The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1852-04-15
riGHrtNG FIrxG ERAI.u,
TIE CELErRATED ptEI.Isr.

The records Of Tyburn or Of New.
gate, would fail most certainly in afford.
ing anything approaching a parallel 10
The wofil,lessncss of the individual who
IN tue lasi century achieved undying
fame or rather infamy. and who was
known As Fighting Fitzgerald" By
birth and fortune gentleman, by pro
fession u soldier, he possessed no one
single attribute Of either character. In
manners offensivsly low and vulgar, In
language siiup,ra,ive, in habits game.
scr aed hrawlsr, thu noss noted dusl.
SsSS&sS1s yU9Se1
this imppstor exhibited in his career
such traits VI conjoined fsrociiy and
scoundrelism ~ would put TO tue blush
the mos. degraded culpri, in our crini,
nal annals.
or descent a. i.lustrious rs tho nobcM
in Europe, The great name he bore only
dcepened his disgrace and Fighting
Fitzyara'ds" life stamps with indelible
truth the somewhat lackbied lines of
the poet, that
"Noi all the blood Of oil the Towards,
Csa ennoble knavrs, or fools, OF towards"
Fool, Fitzgerald was not, for he ap.
pears TO have been man of parts, but
knave and coward both.
We will first trace him TO his origin,
to the noble housefrom which he sprung,
to the lordly and knishIIy lineage Of hi,
long descended rae, which he disgraced,
track him in his evil course until wa
arrive at the revolving spectacle on the
the scafiOld, where he met his death n,
the hangman's hands. bcqueaihing
name to poslelily doomed TO infamous
Immortality.
Fighting Fi'zgeral'r' WAS the cid.
est son of George Fitzgerald, Esq, of
Turlough, in the county Of Mayo. Irc-
land. military officer in the service Of
Austria, by the Lady Mary IIervey.
daughter Of John. Lord Harvey, and
sister Of Frederick, fourth Earl OF Bris-
tol. Bishop of Derry. Ills ancestors
were an influential branth of the proud
house of Fi,zyeralc, deriving in direct
decent from the Desmond line Of ihsl
distinguished family, and lie himself
married Mis-, Connolly, sister Of the Hon
Thomas Connolly, and cousin to the
Duke Of Lcinsier. With this lady ke
received dowryof ten thousand pounds
u fair fortune for the period, while his
father settled upon him an income of
one thousand pounds per annu,n.
Fitzgerald WAS brought up ut Eton,
finishing his studies at the University Of
Dublin, and shortly after WAS appointed
to commission in a cavalry regiment,
rising in time to the rank Of captain.
In the course Of his life lie fought up.
wards Of twenty duels, killing and
wonnding no les, than eighteen Of his
antagonists, and, with the exception
Of n severe wound in the heal rccci, ed
in his first rencontie, never meeting
with a scratch. Suspicion Of foul play
on his part was At las, aroused, and IN
hi, final duel with Mapr Cunningham,
IN which hat officer insisted upon fglt.
ing with swords. The secret Of long im-
puni y and success was betrayed aud
( the cowarll y miscreaut stood revealed
in all l,is shameless ignominy Major
Cunningham having Fitzgerald. guard,
and by powerful thrust strikin. his
sword against the Others breast, the
weapon snapped in two, hitting against
"A a'cd s",tuce. Major Cunningham
indignantly taxed his opponent with
wearing armor, and pulling off hi4 ha,
flung it in FLzgerald's face cxclaim,
ing
You internal rascal 80 Ills i, the
way in which you have been enabled
u overcome SO many brave men. But
! shall take care you fight o more du.
~, cowardIy dog and actually chased
him of the field, Fitzgerald running
away, and taking refuge in farm
house, from which he escaped by win
dow in the rear of the premises.
At one period Of his career he came
in collision with a Captain Seawen. OF
the Guarls. From that gentleman hav-
ing avoided his society and stigmalized
his conduct, Fitzgerald determined, il
possible, 10 bully him into an apology
and an acquainianceship. Meeting
Captain Seawen at the Cocoa Tree
Tavern. he demanded, in his usoal swsg.
gcrring manner, whether Captain Sea.
wen had ever dared 10 take Liberties
with his name and character
Liberties, sir! = was the response
No Hberties can be taken with that
which is already infamous.
A meeting was the consequence,
the parties Iassed over to the cont
nent for the purpose, aud they fought
On the Austrian territory, near Ionr'
nay. Captain Seawen asked Fi,z
gerald If he would fire first, which
proposition he eagerly accepted, a,d
20 narrow was the escape, that the
ball passed close under the captain s
chin. Captain sc,wen then prcpar
ed to fire, bu. Mr. Fitzgerald antici
pa,ed the intention, by firing bis me-
ond pistol at bis opponent, bu. declar,
ing 10 have done 50 by accident. A
cold biooded attempt at murder
Captain Seawen then refused 70 fire,
the seconds anil surgeons in,erfered,
and the duel was put an end to by
Captain Scawen positively apologis
ing and haalins Ftzseraid a cane
for the purpose CT bein: formally
Ilaid acrfss his own shoulders, which