The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1875-06-08 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

ROMAN TRAGEDY.  The Rome correspondent or the Kelm writes on May 31, Within the last ten days two young women of the pepolana class have been savagely muniered in the Monti, one of the city region. whose inhabitants pride theinselvoi on the purity of the Roman blood and their long, though plebian, pedigrees. Of the tint, Angela Del Monte, I need say little; it was a not uncommon case of guilt and furious jealously. But the unfortunate Filomena Ricci merits a passing notice, her undeserved fate having tilled her whole 'ion.. with mourning. She WY a remarkably beautiful young woman, about 11 rears of age "with a head like an antique carved gem," awl her virtue and goodness even exceeded her beauty. and all her neighbours pointed her out to their daughters IA an example of modesty and industry. Poor Filomena had the misfortune to many a few months since a handsome mason, Vincenzo Oddi, who, however, was reputed an idli, worthless fellow, and she was very soon obliged to leave him, as his infamous purpose was to trade on her beauty. So sbe returned to her mother, and while some friends advised her to sue far a legal ilivoree, she gained her livelihood by working daily as • graminile, or grainaifter. So things went on for some time; the husband drinking and threatening his wife, by whom he expected to be main. taints' in his vulgar dissipation ; his wife working in a granary at Campo Vaccino, together with a large number of fentale companions. On Friday rning, at seven o'clock, while Filomena and the other granarok were seated on • well outside the granary, waiting for the master to come with the keys to open the door, and she, like limit of the others, was bury knitting, her husband Vincenzo made his appearance, and began one of his usual persecutions "Either give me money or come along with me." Filomena let him talk, and as the granary was opened, and the other women were entering, they heard a shriek. Enraged at her silence, the husband had struck her twice "with a knife a palm long," in the stomach and breast. While the screaming women were surrounding the bleeding corpse, the noise attracted a number of men, who pursued the murderer and caught him under the Arch of Titus, where they would probably have torn him to pieces had not the police hastened to the spot to arrest him awl carry him olf to prison. The body of poor Filomena was taken to the dead house at the hospital of Conselazione, and all tier companions and friends im inedietely subscribed (nal, their earnings to give her the last tribute of respect; and yesterlav afternoon I witnessed a very touching scene in the funeral of this poor victim. When the vivant-4r put their subscriptions together they found that instead if carrying the dead Filomena on thew shoulders, no they had intended, they could afford to engage the first-class municipal hearse, and a handsome coach for the parroen, or curate. So a long procession of women was funned, each woman carrying a wax torch' those who could afford it in black dresses, those who could not, wearing at least a black shawl or handkerchief. A very fine band composed of working men, played funeral music, marching in front of the hearse, which was strewn with laurel wreaths and dowers, and the unfortunate Filomena, was thus carried from the hospital to the cdmetery through the long winding street of the Monti, amidst the tears and lamentations of the populace. To give you an idea of the fatigue these poor granamis readily incurred in enter to pay the last tribute to their poor companion, the cemetery is a long mile outside Porta San Lorenzo, one of the meet remote gates front the inhabited part of the city, and yet they were even willing to carry her !