Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-05-26
The Taking Of the Castle
a Historical Tale Of Lake Como
BY LOUISE b. CUMMINGS.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
BY LOUISE b. QUINN

towering some 500 feet above the wa
ter. is rock on the summit of which
Is the ruin OF the Castle OF Musso In
the early part OF the sixteenth cen
fury young man named Clan Gla.
como Medici, afterward called "the
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 price for assassinating AS
TORE Visconti 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 sealed letter to the com
mandant. Becoming suspicious of the
contents Of the letter. he opened IL
and found that it contained an order
TO arrest the bearer and put him to
death secretly. Giacomo DESTROYED the
letter and as soon as he had taken pos
session OF the fortress paid the men
VINO were there 10 go away and re-
placed them by his own adherents.
The new possessor OF Musso made IL
impregnable, mounting cannon on its
battlcments that commanded he lake.
He established custom house" and
Kept his revenue officers busy inter
cSptlnS vessels and levying dues upon
their cargOcs. In this way he pros
percd. and his power enabled him to
appropriate much of the neighboring
territory.
The Emperor Charles V. Of Spain
then had foothold in northern Italy,
and his representative in that region,
Nillaterelo. thought that he should pos
sess himself Of Musso for his imperial
master. thus ending the MedicPs pira-
cies. Nillaterelo had in prison man
named Sardo. whom he determined to
utilize in this work. He told Sardo
that If he would so TO the Medici as a
spy and concoct n plan by which the
fortress of Musso might be delivered
into the Spanish hands he should re-
ceive n free pardon from the emperor.
Sardo accepted the mission and de-
parted Tor its accomplishment. In due
tlme he returned with the information
that ON certain day the Medici
would leave Musso for Bormio in or
ger to take the famous baths there A
Few soldiers only would remain in the
fortress, and these, Sardo said. he had
DrlDed to open the gates to the Span
iards.
Nlllaterelo and his spy then COM
pleted plan supplementary to what
had already been accomplished. Boats
hIied with armed men were to be
rowed under cover of the darkness to
the foot of the rock on which Musso
stood. The force was to climb 10 the
fortress, and when it was in their pos
session cannon was to be fired as a
signal to that effe CT. a sailing vessel
following the exp edition was then to
return to Villaterelo with the news.
On the appointed night, It having
been ascertained that the Medici had
really left Musso, the little fleet start
ed from the town of Lecco, on an arm
or Lake Como, called Lake Lecco, un-
der command Of Villaterelo's brother.
On reaching MuSso they debarked and
began the ascent. Approaching the
summit. they 7.ave preconcerted sig
mai and, moving over n narrow pass.
were one by one admitted within the
gates.
On the bos ON Of the lake below the
commander Of the dispatch ship lis
tened Tor tn sound of the signal gun
mat was t. announce the capture.
suddenly a boom from above broke
upon the st. i night air. On the wings
OF the winCl the little ship sailed south.
Ward TO l. ec'o, where Vinaterelo was
leVerishly awaiting the result Of the
expedition. 4 S soon as the welcome
news was communicated 10 him he set
sail hin self to take possession Of his
newly acquired fortress.
Let MS take up the thread Of the
story with the ,fedicis part in it. ON
the day he was to have gone TO Bormio
ne ostentatiously left his stronghold
With a large Pre- portion OF his men
and quantity Of baggage as if for
long Journey. BIT he had not gone
far before he RET armed by an uufre.
quented path and Te-entcred bis castle
doubtless through n subterrauean pas.
sage hcwn I'm the rock under the noun.
toin q portion ~ which is still dis
cernible. When the first Of VilMfe-
reio's soldiers merged from the mar
row passage VIII icl led TO The gateway
and stood within the battlements ne
was silently diyp atched The next
man then entered and met the same
fate. Thus the vi lole Of the invading
force was Killed no man knowing
what had bappeI, ID to the one who
mad gone before i'm. When the last
man bad been XII led the Medici him
self Cred the sign a gun.
Meanwhile the possessor Of Mueso
had caused the J axe to be guarded by
boats with ch iins swung between
them under wat o.. Vyith the intention
Of cutting or y Inatcrclo's Gect Bu
The Suauiar1 "a not reached This