A Tale from 'Truth'

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 35, 31 August 1905, Page 18

A Tale from ' Truth '

Some time ago ' Truth ' (Christchurch) published a sensational story which (it said) had been telephoned to the ' Mattino,' an aJnt-iclerical daily paper with which the city, of Naples (Italy) is afflicted. It was, briefly, to this effect : that two Capuchin Fathers at Fiumara, in Calabria, c^iar relied about a female penitent ; that they pounded each other to the best of their respective abilities ; tfaatj the other monks joined in the fray ; and that a sort of Donnybrook melee proceeded merrily until the Prior, in desperation, rang an alarm bell, when the villagers appeared and the combatants dispersed. As socftt fes this tale from a far-toff land appeared in our Christchuroh contemporary we got upon its track. Inquiries are being made on our behalf at Fiumara. For the present it is sufficient for us to state, for thelbienc-

fit of our Cartfoolic readers, that the story is denounced there as a fabrication through and' through, end that the Capuchin Fathers, backed fey the population of Fiumara, took prompt steps to Wnflicate their character before the proper trittumial, and the individual who first reported the sto-ry has made a complete retractation and apology. At latest accounts the case was still pending. We hope shortly to return to the subject. y