The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-26
A Remarkable VIII Case.

The Dublin Court of Probate has been engaged
for the past month in the examination of what
is known as ''the great Irish Will case" The
suit was instituted to establish the will and
GOdiCil of Sir Edward Fitzgerald, of Carrigoran,
in the county Glare, by which his personally,
worth eleven thousand pounds, was bequeathed
to his widow, Lady Fitzgerald, with remainder,
as to considerable portion, to the male
descendants OF Colonel Fitzgerald, paternal
uncle OF the testatOr, through the Colonefs
daughter, Mrs. Cochranc. These instruments,
which were respectively dated February, 1861,
and March, 1862, were legally executed and
attested; but though in all points OF form cor
rect Sir Augustine Fitzgerald, the eldest sur
Viving brother of Sir Edward, who had become
his heir and first neXtofkin ON his death with
out issue, impeached them as having been OBJ
tanned by Unfair means from an incapable tes-
tatOr
In l847, Sir Edward, then in his forty-frst
year, succeeded to the title and estates, having
received his education at Oxford, and having
afterwards been an dttdcbe, during many years,
At Berlin and Vienna He was refined, grace
full, and accomplished gentleman, though even
at that time the continual dissipation in which
he had long unhappily INDUCED had seriously
impaired a robust constitution. The history of
his subsequent life down to his death, in the
autumn OF last year, says the London lines, is
terrible example of the effects OF vice in reducing
a mind originally sound to a state in which its
capacity to think or form purpose becomes
questionable. Sir Edwards time was usually
spent at CaTrigoTan, or in visits TO Dublin; and
oicted at both places TO habits OF drunkenness,
which, acting on an enfeebled frame, produced
melancholy consequences. The graceful gem
heman became a paralytic OF wretched aspect
and filthy habits; the gay dttdobe degenerated
into brainless sot, an indecent talker petty
pilerer; the trained and accomplished man of
the world became an object of scorn or compass
sion. Stunned by his equals, expelled from
clubs, unfit for active or social life, Sir Edward
Fitzgerald, after fifty, was a mere decaying
wreck.
In 1856 he married the widow of an Indian
officer belonging to a well-known family in Ire
land. In 1860 he was visited by his brother Au-
gustine and son OF the latter, named Austin,
The Young man Austin became obnoxious to
Lady itzgerald-mainly, it appears, because he
encouraged her husband in his eXcesses; and,
finally, in October, 1860 she left the house. The
next day Austin composed and published q series
OF placaTds containing a vulgar account ''of the
fight of an elderly lady with cast in her eye
and several OF them were directed by him ia
Lady Fitzgerald aud some of her relatives Lady
Fitzgerald sent lawyers to threaten him with q
criminal prosecution for libel, and from that
moment cherished profound aversion to the
young man. Her husband was Afterwards re
moved to Dublin where, during severe illness
Lady Fitzgerald succeeded in poisoning hi
mind against his relatives. He finally made {
will leaving all his landed estate to her, and theI
died. The amount at issue is thirty thousanC
dollars year, and the relatives brought suit q
break the will. The court decided in their favor