A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 43, 19 August 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

A terrible tragedy is reported from Nicastro. Antonia Torchia, a carpenter, 40, had lived for all his wedded life at Nicastro. His wife, Giovanni Rubino, was industrious and domesticated, while her husband was sober and hard-working, with the result that their home was superior to those of most families in their position. They had five children, the eldest aged eight, and the household was completed by an orphan child aged nine, whom the wife, in the goodness of her heart, had adopted. Entire harmony prevailed in the household until a few months ago, when, unhappily for all concerned, Torchia became enamoured of Clementina Chiuinbalo, aj woman 46 years of age, who livedi close by the Torchias' home. From' that moment all happiness in the, little* household fled. The man,' instead of devoting himself as previously to his wife and children,' commenced to ill-treat them. Beatings were incessant whenever he was at home, and all his earnings were spent upon the woman with whom he was infatuated. A JEALOUS WIFE IW AKSfS. The wife, maddened by her husband's brutality And the wrecking of her domestic happiness, sought out her rival and violently assaulted her. The police were summoned, and Giovanni was looked up, being finally sentenced to a short term of imprisonment. She was released from gaol on May 12, and on the road homewards she was overtaken by her husband. He asked her if she had repented of her fit of jealousy, and she asked him whether he intended to lead a more decent life. Some of the women neighbours, hearing the altercation, joined them, and urged Giovanni not to irritate her husband, as he had told some of his companions that on his wife's return there would be a massacre in his house. Ttie wife, however, paid no heed to their warnings, or rather, she seemed utterly indifferent as to what there might have been in store for her. They entered the house together, and the neighbours without heard the door bolted. They crowded to the windows, fearful of what would happen, yet too frightened to interfere. THE HOSBAND's ATfFtTL DEED. No sooner was the house barricaded than the husband, producing a revolver, fired at his wife, who made not the slightest effort to escape, and fell dead at his feet. The murderer then entered the adjoining room, where his children slept. They were already alarmed at the report of the pistol, and seeing their father enter, wild and haggard, with the revolver in his hand, they wept bitterly, and asked him not to hurt them. The eldest child, Francesco, Bprang from his bed, and, clutching his father by the knees, prayed for pity. The monster was unaffected by tho child's petition, but with horrible coolness fired close to the boy's head, killing him instantly. The other little ones fled in terror, but the blood-thirsty wretch prevented the escapo of all but one son. His little daughters, Angela and Maria, aged six and four years respectively, had taken refuge under the bed, but he dragged them out, and shot them dead upon the floor. Then he espied the orphan girl crouching in a corner. He wounded hor, and the little girl, falling down, feigned to be dead, and thus saved her life. With his sixth shot the murderer turned his weapon upon the baby of 18 months, and scattered its brains upon the pillow of the cot. The neighbours had by this time secured help, and sought to break the door down, but before they succeeded in doing so the watchers at the windows saw Torchia emerge from the bedroom, calmly re-load his weapon, and fire into his own mouth. He died at once. TIIE MONSTER'S FABAMOTO. When tho news of massacre be- i came known the entire population of Nicastro rose against the woman Clementina Chiumbalo and sought to lynch her. The gendarmes, however, succeeded iv protecting her from the mob, and she now lies under arrest.