, 1880-07-23
.. A Thrilling Story.

his only son as commander OF one OF his
sbips to Bilboa, in Spain, for . cargo OF
wine The credit which he poses sed was
taken advantage Of by his son, who Sc
creted the money with which he was
entrusted for the purchase of the cargo;
and the Spaniard who supplied him on
this occasion sent his nephew. with him
to Ireland. TO receive the.debt and estab-
lish a further correspondence. The
Young men, who were nearly of Iesame
age, sailed together with that apparent
roaddeace and satisfaction which con,
GENIAL pursuits generally create among
mankind. The ship proceeded on her
voyage and as every day brought them
nearer the place of destination and the
discovery oftheT fraud of young Fitt-
stephen, he conceived the diabolieal res
olutibn Of numbering his friend, a project
in which, by promises of reward and
fear, he brought the greatest part of the
ships crew to Join. bOn the night Of the
fifth day the, unfortunate Spaniard was
violently seized in his bed and thrown
overheard. A few days more brought
the ship to port! The father and friends
of young Fitzstephen received him with
joy and in Q short time bestowed a
Sufficient capital 70 enable him to COM
mence business.
Security had now lulled every sense
of danger, he sought the. hand Of a
beautiful girl, the daughter Of one Of his
neighbors. His proposals were accept
ga and the day appointed which was to
crown his yet successful villainy, when
one Of the sailors who had been with
him On the voyage to Spain was taken
i'll, and, finding himself on the point of
death, sent for the father, and commun-
icated full account Of the horrid deed
his son had committed. The father,
though struck speechless with astonish-
ment and horror, at length shook off the
feelings Of the parent, and exclaimed:
"Jus.ice shall take it's course" He i'm
mediately caused his son to be seized
with the rest OF the crew, and thrown
into prison. They all confessed their
crime-a criminal prosecution was COM
menced, and in a few days, small town
in the west of Ireland beheld q sight
SCARCELY paralleled in the history Of man
hind; father, like another Brutus, sit
ting in, Judgment on, his son, and like.
him, too, condemning him to die as a sac
rifcee to public justice; a father con-
signing HIS only SON to an ignominious
death, and tearing away all the bonds
of paternal affection, where the laws OF
natuse were violated, and Justice de-
manded the blow; father with his own
lips pronouncing that sentence which
left him childless, and at once blasted
y forever the honor OF al, ancieIt and no.
bis family "Were any other but yoar
wretched father your judge" said the
virtuous magistrate, 81 might have
dropped q tear over my child's misfor-
| tunes, and solicited his life, though
stained with murder; but you must die.
These are the last drops which shall
quench the spark Of nature, ; and il you
dare hope, implore that heaven may not
shut the gates ofymercy on the destroyer
OF his fellow creature. " Amazement sat
on the countenance of every one The
fellow citizens of the infexible magis-
trate, who reyered his virtues and pitied
b his misfortunes, saw with astonishment
thefcrtitude with which he yielded to
the cruel necessity and heard him doom
his bis son TO-. a public and ignomipious
death u ~ W ss"~ "a
The relatives of the unhappy culprit
surrounded the father; they coniured
ehimby all the ties Of affection, Of nature
and of compassion, to spare his son.J
His wretched mother few in distraction
Ito the heads Of her own family, And,
conjured them, for the honor of her own
house, to rescue her from the ignominy
the death Of her SON must bring upon
their name. The citizens felt compass.
sion for the father; affection for the man;
every nobler feeling was reused, and
they privately determined to rescue the
yeang man from prison. during the
night, under, the conviction that Fitz.
stephen, having already paid the tribute
to has honor would rejoice at the pres
ervation of the life of his son. But
they little knew the heart Of this noble
magistrate. BY some accident their de-
termination reached his ear; he instantly
removed his son from the prison to his
own house which he surrounded with
the officers Of Justice.
In the morning he nartnoLt v;tL ~,