Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-12-13
Death OF an Irish Suuxxler.

Death OF an Irish Snugxlsr.
In Scribner's for December there
is the following graphic description
by Mr.. Froude Of the death of "a.
nous Irish smuggler Of the 18th
century:
at was a strange, wild place,
close to the sea, amidst rocks and
bogs and utter desolation. Near it
stood the wreck of rooAcss church
and the still older ruin of some Da-
nish pirate nest. The shadowy
form of the brigantine was visible
through the gray sheet Of falling
rain, at anchor in the harbor, and
from the rocks in the entrance came
the moaning Of the Atlantic swell.
Morty, looking for no visitors upon
such night, had neglected to post
sentinels. The house was surround
ed and the wolf was trapped. The
dogs inside were the first to take
the alarm. A violent barking was
heard, and then suddenly the door
was thrown open. Morty appeared
in his shirt, fired blunderbuss at
the soldiers who were nearest him,
and retired. A volley of small arms
followed from the windows and Sits
in the wall. One soldier was killed
and three others wounded. The
strictest orders had been given to
take Morty if possible alive, and
the fire was not at first returned
The house was evidently full of
men; eighteen of them bolted, one
after the other, in the hope of draw
ing Oft the troops in pursuit. Each,
however, was caught and examined,
and, when found not to be the man
whom the party came in search of,
was let go. At last there were but
five left in the house. Morty saw
his time was come. He did not
choose to be taken, and determined
to die like man. Ho sent out his
wife and child, who were with him,
with request that their lives might
be spared. The officer in command
received them kindly, and granted
them such protection as he could.
Morty himself refused to surrender
it was determined to set fire to
the thatch, and wild-fire was thrust
under the caves. The straw was
soaked with the wet and long re-
fused to catch. At last it blazed
up; the flames seized the dry raft
ers; the roof fell in; and amidst the
burning ruins, Morty and his four
remaining companions were seen
standing at bay, blunderbuss in
hand. He was evidently desperate,
and to save life it was necessary to
shoot him. The soldiers fired, and
Morty fell with a ball through his
heart. Two of his comrades fell at
his side; the other two were taken
the same two, as it happend, who
had been Morty's companions at
the murder of Puxley. One of them
Uittle John Sullivan he was called)
was perhaps Morty's kinsman; the
name of the other was Daniel Con-
nell. The barony of Iveragh and
Darrynane Abbey, where the Con-
nells, or O'Connells, Of later celeb
rity had already established them
selves, was but seven miles distant
across the water, and it is thus pos.
sible, and even probable, that Dan
iel Connell, who had assisted at
Puxlcy's murder, and escaped the
bullets at Cleinderry, was a scion
Of the same family which, in the
next generation, produced the Lib
orator.
The weather making it impossi-
BILE to carry off the brigantinc, she
was sunk at her anchorage when
morning came. The fire was cxtin-
gnished; the ruins Of the house
were searched, and Morty's account
books (he was as punctual as Dirk
Hatteraick himself in his money
transactions), his bills, notes and
papers were found uninjured.-
Among them were found letters
from many persons of consequence
in the country, showing that they
were accomplices in the assassina-
ton OF the revenue officers. Twen-
ty ankers of brandy and some
chests Of tea were destroyed by the
fire.
Morty's body was carrid to Cork.
His head mouldered upon spike
over the gate of the south Jail. The
rest of him was buried in the Bat
terry. The prisoners can be traced
to the Jail; there is no mention that
either Of them were hanged, but Of
their further fate the records are
silent.
So cEdcd one of the last heroes
of Irish Imagination, on whose
character the historian, who con.
siders that he and such as he were
the natural outgrowth Of the legis-
lation to which it was thought wise
and just to submit his country, will
not comment uncharitably. He had
qualities which, had ireland been
nobly governed, might have recon-
oiled him to its rulers and opened
for him an honorable and illustrious
career. At worse he might have
continued to serve with his sword
Catholic sovereign, and might have
carved his way with it to rank and
distinction. He was tempted home
by the opportunities Of anarchy and
the hope of revenge. In his own
adventurous way he levied war to
tho last against the men and the
system by which ireland was op-
pressed. When he fell he fell with
q courage which made his crimes
forgotten, and the ghost Of his
name still hovers about the wild
shores of the Kenmare river, of
which he was SO long the terror and
the pride.
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