Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-08-12
THRILLING STORY.
A Father Condemning His Own Son
to Death.

en- titZstephen, a merchant who
was at that time Mayor of Gal
way, in Ireland, sent his only
son as commander Of one of the
ships to Bilboa, in Spain, for a
cargo Of wine. The credit which
he possessed was taken adyan-I
tage Of by his son, who secreted
the money with which he was In
trusted for the purchase of the
cargo; and the Spaniard who
supplied him on this occasion,
sent his nephew with him to Ire
tand to receive the debt and es-
tablish a further correspondence.
The two young men, who were
nearly OF the same age, sailed
together with that apparent con-
fidence and satisfaction which
congenial pursuits generally ere
ate among mankind. This ship
proceeded on her voyage, and as
every day brought them nearer
the place of destination and the
discovery of the fraud of young
Fitzstephen, he conceived the
diabolical resolution Of murder
ing his friend; a project in,which,
by promises OF reward and fear,
he brought the greatest part OF
the ships crew to join. On the
night of the fifth day the unfort-
innate Spaniard was violently
seized in MS bed and thrown O
verboard. A lew days more
brought the ship to port. The
father and friends of young
Fitzstephen received him with
Joy, and in short time bestow-
ed a sufficient capital to enable
him to commence 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 accepted,
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 deathlasent for the father,
and communicated q full, nac4
count Of the horiid deed his son
had committed. The , father,
though struck speeches. with
astonishment ndhorror, atlength
shook off the feelings OF the pa
rent and exclaimed, "Justice
shall take its course" He inn
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
meneed, and in a few days a
small town in the west of Ireland
beheld a sight scarcely parallel
ed in the history OF mankind; a
father, like another Brutus, sit
ting in judgment on his son,and
like him, too, condemned him to
die as sacrifice for public JUS
tice; a father consignlng his on
Fly son to an ignomnious death,
and tearing away all the bonds
OF paternal affection, where the
laws Of nature were violated and
Justice demanded the blow; a
iather with his own lips pro-
nouncing the sentence which
left him 'childless, and at. once
blasted forever the honor Of an
ancient and noble family!
"Were any other but your
wretched father your Judge
said the virtuous Magistrate Il
might have dropped a tear over
my child's misfortunes and So
licited his life, though stained
with murder; but you must die,
These are the last drops which.
shall quench the spark of ma
tupe; and if you dare hope, i'm
plore that Heaven may not shut
the gates of mercy on the de-
stroyer of his felIow-creatufe. D,
Amusement sat OH the counte-
nance Of every one. The fellow
citizens of the infieXible Magis-
trate, who revered his virtues
and pitied his misfortunes, saw.
with establishment the fortitudeI
with which he yielded to the cru.
ell necessity, and heard him
doom his son to public and
l1gnomlnlOuS death. O. i'.hi.y
The relatives of the unhappy
culpiit surrounded the father;
they coujured him by all the
ties Of affection, of nature and
Of compassion to spare his son.
His wretched mother flew in dis
traction to the heads of her own
family, and conjured them for
the honor Of their house to res
cue her from the ignominy the
death of her son must bring up
on their name. The citizens
felt compassion for the father,
affection for the man; every no.
bic feeling was aroused. and
they privately determined torres
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