Jerome Bonaparte and Captain Leti were riding in a carriage, crossing over the "Bloodline" of Central Italy, the Tiber River, from the northwest corner of Rome, intending to enter the main urban area, when they were stopped by guards at the archway city gate on the outskirts of Rome.
The gate soldiers, reeking of alcohol, with a rough Sicilian-accented Italian, rudely pointed a pike at the carriage and said, "I suspect there are rebels against the Pope State hiding in your carriage! Get the people inside to come out, I need to check it!"
"Officer, there are no rebels here! Just some honest foreign travelers in the carriage!" The coachman smiled as he got off, bent over, and fished out a slightly crumpled handkerchief from the pocket of his blue shirt. Carefully, he unfolded the handkerchief to reveal two copper coins imprinted with the portrait of Gregory XVI and handed them to the two guards stationed at the gate.
