, the
daughter Of an ancient and noble
house. He 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
insuperable obstacle to his suit. The
girl was already betrothed to another,
a young nobleman Of almost equal
rank and fortune. The knowledge did
not deter TebaldO, who boldly present
ed himself before the girls parents in
the capacity of a suitOr for her hand
with curt and unceremonious rebuff.
The repulse ranked In his mind. En-
ragged beyond measure, he shut himself
up in his own house and there secretly
studied a means Of revenge. Pro-
foundly skilled in the mechanical arts,
he allowed himself no rest until he had
invented a most formidable and death
dealing weapon. This was a large key,
, the handle of which was so construct
ed that it could be turned at viii.
When it was thus turned a 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 it
penetrated the body Of the victim and
buried itself deep in the flesh without
leaving any external trace.
The marriage of the betrothed cou-
pie was fixed to take place In the prin-
! cipal church In Venice on a certain
day. Before the ceremony Tebaldo,
cunningly disguised, stationed himself
at the church door armed with his dia-
bolical weapon. As the bridegroom
was about to enter the building the
concealed watcher pressed the spring
and sent the deadly steel lancet into
the breast Of his victim. The young
nobleman had no suspicion of injury
at the moment. In the midst Of the
ceremony, however, he was seized
with a sharp spasm Of pain and sank
fainting on the steps Of the altar. He
was hurriedly conveyed TO bis home,
where the leading Venice physicians
were summoned to attend him. In
spite Of their unremitting efforts he
sank and died, nor were they able to
discover the nature of the mysterious
and fatal seizure.
With the removal Of his rival, Te-
baldo once more presented himself be
fore the girls parents and renewed his
request for her hand Their refusal to
listen to him sealed their doom. In
what manner he accomplished 1t is not
known, but within a few days both
had been done to death in the same
sudden and mysterious fashion.
The exalted rank Of the victims Gre
ated a profound sensation, and when,
on examination Of the bodies. a fine
steel instrument was found in the
flesh terror became universal. The cit
lzens feared for their lives. The ut
most vigilance was exercised on the
part Of the authorities, but as yet no
suspicion fell upon TebaldO.
The bereaved girl retired to a 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 to her
through the grating.
His dark, evil face had always been
dispIeasing to her, but since the death
Of her betrothed and parents it had be-
come repuIsive When, therefore, in
the course Of the interview he pressed
her to fly with him he met with an in
stant and indignant refusal. Her scorn
stung him to the quick. Beside him
self with rage, he brought his deadly
weapon once more into play and sue
ceeded in wounding the girl through
the grating, the ObscuTity Of the place
preventing his action from being OBJ
served.
On her return to her room the girl
felt sharp pain in her breast Exami-
nation of the spot showed that it was
dotted with a single drop Of blood.
Physicians were 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 occasioned
public outcry. The visit Of Tebaldo to
the convent became known and caused
suspicion to turn upon him. The en-
! Issaries of the law descended suddenly
upon him, his house was searched, and
there the abominable invention was
discovered Swift justice followed,
and he ended his days upon the scat
fold.
The key is stin preserved in the ar
senal at Venice.-Chambers Journal