The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-05
Noted Swiss Guards to be Re-
formed Under New Order
From the Pope
800 SOLDIERS STILL
MAINTAINED By PONTIFF
Present Military Detail Was
Organized More Than
90 100 Years Ago

Of 4 series Of Incidents. the most 70
cent OF which was the mutiny OF the
swiss Guards, the Vatican authorities
are taking steps to reform the TN!
but historic army under their controi
Although consisting Of less than SoV
men. the armed forces OF the Ho.J
sCe comprise Ave different corps
They are the Noble GUARDS. Swbf
Guards, Paintine Guards, Gendarmes
and Fi.emen. or as they are called
Guards OF the Fire.
The most important OF these II the
Noble Guards. Constituted as II II
today. this organisation dates back
to n little over one hundred years
The edecessors OF the Noble Guard
however. first came into existence In
1854, having been organized al q
papal guard In the time OF Innocent
viii. They were, however, dts0andeo
In 1898 when Plus vi. was carried on
10 France. whence he never returned
In 1901 an agitation was started Ia
Rome among the aristocracy again TO
form a bodyguard for the pontin, ana
an address was sent to Plus VIII
Offering their services graslitousiy.
To this Plus replied BY message from
his secretary-of-state, dated May IL
1901, which may be called their act
OF foundation, and which provided
that the corps consist OF 80 indivic'
uals. men and officers Now they are
reduced to about so, and their COM
mand, which was hereditary In the
Barberini and Altieri families, has
lately passed TO the Rospigliosi. the
present commander being Prince
Camille. The American connections
OF this family are notable, Prince
Camille having two sons, both Oh
whom married American girls. The
wife of one was MISS Ethel julia
Bronson. OF New York. while the 9th
er made Miss Mildred Haseltine his
wife.
The Rospigliosi are very proud OF
having had the commandership or
the Noble Guard conferred upon
them, as thereby they take rank with
the Ave other houses which holo
hereditary positions at the papai
court. These are the two princes
assistants OF the papal throne. namely
! the heads OF the Orsini and Colonna
families. deadly rivals in the middle
ages: the master OF the sacred
hospice, who is the head OF the Rus
poll family; the standard bearer OF
the holy church, the head OF the
Patrizi- and the marshal OF
the tonclave, the head Of the Chigi.
To that warrior-pope Of the Della
Revere house, Julius H., who threw
the keys OF st. Peter into the Tiber.
saying that he had more need OF the
sword Of st. Paul." who built the
castle OF Ostia and fortified the mon
aatery OF Grottaferrata, and who was
hoisted up In a basket to inspect the
siege works of Bologna, tn formation
Of the famous corps OF the Swiss
guard was due.
The bellicose pontin In october.
1906, enlisted two thousand men. who
were ofYicially described AZ "Praetor.
ian Guards OF the popes person and
palace" but only two hundred came
to Rome under the command OF Cas-
par de Silenen. a nobleman OF
Lucerne, who remained at the papal
court till his death. The Swiss guard
vas destroyed almost to q man In
the famous sack Of Rome by the
constable % Bourbon In 1927. II was
rcorganixed In 154S, and since then
| has never ceased to exist. with the
| two notable but temporary excep-
tons of the French occupations OF
1898 and 1909 The Swiss guard now
number only about 20, and are re.
cruited equally from the Catholic.
German and French cantons Of Swift
zerland.
The Palatine guard formerly was
composed OF members Of the upper
middleclass. but It n now recruited
from among shopkeepers and small
tradeDmen, belonging to Catholic
clubs and societies In Rome.
Il IL not CHARTERED inside the Vat
loan, but receives an indemnity for
expenses and uniforms and In only
called upon for great functions or i'm
portant events, such as q canOniza-
ton In st. Peters, or the visit Of q
foreign ruler to the pontiff. Its COM
mander holds the rank Of general.
and until lately this position was en-
trusted to Count Camille Pecci.
nephew Of Pope Leo XIII.
The Papal Gendarmes owe their
origin to the time when Plus VII. was
in exile after having been kidnapped
and taken to France by q general
obeying the instructions Of the great
Bonaparte. Forced to submit to the
will Of Napoleon, he had - guards
the French 0renadiers, who, however.
no admired greatly. When Plus VII.
returned TO Rome he constituted .
bodyguard as Napoleon's soldiers.
and being composed Of men who had
served under the smporer. Napoleon
himself took q great interest In this
body, but be did not like the name
given TO Il, and he induced the pontih
70 change Il into that Of gsnsdarmes.
Nowadays. the gendarmes are re-
cruited almost entirely from among
retired carabineers Of the italian
army and their commander. Count
Ceccopieri, was formerly police
o0eja OF the italian government.
omcial Of the Italian government
hundred, and they do almost the en-
tise police work inside the sacred
palaces.
Finally. there II the body Of Fire.
men. composed Of about 80 men well
trained and prompt who. however, on
several occasions have not despised
he assistance Of their fellow 6remen
at the king Of italy.
HAGTrN0S--The "houn'dawg' case
which began in Thornapple township
when Abraham Carroll sued Michael
CHyans and his two sons for $50 dam.
aoes for two hounds they shot. was
e4ded here when = jury In circuit
court awarded Carroll 81 damages.
Court costs IN the case total $500.