3. Francesco, son of Giovanni Borsi called Venerino, servant of
Agosto, Host at the "Canale,"
because the second Accused, against her honour and conjugal faith, had
given herself up to dishonest amours with the Canon Giuseppe
Caponsacchi and with the first Accused, who instructed her, as you may
well believe, to part from the aforesaid City of Arezzo, the evening
of April 28, 1697. And, that they might not be discovered and
hindered, the second Accused put a sleeping-potion and opium in her
husband's wine at dinner. At about one o'clock the same night, the
said Canon Caponsacchi and the first Accused conducted the aforesaid
second Accused away from the home of her husband. As the gates of the
city were closed, they climbed the wall on the hill of the Torrione;
and having reached the "Horse" Inn, outside of the gate San Clemente,
they were there awaited by the third Accused with a two-horse
carriage. When Canon Caponsacchi and the second Accused had entered
into the said carriage, the word was given by him, the aforesaid first
Accused, and they set out then upon the way toward Perugia, the said
third Accused driving the carriage as far as Camoscia. And while they
were travelling along the road they kissed one another before the very
face of the third Accused.
Still further, the second Accused, along with the first Accused and
Canon Caponsacchi, carried away furtively from the house of the said
Guido, her husband, from a chest locked with a key, which she took
from her husband's trousers [the following articles]: About 200 scudi
in gold and silver coin; an oriental pearl necklace worth about 200
scudi; a pair of diamond pendants worth 84 scudi; a solitaire diamond
ring worth 40 scudi; two pearls with their pins, to be used as
pendants, 6 scudi; a gold ring with turquoise setting worth 2 scudi; a
gold ring set with ruby worth 36 scudi; an amber necklace worth 5
scudi; a necklace of garnets alternated with little beads of fine
brass worth 6 scudi; a pair of earrings in the shape of a little ship
of gold with a pearl worth 16 scudi; two necklaces of various common
stones worth 4 scudi; a coronet of carnelians with five settings and
with a cameo in silver filigree worth 12 scudi; a damask suit with its
mantle, and a petticoat of a poppy colour, embroidered with various
flowers, worth 40 scudi; a light-blue petticoat, flowered with white,
worth 8 scudi; two vests to place under the mantle worth 2 scudi; a
pair of sleeves of point lace worth 20 scudi; another pair of sleeves
fringed with lace worth 5 scudi; a collar worth 4 scudi; a scarf of
black taffeta for the shoulder with a bow of ribbon worth 8 scudi; an
embroidered silk cuff worth 14 scudi; two aprons of key-bit pattern
with their lace worth 12 scudi; a pair of scarlet silk boots worth 14
scudi; a pair of woollen stockings, a pair of white linen hose, and a
pair of light-blue hose, worth 5 scudi; a snuff-coloured worsted
bodice with petticoat, ornamented with white and red pawns, worth 3
scudi; a blue and white coat of yarn and linen, adorned with scarlet
and other coloured ornaments, worth 10 scudi; a worsted petticoat of
light-blue and orange colour, striped lengthwise, with yellow lines
and with various colours at the feet, worth 14 scudi; an embroidered
petticoat worth 9 scudi; a silk cuff worth 5 scudi; four linen smocks
for women worth 14 scudi; a pair of shoes with silver buckles worth 8
scudi; many tassels and tapes of various sorts worth 14 scudi; six
fine napkins worth 7 scudi; a collar of crumpled silk worth 7 scudi;
two pairs of gloves of a value of 4 scudi; four handkerchiefs worth 5
scudi; a little silver snuff-box with the arms of the Franceschini
house upon it worth 16 scudi; a coat of her husband Guido, rubbed and
rent by the lock of a chest where he kept part of the aforesaid
clothing. And they had converted the whole to their own uses against
the will of the same, the first Accused and Canon Caponsacchi having
scaled the walls of the city in company with the second Accused, as
soon as she had committed adultery with them. And the said third
Accused had given opportunity for flight to the said second Accused
along with the Canon, in the manner told.
Therefore the Commissioner of Arezzo was of opinion to condemn
arbitrarily the first Accused to five years' confinement at
Portoferrio with the penalty of the galleys for the same length of
time, not counting the reservation of 15 days to appear and clear
himself; to condemn the second Accused to the penalty of the Stinche
for life and to the restitution of what was taken away, with the
abovesaid reservation; and that the third Accused be not prosecuted
further and be liberated from prison. But the Criminal Court was of
opinion that the first Accused should be condemned to the galleys
during the pleasure of His Serene Highness, with the said reservation.
As to the second Accused, who was imprisoned here in Rome, in a sacred
place, it suspended the execution. And for the third, who had done no
voluntary evil, it gave up further inquiry.
Again proposed in the said business before His Serene and Blessed
Highness with the signature of December 24, 1697.
The opinion of the Court stands approved.
In sign of which,
I, JOSEPH VESINIUS, J. V. D., an official
in the Criminal Court of Florence,
etc., in faith whereto, etc.
[File-title of Pamphlet 1.]
_By the Most Illustrious and Most
Reverend Lord Governor in
Criminal Cases_:
_ROMAN MURDER-CASE_
_On Behalf of Count Guido Franceschini,
Prisoner, against the Fisc._
_Memorial of fact and law._
_At Rome, in the type of the Reverend Apostolic Chamber,
1698._