New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-17
THE TRIBUNE' FOREIGN NEWS
Mystery of Rambolla's Will
Becomes Almost q Scandal
Much Circumstantial Evidence to
Show That Testament
Was Suppressed.

tFrom The Tribune Correspondent
Rome. May b.-The announcement that
the Vatican has sent instructions to the
Archbishop Of Milan ordering him to OBJ
tain the resignation Of tho Countess Par
ravicino de Revel from her position as
president of the Milan branch OF the
Union Of Catholic Women. has once again
drawn attention to the circumstances In
which Cardinal Rampolla died.
The reason of the Vatican order to the
Archbishop of Milan was to be found in
the vicisstudes of bundle of letters adj
dressed by the countess to Cardinal Ram
polla, dealing with many important per-
sons in the Church. These letters had by
some accident been mixed after the Car
dinaIs death with several bundles Of
letters which were taken to the Vatican
to be examined by the Church authorities.
One OF these packets of letters was
found in the Cardinals sitting room, ana
after being summary surveyed by the
Vatican commissioners was returned to
the Baroness Perrana. heir-at-law TO the
Cardinals property. The Countess Par
ravlcino hearing OF their discovery. I'M
medately claimed them. But the Baroness
Perrana, after glancing at them. decided
that they were Of interest and refused to
hand them over In fact, she Is said to
have stated that she would rather lose
the whole heritage than give up the let
ters. Finally. however. they were hand
ed over to the Kings procurator pending
q final settlement OF the affair.
Vatican Gives Up Letters.
The second bundle OF letters was I'M
fortunately mixed with the Vatican
papers and sent to the Secretary OF State.
Last week a representative OF the Vah-
can called on the Kings procurator and
handed him this bundle, saying that the
Vatican was not at all Interested IN theni'
From the sequel II appears that the Vau-
can must have been more interested than
Il neutrality-suspicious. the order 10 inc
Archbishop of Milan.
In the letters were some very compro-
missing phrases In reference to the mod
ERNST sympathes OF some noted digni-
taries. especially Cardinal Ferrari, Arch
bishop OF Milan; and in one letter the
phrase occurs: THAT poor Cardinal FER
rari must support the 'Labaro' tan IN
transigeant paper, whilst he recommends
to his friends OH his own account the
Italia "a modernist paper"
The letters also mention Monsighor
O'Connell. now Cardinal OConnell, Arch
bishop of Boston. The countess naturally
declares that there is nothing In the let
tiers which can possibly hurt the vatican
the memory of the dead Cardinal las sus-
ecsted by the Vatican) or herself, ana
saws that she has received no orders TO
resign from her position and does not III
tend to do so. J.,
The scandal created by this episode o.
the letters has once again raised the ques-
ton of the second and missing WILL LOT
no one believes but that there was sec
ond will. which was stolen or destroyed
II is argued that man who was so eN-
tremely businesslike as the late Cardinai
would not have died without leaving IN
structions as to the disposal OF the many
highly interesting documents when must
have been in his possession and OF winch
he must have fully known the danger
and value.