Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/515

 Schmidt; also a soldier known to be a "friend" of the murdered man. Not long ago, Schmidt was severly chastised in the Park here one night, by three young infantry-soldiers one of whom he offended by his improper proposals. Possibly his murder completes some vengeance, with a terrible effect. Schmidt leaves a considerable estate."

In Naples, in March, 1901, occurred this characteristic affair. I cite the newspaper-account:

"A mysterious and frightful criminal occurrence has come to light, discovered last evening. About one o'clock in the morning, four officers of our police-service, Riccio, Cuomo, Stanco and Galati were informed that cries for help had been coming from the house Number 81, Via Nuova di Capodimonte, close by the Ponte di Sanità, On trying to gain access, no one admitted the policemen, and all was still. They broke open the door of the apartment in question, on the fifth floor, the residence of a certain young medical doctor named Filippo Raffaeli M—, formerly a student at our University, but lately admitted to practice, and located in the rooms mentioned. As the officers finally entered, they heard renewed groans from the darkness beyond, and at the same time were nearly knocked down by some unknown party who tried to pass them, and reach the stair, but who was captured. A direful spectacle presented itself to the officers, on lighting up the room. On the bed lay young Doctor M— perfectly naked, and bathed in his own blood, his throat cut, and faintly moaning in his last agony. He was carried to the hospital in the Via Pellegrini, but expired shortly, unable to murmur more than a few syllables … The other individual in the room, fortunately unable to escape, is beyond doubt the murderer of the ill-fated young physician. The circumstances are partly as follows. Dr. M— belonged to a family in easy circumstances, in Gravina, (Puglia). He was 28 years old, single, and highly talented. Lately he took into his confidential intimacy and nominal service a young Neapolitan named Vincenzo Morelli, a thorough vagabond, though not bad looking; a relative (it is said) of the concierge of the house where the Doctor was living. The young rascal had free access to the Doctor's apartments, and often slept there with his patron, it seems. Lately M— had noticed that the young man—about twenty years old—had stolen small sums from him, but nothing important came of the matter till lately when some fifty lire were missing unmistakeably through the protègé's operations. There have been several altercations since, and Dr. M— told Morelli that he would discharge him from his not very clear 'services'. It may be