Connecticut western news., 1875-01-29
THE MAYORS SON.
An Old Galway Legend RetOId i'm Difler-
 ent Style from History.


 ent Style from History.
 Bailey in letter from Galway, Ireland
 relates the well-known legend of the
 fate of young Fitz Stephen. He says :
 Galway has narrow streets, dingy
 stone buildings, and not particularly
 clean streets. One of it's buildings, o1 rather fragment of building, was the residence of a gentleman named Fitz Stephen, in 1524. He was the Mayor of the town, and had one son. The printed legend is to the effect that the son went i to Spain on business to some Spanish firm for his father, and while there the firm made up valuable cargo to send to Galway, and d son of member accom- panied it. On the voyage young Fitz Stephen conspired with the crew to murder the young Spaniard, and con- vert the money to their own use. The deed was subsequently discovered to the Mayor, who took summary ven geance on the murderer, his son.
 But this IS an absurd version of the murder. Does any one suppose for an instant that 8 man who had made but one voyage, would be in fit condition to conspire to murder? If you think so, just take trip across the Atlantic in sailing vessel, and you will feel so little like murder that you will only be too glad to crawl away somewhere in the hold, and feel grateful for permission to die in peace. And then remember that he was the son of Mayor, and that the crime was committed for plumber. Now there IS no one insane enough to sup pose that the son of @ Mayor would mur- der for money. What on earth does a son of Mayor want of money?
 The idea is so ridiculous that it vexes me sorely to see people believing it. The true story and an eminently plausi- ble one, my >. lway friend related to me.
 Young Fitz Stephen did not go to Spain, but the young Spaniard came to Galway, and was the honored guest of the Mayor and family. He stayed here for some days, the place smelling so much like home as to make him con- tented with the people. He had free range of the castle of the Fitz Stephens, which was then noble two-story build ing with separate structure for the hens.
 But ill an evil moment he fastened his eye on the heiress of considerable property across the river. The ruins of her fathers homestead are still here. Young Fitz Stephen had previously fastened one of his eyes on the same young lady, and saw with some trepida- tion that the gallant young Spaniard who wore 8 yellow neckerchief and played on a guitar, was getting rather 1 thick over there. I know a little some thing myself about those guitars. They are death on women. One of them cut ! me o;;t when was mortally sure of hay ing everything to myself, and I never since could bear the sight of 8 guitar. Young Fitz Stephen was not made of such firm stuff as I am, and so he al lowed jealousy to get the upper hand of l him.
 There was party at her fathers castle ! one evening, sort of candypull-to | which all the young people were invited. ! titz Stephen and the Spaniard were i there. The latter took lively interest | ill the candy and ate some twelve pounds | of 1t; but Fitz soured on 1t.
 The next morning the body of the opaniard was found in the backyard, his throat cut from ear to ear, and his hair full of imperfectly boiled molasses. Young Fitz was charged with doing the Iced, although it is more than likely JIldG Lllo ueCS1SoQ OV6fQlCl u1mSoI aG the candy. l have seen just such people as le, new beginners and gallant, at candy pulls, and have made i5 practice to al ways take 8 look at the backyard, the lext morning, for their bodies.
 The Mayor tried his son and found Jim guilty, and condemned him to be executed on 8 certain day. But no one ,ould be found to be the hangman. The 'oung man was popular, and had many elatives and friends. They besought he Mayor to have mercy upon him, and o pardon him. They were confident he would not execute his son. On the morning of the day appointed by the old gentleman, the relatives and friends vent to the house, and the first there ell back in horror at beholding, dang ing from front window, the body of he unhappy young man. The old ass lad hung him. The moral of this story is very plain. young men who are sons of Mayors hould eschew Spaniards, and not fool round candy-pulls. '