The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-04-09
ROME HAS BIG
MURDER MYSTERY
SlEUTHs At WORK TWO YEARS

Woman's Parents Doubt son.in.L aw'
Story and Set Detectives on III
Trail, With Result That Hs 10 Nov
in Jail Charged With Murder-Ae
cused Man ls a Painter, Son Of
Diplomat and Prominent In Smar
Society.
Rome is being thrilled by one Of tn
most mysterious murder cases 1t ha
known in many years.
Luigi Mesones, q painter and q dip
lomat's son, Peruvian by birth ant
Roman by adoption, man-ab0ut-towl
and gambler, told friends two year
ago that his wife had been lost at sea
She went to Peru, he explained, t
settle his late fathers estate and hel
ship was sunk by German submarine
Friends believed the story, but no
SO his wife's father and mother, Mr.
and Mrs. SimOnetti.
"How is it," they asked, that Bict
took such trip without even saying
goodbye"
"She was in a hurry" answered
Mesones, who afterward disappeared
Signor Simonetti is well known in
Rome. He is an artist and art col
lector; his beautiful palace and gal.
lery are much frequented by Ameri.
cans visiting Rome.
He employed detectives to watch
his son-in-law, and try to trace his
daughter; but sleuths could find no
clue.
Announces Her Death.
At the time MesOnes announced his
wife's death at sea, woman who
was said to have committed suicide
was reported by the police, judging
from papers found on the body, to be
Maria Rotelleni of Udine, war refugee.
But nobody thought of visiting the
morgue, to see what Maria looked like
and the incident was forgotten.
Now, SignOr SimOnetti's sleuths say
the supposed refugee was Mesones'
wife. Signor Simonetti, his wife,
brother and other relatives identified
a picture taken by the mOrgue off
Gals when the body was brought in
there two years ago, and forgotten in
the archives till few days ago, when
private sleuth, overhearing chance
words in low class cafe, unearthed
it.
The police arrested Mesones at his
home at CastelgondolfO, a little city
near Rome, on the charge of COM
plicity in his wifes murder. He
denied the charge, saying he could
prove she was drowned on her way
to Peru, early in 1918.
He Is we'll known in certain "smart"
sections of Roman society and
friend of Grand Duke Cyril. He has
not good reputation and was con-
nected with several scandals which hit
esteemed Roman families. He abduct-
ed his wife, as SignOr Simonetti
objected to the marriage. While the
parents were seeking their sixteen
year old daughter, Mesones wrote
them that he could tell her where
abouts if Simonetti would sanction the
match. His financial position was
straightway improved, as the father
in-law-gave him a generous allowance
Accomplish Necessary.
The police admit Mesones could not
have killed the former Bice Simonetti
by himself. At the time of his dis
appearance he was almost blind. The
body was dressed in ragged clothes
that Bice never wore while living,
and her style of hairdressing had been
changed, as the morgue pictures prove.
Alone, they affirm, purblind man
could not have wrought these changes
or inflicted the fatal pistol wound on
the left temple of his victim.
The mystery is complicated by the
fact that when the supposed refugees
body was found on the banks of Tiber
within a stones throw of Prince
villa, the police traced a
girl bearing the name of Maria Ro-
telleni to various low class hotels. She
disappeared from one Of these on the
evening of Jan. 8, 1918, to be found
lead few hours later.
Signor Simonetti declares Mesones
lad woman accomplice who went
rom one low hotel to another, posing
IS the refugee, to wipe out all trace
# Mesone's crime.
On the other hand, MesOnes had
Nothing to gain by his wife's death
because Simonetti ceased supplying
money when it was announced.