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23 October 1910 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Sunday. 23rd [October 1910]. An awful thing has happened. We had been to church in the morning & were sitting in the Belvedere after lunch having our coffee when Teresa, the young cousin of the Malagolas rushing in with a scared face saying “Do you know what has happened Malagola has committed suicide!” I sprang up & questioned her with the result that I heard that his wife going to his room about 10 had found him lying dead with a shot in the temple. She had seen him 1 ½ hour before in perfect health! In a few minutes I had got on my bonnet & accompanied Teresa to the Archives that I might see what I could do for Concetta. I found her sitting with a white drawn face with 2 French nuns & Mme Walther a friend who lives near by. She was not crying but was rocking herself to & fro every now & then telling us about it & how he had been very low in his mind especially last evening & had been agitated in the night. During the summer anonymous letter (probably written by some of his own subordinates) had been recd by the Italian Govt accusing him of malpractice in the administration of the Archives. The Govt had sent an inspector to make enquires & the employee’s had even been interrogated on the subject. Malagola had written full explanation & refutations and might have been quite calm—but the Govt delayed to send the result—the matter got into the papers—with exaggerations & insinuations & at last Malagola seems to have given way to his vexation & in a moment of folly to have decided to make away with himself. It is a dreadful almost cowardly thing when anyone takes a course which saves themselves further trouble on earth & leaves it all to be faced by others! Unfortunately Guido the son was away at the time on a visit to Css Morosini near Treviso—but a telegram brought him home about 3 o’cl & there was a touching scene when he flew to his mother’s arms sobbing & she saying “Corraggio Guido” with dry eyes. Col. Malagola his uncle who lives in Venice also came & took command of the situation & giving all the necessary orders. At 4 the authorities came & the poor widow had to go & give evidence of what had occurred—wh took about an hour. Then came other relations of the family & a priest & so I & Sra Walther left for our homes—she sending me back in her gondola. I was too exhausted to go to the service at the Sailors’ Institute. At my age it hurts one to cry—& gives one almost physical pain. | |
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