Daily Republican., 1882-09-14
HIGHWAYMEN.

!, PS-SoNN pAhSO hdd0 ulb
WING enemies shiver in their buckleC
shoes and continental knee.breeches
hundreds of credulous country.folk be.
lieve that the captains spirit still payl
midnight visits to Allapocas creek, OF
the suburbs of Wilmington, where the
turnpike freebooter IL said to have
buried fabulous amount of treasure
Fitzpatrick was born in Chester county,
ana when sixteen years Of age was linden
tured to John Passmore, a blacksmith,
whose forge stood for many years al
the forks ofDoe Run. He became an
expert smith, and during the five years
he worked for Mr.. Passmore he gained
great reputation for his strength.
agility and physical courage. He was
tall, straight and graceful, with clear
cut, handsome features, a fair complex
ion and blue eyes. His hairwas sandy,
bordering on red, and he wore it long
and loose.
Wien the Revolutionary war began
Fitzpatrick enlisted In the Continent tai
army and went to New York, where
for some infractiOn of military discip
line he was severely logged. That night
he broke from the guardhouse and de-
serted, swimming the Hudson river and
tramping barefoot across the State Of
New Jersey to Philadelphia.
While nursing his wrath and wait
ing for the cat-o.nine.tail cuts on his
back to hOal, he was recognized as q
deserter, arrested and lodged in the
Walnut street prison. On PROMISING
to return to military duty he was par
doned and released, but the fopRing
still ranked in his mind, and a few
weeks later he deserted again and
found work for several months on Ches.
ter county farms. In the summer of
l777 two Continental soldiers from Will
mlngton arrested him while at work on
the farm of John Passmore, in West
Marlborough township.
Heasked leave to bid his mother good.
bye and the soldiers, not appreciatirg
the etolute character of their prisoner,
granted the request and waited at the
door Of Mrs. Fitzpatrick's house for
James to come out. A moment later
he appeared In the doorway with a
life. He coolly ordered the soldiers to
save and they did. The thrashinR hei
ecetved in New York changed him
rom one of the stoutest friends of the
Wings to one of their most bitter and
lntiring enemies.
la August, TIT, Fitzpatrick and a {
'oon companion, named Mordecai '
)ongherty, Joined the British army un- Ii
er General Howe, and from time to
lme guided bands of troopers through
)hester and Delaware counties to prev d
pon money and grain and hay-cocks
+ well-to-do Wings. The restless
pirit of Captain" Fitzpatrick and
Lieutenant" DOugherty. as they were n
hen dubbed, soon began to fret under II
be restrictions of routine military du- 81
les, and when the British troops re- n
red from Philadel phia these two wor- tC
HES deserted and began to make war
D their own hook. Hands Pass, near IL
le present town of Coatesville, was at "
lat time surrounded by dense woods, G
nd there the captain and Lieutenant d.
Iade their headquarters, living in a OF
'rge natural cave, at the mouth Of di
hich they built rough stable for the &c
rejection of the five fine thoroughbred "a
1rses they condscated before they left CT
e EngliHh camp. A
Having made their quarters as COM la
rtable as possible, the captain and -
eutenant began series of highway SO
b6tries and outrages that struck ter DO
r to The hearts of the Wings, who q
ere in almost every instance the SUI m,
rers. AT midday on the public road toC
coach would be suddenly confronted -
the handsomely and dandily dressed =
and after stripping the Al
ssengers of their money, the ira
ring freebooters would ride laugh ha
yly away, and before nightfall would l q
engaged in pillaging some mansion vo
enty or thirty miles distant. Tne lg
'thes and linen OF the captain were of COZ
finest material, the captain having lie,
weakness for gorgeously fou
lvet coats and handsome GOLDEN. i
'idered waistc0ats. The speed and Re
wer Uf the imported horses were IA. He
'us. On one occasion the captain gra
'ly stalked into the Good Will tavern
ere q dozen men were reading rea
ndbill In which the authorities of spe
ed 81, 900 fol him, dead or alive. No the
offered to molesC him, and he picks
the handbill up on the point of his
ord and tossed it out of the window, A
ghingly saying II had no idea / ina,
ftor So swoIIo, Ill, - in a
standing the drinks all round he .ha
the house and was about to mount VIZ, VIZ
horse when rifle ball, fired from ~ w.,
window of the tavern, passed "II ~
Dugh his hat. Fearing that other uoa. -
is would follow, he clapped spurs to i'%I o.
horse, galloped across the stable hon
d, jumped a fve.barred gate and SS al n
appeared in cloud of dust on the ~
l. Six hours later he and his horse w 81 ~
9 resting in the old Wild Rose Tav. "1
iOLCy TlieS uiS'anC' u bod!
shot at the highwayman. Ten days 10 oI
r Long was surprised by Fitzpatrick Ave A. a
Dcugherty on the highway in noIj,
Vlin township and robbed of $500. aUoo N
was then tied to his horse and taken r an,
cave frequented by the maraudors, that
re he was kept two weeks on bread ahon
water. Each morning the captain TE
the prisoner twenty lashes as an non
'tizer. At the end Of two weeks he HT
allowed to return home. Fitzpat- oF th
9 hatred of revenue collectors and maid
srs of the American government ont
80 intense that he rarely allowed thinI
to escape without thrashing. n M
Vulnerable stories are told about mar
DatriOk'S bOldnAaa In auddanlv nm 49,.