The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-01-06
A MODERN BRUTUs.

mayor OF Galway, in Ireland, sent his only
son as commander of one of his ships to
Bllboa, in Spain, for cargo of VINE. The
credit which he possessed was taken adj
vantage of by the son, who secreted the
money with which he was entrusted for the
( purchase of the cargo; and the Spaniard,
who supplied him on this occasion, sent his
nephew with him to Ireland to receive the
debt, and establish a farther correspond
enre. The young men, who were nearly
OF the same age, sailed together with that
apparent confidence and satisfaction which
congenial pursuits generally create among
mankind. The ship proceeded on her ycv.
age, and. as every day brought them near
er the place of destination, and the discov-
cry of the fraud of young Fitzstcphen. he
conceived the diaholical resolution of mur-
derlng his friend, project in which, by
promises of reward and fear, he brought the
! greatest part of the ships crew to Join. On
the night of the fifth day, the unfortunate
| Spaniard was violently seized in his bed
and thrown overheard. A few DAYS more
brought the ship to port. The father and
friends of young Fitzstephen received him
with JOY, and in a short time bestowed a
sufficient capital to enable him to commence
business.
Security had now lulled every sense of
danger, and he sought the hand of beau
tiful girl, the daughter of one of his neigh
bors. His proposals were accepted, and the
day appointed which was to crown his vet
successful villany, when one of the sailors
who had been with him on the voyage to
Spain was taken i'll, and finding himself on
the point of death, sent for the father, and
m fr1 ell 4 II I
deed his son had committed. The father,
though struck speechless with establishment
! and horror, at length shook off the feelings
OF the parent, and exclaimed, "Justice shall
take Its course" He Immediately caused
his son to be seized with the rest of the
crew, and thrown into prison. They all
confessed their crime-a criminal prosecu-
ton was commenced, and in few DAYS,
small town in the West of Ireland beheld
sight scarcely paralleled in the history of
mankind; father, like another Brutus, sit
ting in judgment on his son and like him
too, condemning him to die as a sacrifice to
public justice! A father consigning his only
son to an ignominious death, and tearing
away all the bands of parental affection,
where the laws of nature were violated, and
justice demanded the blow A father with
his own lips pronouncing that sentence
which left him childless, and at once blast
ed for ever the honor of an ancient and no.
BILE family! "Were any other but your
wretched father your judge" said the viz
tuous magistrate, +" might have dropped a
| tear over my child's misfortunes, and solicit
ed his LIE, though stained with murder: but
you must die. These are the last drops
which shall quench the spark of nature and
If you dare hope, implore that heaven may
not shut the gates of mercy on the DESTROYER
of his fellow-creatures." Amusement sat
on the countenance of every one. The fell
low citizens of the infexible magistrate,
who revered his virtues and pitied his mis-
fortunes, saw with establishment the forti-
-tude with which he yielded 10 the cruel ne
cessity, and heard him doom his son to a
public and ignominious death.
The relatives of the unhappy culprit sur
rounded the father; they conjured him, by
all the ties of affection, of nature, and OF
compassion, to spare his son. His wIetched
mother flew in distraction to the heads of
her own family, and coniured them, for the
honor OF their house, to rescue her from the
lgnomlny the death of her son must bring
upon their name. The citizens felt compass
sion for the father; affection for the man
every nobler feeling was reused, and they
privately determined to rescue the young
man from prison during the night, under the
conviction that Fltzstephen, having already
paid the tribute due to justice and to his
honor, would secretly rejoice at the pressr-
walton of the life of his son. But they little
knew the heart OF this noble magistrate
By some accident their determination reach
ed his ear; he instantly removed his sor
from the prison to his own house, which he
surrounded with the officers of justice.
I In the morning he partook with his son
the Office of the holy communion: after Civ
ing and receiving a mutual forgiveness, the
1 father said, You ;ave little time to i've
my son, let the care of your soul employ the
few moments take the last embrace of your
unhappy father"
The son was then hung at the door of his
father: a dreadful monument of the ven
geance of heaven, and an instance of the
exercise of justice, that leaves every thing
of the kind in modern times at an imineas-
urable distance.
The father Immediately resigned his of
fee: and after his death, which speedily
followed that of his son, the citizens fixed
over the door of the house a deaths head
and cross bones, carved in black marble. ia
perpetuate the remembrance of this signal
act of justice.
SHAKING THE CoMMoNwEALrH. al am sor.
ry," said Mr.. Broadshouders to little fve-foot
deputy Sheriff, that treated you exactly a.
did the other day. The fact was, was talking
and laughing with those fellows as you came
up, and it was pleasant day, and didn't wan
TO go to Jail for that tavern debt; but wa.
kind of provoked at the way you came up, and
l suppose it wasn't quite right in me to take
hold of you as did III am willing to settle il
amicably with you, some way, and do what !.
right" MIR. Broadshoulders" replied Sheriff
Lllliput, "it isn't that care SO much for what
happened the other day, but, Mr.. Broadshoul.
ders, wish you to bear in mind sir-yes sir, !
wish you TO bear in mind hereafter, Mr. Broad
shoulders, that he that shakes me shakes thu
Commonwealth"