The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-12
Was Columbus Hebrew !?
 Old Question Is Revived

The 423rd anniversary of the dis covery of America, which will be widely celebrated today in both North and South America, finds the nativity and race of the greatest of discoverers still a subject of contro- versy among historians. While the generally accepted biography of Christopher Columbus gives the Ita1- ian city of Genoa the honor of hav- ing been his birthplace, no less than nine other localities, in Italy, Corsica and Spain, vigorously dispute the Columbus said, ''Siendo yo nacfdo en Geneva CT was born in Genoa'') :. This would seem to settle the matter. but it hasn't.
 Most historians agree with the statement that Christopher was the eldest son of Domenico Colombo, who was a cloth weaver of Genoa, and Susanna. Fontanarossa. They had two other sons. Barto1ommeo and Giasomo, the latter also knownH as Diego; also a daughter, married to Giacomo Bavare11o. a pork butcher Although his father was wool stapler, Columbus, in one of his let ters, says that his ancestors follow ed the sea. Christopher and his brother were well educated, and that too, at a time when many nobIes and men of wealth were unable to read or write
 The theory that Columbus was a Jew is one which has been set forth many times in the last three eentur- eis, and apparently will not down. According to this theory, Columbus was born, not in Genoa, but in Pom tevedra. Spain. Documents are in existence showing that tCo1on and F'ontanarossa formed a parternship in the Spanish town in 1437, their pur- pose being to purvey fish to the Archbishop of Santiago. The fam flies of both partners were of Jewish descent. It is assumed that this Colon was the father of the discoy- erer,. and that the Susanna sF.ontana- rossa, or FonteroSa, who became the mother of Christopher. was a member of his partners family
 The Colon family, while of Jewish blood, were of the Christian faith, her marriage Susanna Fsontanarossa had only recently abandoned Judaism for Christianity. Admitting the identity of the Spanish family with that of the Genoese Colons or Co., 1ombos-these being the Spanish and Italian forms of the same name there would seem to be grounds for the New World was of the Jewish race.
 
 The defenders of this theory ac- count for the insistence of Columbus upon his Genoese origin by the ale gation that it was necessary for the attainment of his ambition The general hatred of Jews which pre- vailed in Spain at that time would almost certainly have been fatal to his plans. The Catholic King and Queen of Spain would not have fit ted out an expedition for any He brew It is known that Columbus carried on a correspondence. with sew eral Jews of prominence, and this fact is urged as additional proof of his Jewish affiliations
 Columbus wrote like the most pious and resolute of Christians. He urged that missionaries be sent to the naked natives of the lands he had discover ed. T trust in our Lord that your I1ighnesses will resolve upon this with much diligence he wrote, land to convert them, as you have destroy ed those who would not confess the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And after your days, all of us being mortal, may your kingdom rest in peace, and free from heresy and evil, and may you be well received before the eternal Creator, to whom I pray that you may have long life and great increase of ktngships and Iordships with the will and disposition to in crease the holy Christian religion as you have done hitherto