THE WORLD’S NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8190, 3 August 1912, Page 9

THE WORLD’S NEWS

ITALIAN LOVE TRAGEDY

POIGNANT LOVE-LETTERS OP COUNTESS TiUGONA. LOVER'S ORDEAL IN COURT. Tho trial of tho Italian cavalry officer Baron V uicenzo Paterno lor the rumtk‘r, on .March 2nd ot ia,st year, of tho Countc.ss Giulia Trigona, luuy-iu-waiting Vo Queen Elena, >.I I LL coilUiuk-.s (writes u Romo correspondent on June lltlij. It will bo recalled that the murder ot> (Curred in a private loom in an obscuro hotel in Rome, and that Uio baron alter Viio crime attempted to kill Inm.-eli. The witnesses lor tho prosecution who have so far been heard aver that Raie.t L’ateruo did not reciprocate the cou..iees’s great love ami that he killed Ir r because she rolttsed to supply him n.... Signor Sorrao, confidential lawyer oi Vim counters, maintained that tateii.o wan ovoi loaded with debts which hound Vo induce tho countess to pay. In one t.f their lust interviews the countess had told him that Paterno had struck her win u st.ck. At the Qmnnal (Royal Palace) Siguur Serrao had heard tuo baron say to the countess i “You false jewel. I’wiil kill you!” Giooonda. favourite maid of tho countess, stated that her mistress used to vivo largo sums to Earou Paterno and even pawned her jewellery to pay Ins debts. Gioconda maintained that Paterfo never really loved the countess, who nil the time was under a complete dinf>ioQ. Baron Batorno usg<l to treat her Like a slave. Tho judge decided that a large number ot the letters —over 400 in aU--wluch passed between the lovers should be read in court. On June oth and 10th Enron Paterno endured the ordeal of listening to tho letters of tho countess m tho pitiless atmosphere of the law courts. They are passionate documents, showing boundless- infatuation tor Batorxio, The mime IGorio in one of the letters refers to Commeudatoro I-Torio, a shipowner in Naples, of whom Paterno was violently jealous. Commendatore Plono, in his evidence, said that ho had been charged to arrange a judicial separation between the countess and her husband, and that the baron had threatened to kill him in consequence. Tho following letters were read on June 9th: — “I SUITER TOO MUCH." Turin, October 2nd. 1909. My adored Enzo,—l feel extremely nervous to-day, and more low-spirited Than ever: I miss you terribly, my own Enzo, and X long to see you, for I have su many things to tell you. I hardly know why I have dark forebodings which, frighten me which stifle me, and almost kill mo with their invisible horror. •. • , Enzo, mv own, have pity on' me. for I am alone in the world. How miserable I am, how cruelly I euffo-! There are moments in which I see nothing but Impenetrable darkness all around me, and this darkness is so ominous, so threatening, that I feel as if X could erv out aloud for help. Please, please pardon me, my Enze. but I feel as if my heart were giving way: I live in a state of constant, excruciating anxiety which is slowly undermining mo. body and soul. M,v love, my lore, who knows what pain I am giving yon in writing thus! Pardon me and love mo as X lovo you. I kiss yon with the frenzy of clesunir. passionately, thirsting fc.»- love. —Your G (Giulia). A LOVER’S QUARREL. Palermo, December 25th, 1909. My adored Enzo,—l am intensely grievid and miserable after your conduct last night. Your way of treating mo has stabbed me to the heart, all the more so as I know that I am in the right. I thank you for having drunk to tho health of my daughters only; from such intense love you have already reached the point when yon can forget me entirely! I shall never forget your cruelty. Good-bye, Enzo. I suffer too much. It breaks my heart to leave you, but then I am convinced that you never really cared for mo. 1 wish you every possible and imaginable good hick. You have destroyed ono ot tho most beautiful fove dreams that ever woman built up. Even from afar I shall always follow you with love and 1 longing.—Good-bye, •ay adored love. Giulia. •This letter was occasioned by one of Patorno’s scenes of jealousy during a social gathering at Palermo. Wednesday Morning. Mr own Enzo,—Since yesterday evening'l am half dead with anxiety. Where are you? What ace you doing? VVhut is tho matter with you? I waited lor you at the window till 3 o clock, and this, morning at 7 I telephoned to your grandmother for nows, but was told that she had no longer .any telephone. My . adored love, are you ill? Aly own darling, my life, if you were to fall ill how could I possibly exist without seeing you? Tho mere idea ot your oeing ill puts mo in a state of terrible agitation. My treasure, my joy, sweet Enzo, my dear, good boy, get well soon If you wish me to live. X embrace you caul kiss you with frenzy, with despair, ever so many times. Dear love, take great care of yourself, and think of mo. lam so miserable with>ut you.—Your own G. JEALOUS FEARS. Saturday, 3 p.m. My beloved Enzo.—Yorr attitude tonight has pained mo beyond measure, and at tho same time has given me a sensation of infinite weariness and discouragement. What liavo 1 dono, my love, thus to exasperate yon? I have not spoken at all to tho Baron, and remained a long time sitting near P.l. Perhaps I was wrong in dancing the quadrille with that naval officer? But how could I help it? Don t yon think, my. Enzo, that When one goes into society one cannot help being civil to people? 1 swear to you on all that X hold most dear and sacred in the world that I have not flirted a single moment. X have nothing, obsolutely nothing, to reproach myself with: I am quite tranquil and serene in aiy conscience, and 1 swear that my coniuet has been such as you would wish it to be. No preference for anybody, affable and amiable with all, excepting B. Good-byo. my love. I pray that the greatest, the purest joys mnv fall to your lot. May my good wishes always accompany you, warm and sincere as that tenderness which you despise and cannot understand. My Enzo be happy ; I shall spend the rest of my life hidden away Komowhore and yon will no longer be troubled with me. I scud you a kiss. Do not wish mo ill. —Your G.

April, 12th, 1910. My good and adored I'-iwo. —1 have just received tho letter which. you wrote yesterday. X was longing for a little of your tenderness, which is the only ray of light. in my life. This, morning my fathcr-in-law ehowed

the anonymous letter to R. Count Ti 130 ml 1. making light ot the mat ter amt advising lulu to fake no notice of these missives. 1 have received another one in which tho anonymous, wriier bitterly upbraids me for my sin in Rainy vou It opened it, and biouglit it to me, Shortly before leaving the house another infamous letter arrived, addressed to It Xt is a circular announcing our Imppv union, ami a postscript adds. that liltv-fivc copies have keen scut to friends ami acquaintances in Palermo and Rome. It la hard to believe that the malice ot some peon lo should reach such excesses. R laughed at first, but then his humor changed, and ho Hew into a violent temper This last letter must be tho work of sonic of our dear friends in society, lor it is very well written. At lunch It. suggested calling on the Ps. (Plorio), but 1 showed very little enthusiasm for the idea.. Xu order to avoid going there to-night I shall call wit li m.v sister C. at about 5 o’clock. At bliat time there is sure to bo nobody, to 'that you may bo quite easy in your mind. Aro -oil satisfied, my love? If we do not receive any more hateful anonymous letters to-morrow morning L shall come to you at the Hotel towards eleven; my nmi-appoaraneo at that hour will mean a formal prohibition or same danger. In this case I will coma in the afternoon at five, with tho excuse ol calling on these- Russian ladies.—Your own Q. DURING A WEEK’S ABSENCE.

The following letter was written by Countess Trigona during a week’s absence of her lover, Wao had proceeded to the cavalry school of I’ifierolo, near Turiu:—

April 15th, 1910—after midnight. It is half-past one in the morning, and I am writing in be<L Never has the theatre seemed so sad and depressing to me as to-night. My Enzo, how I missed you! I feel profoundly sad and missrnole; I cannot live without you. This life of continual struggles, of brutality, of martyrdom, I cannot continue it. This evening, before dinner, another anonymous letter arrived in the same handwriting as those addressed to mo three days ago. It was addressed to K., and was full of nasty things about you apropos of the Florence affair.* The writer strongly advised R. not to allow mo to frequent your set because with our altitude wo give rise to scandal. It is quite clear that there is some person who hates us with implacable hatred, and wishes to drive ns out of society. R. was so enraged that he went eo far as to say: "If you dare to speak again to that man when I am not present I • will beat you till you lose all taste for his company." I looked at him with doe peon tempt and replied; “Sir, tho day on which you will dare lay hands on mo I shall leave your house never to enter it again.” My life, I can hear no more; with you only can I ho happy, and only from your bands can I accept tho priceless gift of happiness. How sweet and kind you were to-day before bidding me farewell at the Spo'rt Club. I could have kissed vou, darling, there before everybody! My lore, my love, why, cannot ,wo always live united? ...

Yon aro very young, my Enzo, and mirely the future holds in store for you —who knows? —how many other joys: but I have only you in the whole world, and the idea, the bare idea, that I may some day be compelled to give up'this lovo makes my brain reel. What shall X do when you leave me? I shall not be afraid of death, for life without your love would be unbearable. Pardon me for writing all these sad things, bnt I am mad with grief, and I want you, X want you here. I want your burning kisses that make mo die of joy; I want your adorable caresses and your sweet words that casl a spell over my soul. My life, my life, I will write again to-morrow. Think of me. I embrace you passionately, and give you endless kisses. —Ever your own. G.

•When in Florence with his regiment Enron Paterno was acquainted with a lady of tho aristocracy, whom he once onhlicly slapped in the face at a social gathering. “THIS LOVE FRIGHTENS ME." Turin. July 31st, 1910.—10.30 p.m.

Enzo. my Treasure, my adored Love,— I have just received your telegram, which lias restored me to life. I passed'a most miserable day. because when I do not receive your news all the world is a blank. X telegraphed to 3011, as I had not a single moment’s thousand dark thoughts cropped up in my poor head, and this has sufficed to make a nervous wreck of me: in fact, to-night I look as if I had been ill for ever so long. 1 adore you too much, ray life, and I feel that this love is assuming proportions which frighten me. But yon will always love me, will you not, my Enzo? ....

fPaterno received the maximum sentence under Italian law, which does not inflict the death penalty. 3