The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-23 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL DUEL.

At the earnest request of her friends, Mrs. Fawcett, the
widow of the unfortunate officer who fell in the recent
duel with Lieut. Munro, has published a statement of
the circumstances which preceded and produced that un-
natural encounter. She gives the following account of
the conversation, on the evening of the 29th of June. be-
tween her husband and Lieut. Munro, which led to the
duel :—" Affairs were then entered upon, Lieut. Munrb
commencing the subject. As I was writing a note, 1-did
not pay much attention to what was passing, but it struck
me that my husband was rather annoyed. I then made
tea, during which Colonel Fawcett, folding up the papers
which were on the table, said, Well, it can't be helped
now ; but I must say Mrs. Smith has bambcozled as
both most thoroughly; though, had I been acting for you,
I should most probably have acted as you have done.' To
which Lieut. Munro replied, I tell you what, you have
several times insinuated that I mismanaged your affairs,
and I have attended to your interests as I never did to
my own, and I say I will not stand it.' My husband ob-
served, ' No, Munro, I never said or thought that y 0
mismanaged my affairs.' I say you did.' did not,
Sir.' You did,' again rejoined Lieut. Munro. Colonel
Fawcett then rose for the first time, and, ringing the bell,
said, A flat contradiction I will take from no man, and;
Sir, I must request you will leavenay house.' ' Your house,
said Mr. Munro, in a most taunting and sneering manner-
Yes, Sir, my house.' Col. Fawcett then opened the draw-•
ing-room door, and called out to the maid -servant,. who
was coming up, Open the dcor for Mr. Munro.' lieut'
Munro then said. I say, you had better tell your servant
to shut the door.' No. Sir, it shall remain open till you
leave,' replied my husband. Lieut. Munro then shut the
drawing-room door, and, returning, sat down and finished
his tea, speaking at the same time in strong terms of
t,Co-
lonel Fawcett's want of gratitude, and its being a different-
return return from what he expected. All this time Coloanlei!.
Fawcett stood with his back to the fire, and did
hurriedly about, as has been stated. Lieut. Munrob an d ,
left in an agitated manner, and 1 said to tor -
;fa y he
There is an ending to our friendship, but I am fordone us.
should think you ungrateful for what be bas done
to bear
So am I,' was his reply, ' but it was hypos-
utes Lieut.
with so gross an insult.' In about five min
had re-
Munro again knocked, and, on entering, said, he
then
turned, having omitted to wish me good night;
turning to my husband, he said, he wished him perfectly._
to understand that he did not lease the house because Da,
had been ordered to do so, for, if he pleased, he would
remain all night. He then asked if Colonel Fawcett
perfectlyi understoodut t.
Munro t?iewnhi:aliidthaeglotefieLTl:edet
about ingratitude,y. and added, that, if it were not for more
family cc naexion, he would fling him neck and heels down
his own staircase ; to which Colonel Fawcett replied, with
the utmost coolness and self-possession, ' Play don't let
that prevent you; but this is not the way in which gentle-
mennut walk
usually settle their differences.' I do not think
Lieutenant Munro made any reply, but soon after left,
slamming the doors violently after him ; and all the time
he was in the room he kept his hat on, and swaggered his
stick while speaking." From the rest of the statement,
it appears that throughout the subsequent proceedings,
Col. Fawcett was most anxious to come to an accomoda-
tion without fighting, and that he went out at last fully
determined not to fire at his brother-in-law. Mrs. Faw-
cett afterwards says, "Of Lieutenant Munro's feelings
and intentions on going out I will say nothing, as dal
can only be known to himself and the great God who gn:.'
one day judge us all ; nor will I dwell upon my own sw"
ferings, which were rendered still more acute by being
made a theme of conversation to the world ; but, disre-
garding the fresh anguish these details occasion me,
consider it my duty to refute the odium thrown upon
beloved husband's memory by the man that slew him, as
well as the odious reflections cast upon myself ; for Lieut.
Munro is well aware that no person (excepting Mr. Cuddlit
to whom he could not mean to allude) but myself had anY
knowledge of what was going forward; and 1 now here
most solemnly state, that from first to last I never ones
heard my husband mention Lieutenant Munro's name
with the slightest degree of acrimony, nor did one word
ever fall from my lips calculated to produce that feeling'
or prevent a reconciliation ; on the contrary, as I have
before said, I many times implored him in the strongest
terms, to avoid a meeting, which he most earnestly wished
to do. I also consider it right to state, that Colonel Faw-
cett was never before either principal, second, or present
at a duel, but to my own personal knowledge had, upoo
several occasions, acted a peace-maker, when called upon
by friends. As to the suspicions of a most unhappy
nature,' that were stated to have been hinted at by Col.
Fawcett, I cannot possibly imagine to what Lieutenant
Munro pretends to allude, nor can any of my husband's
family or friends, to whom I have applied, throw anY
light on the subject."