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, trig
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. Munro
commencing the subject. As I was writing a note, I did
not pay much attention to what was passing, but it struck
me that my husband was rather annoyed. I then wade
tea, during which Colonel Fawcett, folding up the pullers
which were on the table, said, ' Well, it can't be helped
now ; but I must say Mrs. Smith has bamboozled 110
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 drab*
and I have attended to your interests as I never did st°
my own, and I say I will not stand it.' My husband ob-
served,' No, My
affairs.' unro,l nrviesraysayidauordid., thoughtpl
did
dat
not,yoo
mismanaged my
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aaf
deg
iracittnihoernefij
lor
first
will
mtLaeki,eeua
ntf
from
mrui
nanogr
ionm. g Colonel
sFSairwd. tA4t
Sir, I must request you will leave myhouse." Your house,
said Mr. Munro, in a most taunting and sneering manner.
! Yes, Sir, my house.' Col. Fawcett then opened the draw'
ing-roorn door, and called out to the maid .servant, who
was coining up, Open the door 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 Co-
lonel Fawcett's want of gratitude, and its being s different
return from what he expected. All this time Colonel
Fawcett stood with his back to the fire, and did not walk
hurriedly about, as has been stated. Lieut. Munro then
left in an agitated manner, and 1 said to my husband,
There is an ending to our friendship, but I am sorry he
should think you ungrateful for what be has done for us.
So am I,' was his reply, ' but it was impossible to bear .e t.
with so gross an insult.' In about five minutes I, °
hadi re-
Munro again knocked, and, on entering, said, he
mitted nightliteosawidis,hhem:.ishgeododhitn
ttaurrnmendg,
tlommvi
husband,yngo
to understand that he did not leave the house because
had been ordered to do so, for, if he pleased, he wourt,
remain all night. He then asked if Colonel Fawcett
perfectly understood him : to which the latter replied'
Perfectly.' Lieut. Munro then said a good deal more
about ingratitude, and added, that, if it were not for the
family ctnnexion, be would fling him neck and heels down
his own staircase ; to which Colonel Fawcett replied, with
the utmost coolness and self-possession, • Pray don't let
that prevent you; but this is not the way in which gentle-
men 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,
pe
r;
fet
ehtrye
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 they
can only be known to himself and the great God who will
one day judge us all ; nor will I dwell upon my own suf-
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 my
beloved husband's memory by the man that slew him, a°
well as the odious reflections cast upon myself; for Lieut.
Munro is well aware that no person (excepting Mr. Cuddy,
to whom he could not mean to allude) but myself had all
knowledge of what was going forward ; and 1 now here
most solemnly state, that from first to last I never once
heard my husband mention Lieutenant Munro's natal
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 haye
before said, I many times implored him in the stronge6;
terms, to avoid a meeting, which he most earnestly wisbeo
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, upon
several occasions, acted a peace-maker, when called upon
by friends. As to the suspicions of a most unbaPPl
nature,' that were stated to have been hinted at by COli
Fawcett, I cannot possibly imagine to what Lieutenant
Munro pretends to allude, nor can any of my husband
family or friends, to whom I have applied, throw any
light on the subject."