A Crank Who Climbed to a. Forbidden Place and Raised a Row Generally.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 183, 18 December 1886, Page 13

A Crank Who Climbed to a. Forbidden Place and Raised a Row Generally.

Tuk police guarding the precincts of the Vatican (for the Pope's residence is protected outside by the King's carbineers and police, an well as inside by the Pontiff's own guards) had a fine fright a few nights ago. A civil guard named Sacchetti, who was on duty near the arch of the Sacristy in Piazza S. Pietro, thought he heard a dull knocking eound in the direction of the bell tower, and f*t once hastened to hie barracks to give the alarm to the Marshal of the guard. A body of men wae quickly aroused and proceeded to verify Sacchetti'a story, but to do this it was necessary to awaken the custodian of the boll tower While ho guided the police to <"he spot whence the noiae had proceeded, the Pontifical carbineers wore awakened and warned to muke a perquisition in the interior of the Vatican buildings while the city police performed the same duty on the outside. For a long time the eearch wa-j carried on in silence and without results, and Chief of the Police becan to think his man had been the subject of a delusion, when, having arrived at the balcony on the great front, and whence the benediction used to be given, a shadowy form waa described in the upper corridor. The police were quickly dispo°ed in such a manner as abeolutely to prevent the escape of this person, or fhadow, and the Marshal advanced, requiring him to explain his presence there. The form gave itself a littla phake, a? if waking froni a dream, and replied, ''I'ni on joying the fresh air." "In that case, you must come with us.' 1 " Directly," replied fche|mysterioua individual, whom they could as yet only see indiwtinctly "I am porry I could not Ree the Pupe, but it does not matter I'll follow you." " Ah ! so you wanted to see the Pope?" tl I yhonld think so ; why olse did I climb up here ?" "You climbed up?" repeated the guard in astonishment. ' Oh, ye<*. I said to myself, r they won't let me in at the door,' so I climbed up by the statute of Cirlo Mafcfno, broke the glass of o window, and holding firmly on by all tho projections, got in here." While Ihiq strange personage was talking a policeman had seen something bhining in a comer, which turned out +o be a large chisel. ** Ah ? if you had not disturbed me it would have been finiahod by now," said tho ~d venturous climber. " What?" "Why the hole." And in a moment somoof tho agents had actually found a hole in the wall leading from the gallery in front of St. Potar's into the Vatican itsolf. "You don't seem to understand me,"; paid the importurable prisoner. "I told I you 1 oatae to soe tho Popo ; well, the Popo, is a prisoner, lam free. The Pope will not break out to see me, so I break- in to see Mm." j " But what do you want to Bee him for ?" i "Ah !" — with the greatest dignity — " those are family affairs." You will have guessed ere now that the poor fellow (who turned out to be one bominico Storfci of Vicenza) was not in his right mind, and, indeed, anyone who knows the faacade of St. Peter'e will have perceived at once that no man in hia sonses would have dreamed of confronting the terrible danger attending the attempt to climb up as he had done. So he was walked off to safe custody, and there was mi end of the great attempt to break into the Vatican.

Mamma — Henry, I've a surprise for you. Papa— lndeed. Mamma— -Yes ; baby has cut his eye teeth. Papa — Gracious me ! What a dreadful accident,