DEATH OF AN ITALIAN CONVICT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11217, 6 May 1899, Page 5

DEATH OF AN ITALIAN CONVICT.

THE STORY OF A FORGOTTEN CHIME.

Tbe Home correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette writes : — ' A man has just died in tbe penal settlement on the island of Nisida, near Naples, who in the community was simply No. 312, but wb» , when in the world was Giuseppe Luciani — a name connected with one of the most dramatio crimes on reoord ln Italy. He was the son of poor parents, and began earning his living by type-setting. He went into exile, while the Pope Btill held temporal power, to conspire and fight for the unity of Italy. In the campaign of 1860, against Austria, he was promoted from the ranks on the battlefield and decorated with a medal for valour. After the War, laying aside the sword, he became one of the best-known journalists ; and in 1887 he entered Home with the Italian troops, together with Baffaele So'nzogno, a leading figure in the demooratio party, and elder brother of Edoardo, the present proprietor of the ' Secolo.' ' Luciani and Bafftiele Sonzogno became great friends, so that when the latter founded the Capitate in Borne the former became its editor, and through the influence of the paper was eleoted member of Parliament. Uae ■ day ijoiizogno fought _ duel with pistols I with Prince Odeßcalchi, aud Luciani acted as one of bis seconds. Iv that capaoity he loaded the pmtol for hih principal, and whilst the Prince Odesc.lebl fired twice, Sonzogno's pistol was found to be improperly loadod. The incident passed, hut shortly afterwards the friendship between the two was suddenly broken off, Sonzogno publicly stating in the Capitate that Luciani was the lover of his wife, and that he had begun a suit against them botb. Luoiani understood that his career would , be -rained if tbe husband lived,

' He began by representing the latter as a fatal enemy to the democratic party, exciting againßt him especially a carpenter, whom he introduced to Garibaldi. The latter, misled by Luoiani, exclaimed, 'It must be done ; it must be done.' Lncianl made the carpenter believe this was an order to despatch Sonzogno, who, in fact, on the last Saturday of tbe Carnival in 1875, was stabbed in bis room, receiving 13 wounds. Luciaui, wbo had left Rome two days before to establish an alibi, hurried back to brazen it out, but without suoce=s, and he and hiß accomplices were condemned to inprisonment for life.'