"I HAVE A GOLDEN HEAD"

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 23, 28 January 1928, Page 20

"I HAVE A GOLDEN HEAD"

A LEGEND OF NAPLES. ' The death of! Hannibal Tosci, on his festate of San Marzello, near Mantua, Italy, recall* a strange story of bow nil great wealth was acquired, states tbe *«New York times." At the beginjiing of the last century, according to this legend, there was erected on the Naples highway near the Abbey of San, JVito a stone column bearing in French this inscription: "On the Ist of May in every year, at 6 o 'clock in the morning, I have a golden head." On the next Ist of May many people gathered to see the miracle. Nothing happened: fThe column remained unchanged. For thereafter at the appointed time curiosity seekers flocked thither, only jto be disappointed; until at last it was Concluded that the inscription must Itave some hidden meaning. Surmises ■nd speculations as to what it might po, however, were all in vain. In the year 1841, however, a Naples Jtoy wandered along tho highway, came. io the column, and suddenly felt that lie had divined the secret. He said feothing, but on tho next May Day at 6 • 'clock in the morning he waa on the fepot—alone, since people had long eoased to take any interest in the jtolumn. But he noted the exact ■pot where the head of the column cast Its shadow and there dug into the ground. Not far below the surface he came on a knapsack containing 80,000