The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-07-28
o'CONNELL AND MRS. MoRIARTY.

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O'CONNELL AND MRS. MORIARTY.
An Encounter at BlaCkguardlsm.
A correspondent clips from an old num-
Der of the Times, printed many years ago,
and forwards for publication, the follow.
ing droll and correct report of famous
contest at Safeguarding, which once
took place in Dublin between O'Connell
(then young NAM and Biddy Moriarty,
a famous backguard who kept huCk.
ster's stand near the water. The turn
given to the encounter by O'Connell, by
the use of sounding but lin the apphCa-
Jion of them) meaningless words, which
the huCkster woman could not under
stand, and therefore was made more
irate, reminds one of similar encounter
which is related of Sheridan, or some
other last century London notoriety, with
one of the famous Billinsgate fishwomen
who was driven wild with fury at being
called an "individual." Here is the
OConnell scene, taken from O'Rouke's
Centenary Life of OConnell":
Most persons have heard of the Cele.
brated encounter of O'Connell with the
famous scold, Mrs. Moriarty, the huckster
of Dublin. There was at that time in
Dublin certain woman, Biddy Moriarty,
who had huckster stall on one of the
uuays. nearly opposite the Four Courts
She was a viIago of the first order, able
with her tongue. From one end of Dub
lin to the other she was notorious for her
powers of abuse, and even in the prov
inCes Mrs. Moriarty's language has passed
into currency. 1t was mooted once
whether the young Kerry barrister could
encounter her. and some of the company
in (O'ConnelPs presenCe) rather too freely
ridiCulod the idea of being put down, and
he professed his readiness to encounter
her, and even backed himself for the
match. Bets were offered and taken-it
was decided the matter should come off |
at once.
The party adjourned to the huCkster's
stall, and there was the owner herself,
experimenting the sale of her small
wares. A few lawyers and ragged idlers
were hanging around her stall for Biddy
was Character" and her way was one
of the sights Of Dublin.
0'Connell commenced the attack
whats the price of this walking stick,
Mrs. Whst's-your-name~
"Moriarty, sir, is my name, and a good
one it lie; and what have you got to say
agen it2 And one and sixpence's the
price of the stick. Troth, it's chape as
dirt, so it is."
"0ne and sixpenCe for walking. stick
-whew Why, YOU are no better than
an imposter to AJAX eighteenpenCe for
what cost you twopenCe"
"TwopenCe your grandmother" re-
piled Biddy; "do you name to say, it's
Chatin' the people am ?"
"Ay, imposter, and it's that l call you
to your teeth" rejoined OConnell.
Come cut your stick, you Cantankerous
jaGkanapeS."
"Keep a civil tongue in your head, you
old diagonal,"s i'd O'Connell calmly,
"Stop your jaw, you pug nosed badg r,
OF by this and that" cried Mrs. Moriarty,
"I'll make you 60 quicker nor you came"
Don't be in a passion, my old radius
anger will on'y wrinkle your beauty"
by the hockey, if you say another
word of impudenCe, I'll an your hide,
you bastely common scrub; and sorry
I'd be 10 soil my fists upon your carcass"
"Whew boys, what passion old
Biddy is in. protest as am gentle.
man"
"Jintlemau Wisha, that bangs Ban.
sgher. Why, you potato faced pippen
sneez2r, where did Madagascar mon.
key like you pick up enough of common
Christian dec nCy hide your Kerry
brogaeP"
EASY now-easy now," cried 0'Con.
nell, with imperturable good humor,
don't choke yourself with fine language,
you old whisky drinking parallelogram."
whats that you call me, you mur.
derin' villain," roared Mrs. Moriarty,
stung to fury.
II call you" answered O'Connell, "a
psrallelogram; and Dublin Judge and
jury will say that it is no libel to call you
80"
"0h, tare.sn-houns Il Oh, holy Bjddy
that an honest women like me should be
called parybellygrums to her lace. Pm
none Of yer parrybellygrums, you ras-
Cally gallows bird; you Cowardly, sneak
ing, plate liCkin' bliggard."
"Oh, not you, indeed !" rstortsd o 0,Con.
nell, why, suppose that you'll deny
that you keep hypothenuse in your
house ?"
"Its lie for you never had such
a thing in my house, you swindliDg
thief
"Why, sure all the neighbors know
very we'll that you keep not only hy-
but that you have two diane.
ters locked up in your garret, and that
you 90 out to walk with them every Sun.
day, you heartless old heptagon."
"0h, hear that, ye saints in glory Oh,
there's bad language for a fellow that
wants to pass for a gentleman. The devil
fly away with you, you micher from
Munster, and make celery sauce of your
rotten limbs, you mealy. .mouthed-
"Ah, you can't deny the charge, you