The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-07
FOREIGN DIPLOMATS
IMMUNE TO COURTS

Marshal MacMahon, then President OF
the republic.
In the Crimean battles OF Balaklava
and Inkerman. sanguinarv engage
ments each Of them, the allies lost but
fifteen prisoners, and yet these fig
urea caused SO much feeling that the
historian Kinglake found 1t eXpedient
to explain that though the captured
men were unwounded their horses
had been shot under them before they
surrendered.
Nowadays the surrender OF so small
a number OF soldiers and officers to
the enemy In war would be though.
hardly worth reporting. Surrcnders
are by the thousand notwithstanding
that The surrender OF every unwoundeu
officer and man is. according to mill
tary regulations. something more than
a breach Of regulations an actual
crime.
Under the circumstances. there IS
no reason for holding the Car up to
obloquy in connection with the publ
cation of the paragraph of his naval
regulations prescribing that command
ers Of his warships should sink their
craft rather than surrender TO the
enemy.
Baron Palermo. the Sicilian noble or
ancient lineage, and smart cavalry Of
fcer OF crack italian regiment. who
was convicted last year of having
murdered the beautiful Princess Julia
Trigona, dame du palas of Queen
Helena, in a fourth class hotel near
the railroad station In Rome, is now
in solitary confinement in the great
penitentiary OF Portolongine. on the
island OF Elba, where he recently at
tempted to commit suicide by cutting
his iugular vein with n piece OF glass.
which he had in some way or other
managed to secrete. According to all
accounts, he has now been overtaken
by that hopeless insanity which Is the
fate of all those who, owing to the
abolition of capital punishment In
Italy. have been sentenced for MUIR
der to solitary confinement for life
My only reason fo- referring 10 him
is that the Roman rape,s nave recent
~ been publishing a number OF poems
which he composed after his convic-
ton. while still detained In the great
Regina Coeli central prison at Rome,
before his deportation to the island OF
Elba. Most Of the verses are addressed
|. tc his victim. whose picture, cut FROM
an illustrated newspaper. adorned his
cell. and seemed TO serve him as an
inspiration, while the remainder OF
his poetical lucubrations are OF a pa
triotic order. deploring that he was
not able 10 ide TO death for his King
and his Fatherlapd. at the head OF his
squadron OF cavalry. in the war
against Turkey, in Tripoli.
In none of the poems does ne seem
to appreciate the shocking character
OF his brutal crime. which he perpc-
trated solely and alone because. hav.
ing rui'ed the unfortunate princess
financially. she was no longer able to
satisfy his constant demands for
money. and satisfy his eXtravagances
at the gambling table. In fact, the
verses would seem TO Indicate that
he looks upon himself as the victim
in the affalr-as the victim OF in
eXorable fate
1t is Queen Helena who is bringing
UP at her own expense and under her
immediate care the two young daugh
ters o, the princess, whose husband
was shown at the trial or Paternu to
be utterly unworthy OF any consider
alton. For he had half ruined the
princess himself before the wreck or
her fortune was completed by Baron
Palermo
Copyright, 1918. by the Brentwood
Company