Wilmington journal., 1872-12-27
DEATH oFtAN IR1SEI
SMUGGLER.
By JAMES ANTHONY FRoCDE.

In ScrtbhCT's for December there is the
following graphic description, by Sfr.
. Froude, of the death Of a famous Irish
, smuggler Of the 1Sh century:
1t was strange wild place, close to the
/ sea, amidst rocks aud boGs and utter desc
lation. Near it stood the wreck of roof
less church, and the yet older ruin of some
Danish pirates nest. The shadow form
oil the brigantine was visible through the
gray sheet of falling rain, at anchor in the
| harboT, and from the rocks in the entrance
came the moaning Of the Atlantic swell.
MOrty, looking for no visitors on such q
night, had neglected 10 post sentinels. The
: house was surrounded, and the wolf was
trapped. The dogs inside were the first to
, take alarm. \ violent barking was heard,
aid then suddenly the door vas thrown
open. Morty appeared in his shirt, fred a
blunderbuSs at the men 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
Teen given to take Morty. if posi-
bic, alive, aud the fire was not
at first returned Tie house was evI-
dently ful! of mel; eighteen of them
bolted, one after lie other, in the hopes
Of drawing off the troops intopursuit. Each,
however, was caught and examined, and,
when found not 20 he the man whom the
patty came in search Of. was let go. At
last there were but live left in the house.
Monty saw that his time was come. lie
did nOt choose 10 Je taken, and determined
to die like man. He sent out bis wife
and child, who were with him, with re
quest that their lives might be saved. The
officer in command received them kindly,
and gave them such protection rs he could.
Mnrty himself refused to surrender; il was
determined to set fre TO the thatch. and
" i'll fire was thrust under the caves
Tie stray was soaRet with TIE wet, and
long refused 10 Catch. y. last it bIazed
IIr: tie flames Seized the riry rafters:
tie reef fell in: and, amidst the burning
ruins, M0rty and his four remaining com
panions we're seen standing 1T bay, blum
dcrbu>s IN hand. He was evidently des-
perate, an.i TO save life it was necessary to
shoot him. The soldiers fired. Morty fell
with hali through his heart. Two Of his
c0lnrades'feli nt his side; tho other two
ere takcn-.ba same two, it SO happened,
who had been MOtys companions at the
murder of PuXley. One Of them, Little
John Sullivan he was called, was perhaps
MOlty's kinsman; the name Of the other
was Daniel Connell. The barony Of Iver-
aeh and DaTynane Abbey, where the Con-
nells, or O'Connells, of later celebrity had
already established themselves, was but
seven miles distant across the water; and
it Is thus possible, and even probable, that
Daniel Connell, who had assisted at Pux-
ley's murder, and escaped the bullets at
Cleinderry, was scion of the same family
which, in the next generation, produced
the Liberator.
The weather making it impossible to
cary off the brigantlne, she was sunk,
when daylight came, at her anchorage.
The fire was extinguished the ruins of the
house were searched; and Morty's account
books Che was punctual as Dirk HATTIE
raick himself in his moLey transactions),
his bills, notes, and papers were found un-
injured. Among them were found letters
from many persons of consequence in the
country ohosviDS that they were ac-
completes in the assassination of the revenue
officers. Twenty ankers Of brandy and
some chests Of tea had been destroyed by
the fire.
Morty's body was carried to Cork. His
head InOuldered upon n spike over the
gate Of the south Jail. The rest of him was
buried in the Battery. 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 ended one Of the last heroes of Irish
rian, who considers that he and such as he
were the natural outgrowth of the legisla-
tion 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 per-
haps have reconciled him to it's rulers, and
and opened for him an honorable and illus
triOus career. At worst he might have con-
tinued to serve with his sword a Catholic
sovereign, and might have carved his way
with il TO rank and distinction. He was
tempted home by tho opportunities Of an
archy and the hopes of revenge. In his
own adventurous way he levied war to the
last against the men aDd the system under
which Ireland was oppressed. When hc
fell, he fell with courage which made his
crimes forgotten, and the ghost Of his name
still hoveIs about the wild shores of the
Kenmare river, of which iio was 50 long
the terror and pride.