The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-01

visiting her alone, the draWlnS-roOm door
was thrown open, and in walked Colonel
Fltz-Gerald on his daily mission.
"Oh!'' the girl Historically screamed,
"that is he-there is the very gentleman
who visits the strange lady. He it is who
brought her to our house."
Astounded at the unexpected eXclama-
ton, Colonel Fitz- Gerald was so taken by
surprise that he dashed from the room
without uttering a single word of contra
diction or explanations; and no concession
that he could make would or could expose
his unexampled villany SO plainly as his
rush from that house on that day. Lord
kingsborough's second son, Colonel King,
afterward Lord Lorton, fred with indig-
nation at the idea that the man who might
have been u peasant but for his family
that he, the heartless scoundrel, who owed
for in life, should thus seduce his lovely
and accomplished sister, and bring disgrace
on the name and house of kingsborough,
resolved to have instant satisfaction. He
7 IL L
Gerald accepted the challenge, observing at
! the same time that his character was so
blasted by the late affair that he had no
chance of getting second, but that he was
sure to be on the ground.
1t was on the 1st of October, 1897, that
the duelists met. Colonel Fitz-Gerald was,
as he stated, unable to find second, and
he fought without one. Four shots were
exchanged, and then Fitz Gerald made an
effort to address Colonel Kingsborough;
but this was cut short at once by him ex-
claiming:
"1ou are 4 damned villain; l wont hear
word you have to Offer
Colonel kingsborough's ammunition was
then exhausted; but so deadly was the an
imosity on both sides that they had ap-
| pointed to meet on the following morning
| Before, however, the appointed time, both
parties were put under arrest by the police.
The young lady was now recovered by
her father from her seducer, and conveyed
to Mitchelstown Castle, in the south of Ire
land, far, as it was vainly supposed, from
the influence of Colonel Fitz- Gerald. But
his plans were already laid; he had bribed
one of the maid servants who accompanied
her to Ireland, and through her did he
obtain information of the place of the lady's
retreat. Disgusting himself as best he
could he had the unblushing effrontery to
set up at the very inn at Mitchelstown, for
the sole purpose of again carrying off his
unhappy victim. The inn-keeper, who
was follower of the Kingsboroughs, lost
no time in acquainting Lord kingsbor-
ough of the strangers presence, and of the
danger his daughter was in. His lordship
FASTENED to the hotel at Mitchelstown, and
| then discovered that on that morning the
stranger had taken his departure for Kill
worth Hotel. Retracing his steps, he
arrived at Kilworth after sunset, and there
learnt that a stranger had come there only
a few hours before; and at once sent the
waiter to his room, with a message that a
gentleman wished to see him on urgent
business. The door was locked, and he
roughly replied from within that he did
not wish to be disturbed. What must
have been the Indignation of the father
and brother on hearing the we'll known
voice of Colonel Fitz Gerald himself
They never for one moment believed that
he could have the audacity to come to their
own town at Mitchelstown, though they
were inclined to believe that the stranger
was some emissary connected with the
Colonel.
In 4 moment the door was smashed open.
Smarting under the wrongs his family had
received from this heartless villain, the
Hon. Colonel Kingsborough rushed at him
as he was Selling his pistols. A violent
struggle ensued. Lord Kingsborough,
who saw his sons danger, raised his pistol,
took sure and deadly aim, and shot Fitz-
Gerald dead on the spot. There are old
men still living who remember the excite
ment caused by this well-merited murder.
Not the CHASTITY horrors of the French rev.
olution, not even the expected French in
vasion, nor the deeds of blood with which
the minds of men were then familiar, drew
away the public attention from the Kings
ton tragedy, as it was truly called. And
to answer for this murder Lord Kingsbor-
ough, then Earl of Kingston, was placed
at the Bar of the Irish House of Peers.
On the 18th of May, 1898, the trial took
place. The Lords chamber being too con-
fined, the House of Commons was selected
as the most fitting place for the trial.
The procession to the House was marshal
ed by the Ulster King of Arms First
came the Masters in Chancery, then the 10
judges, in their scarlet and ermine robes;
then the younger sons of the peers, next
the elder sons, then the peers themselves,
and last of all came Lord Glare, walking
in solitary and stately dignity, as Lord
High Steward of the House of Lords.
When the usual formalities were gone
through the noble prisoner was brought to
the bar, and then, according to the ancient
usage, knelt before his judges. He Was at
once directed to rise by Lord Clare, who,
in tones Of majesty, thus addressed him
from the woolsack:
"Robert, Earl of Kingston, you are
brought here to answer one of the most
serious charges that can be made against
any man, the murder of a fellow subject
The solemnity and awful appearance of
this judioature must naturally diScompose
and embarrass your lordship. 1t may,
therefore, not be improper for me to remind
your lordship that you are to be tried by
the laws of a free country, framed for the
protection of innocence, and the punish
ment of guilt alone: and it must be a great
consolation to you to reflect that you are
to receive trial before the supreme Jude
ature of the nation-that you are to be
tried by your peers, upon whose unbiased
Judgment and candor you can have the
iirmest reliance, more particularly as they
are to pass Judgment upon you under the
solemn and inviolable obligation of their
honors. 1t will also be consolation to
you to know that the benignity of our law