The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-02
is AN FRESHMAN
Austrian Noble in e. s. Army
Claims Erin Ancestry.
He Has Father and Brothers in
Dual Monarchy Ranks.

Leavenworth, Kan, June 2.-Native
of Austria, a member of the nobility
of the empire, ensign of the Austrian
navy, in which he served eight years,
Eugene Joseph Chevalier de Minar-
tell FITZGERALD, who has renowned
ALLEGIANCE to his mother country and
made application for a commission as
lieutenant in the United States army,
will take the preliminary examination
with other applicants July g.
This new American is acting first
sergeant of the restored detachment
at the disciplinary barracks at Fort
Leavenworth. 1t is his duty to drill
men who have been sentenced for
some infraction of army regulations
Tho born in Austria, Sergeant
FITZGERALD says he always was an
Irishman and comes of a family OF
fighters His was the first family or
itZ-Geralds in Ireland, according to
a record on rusty parchment cher
ished by the young sergeant. the
present Duke of Leinster in Ireland is
of the Protestant line of the famlly,
this record shows. Several of the
Fitz-Geralds signed the Magma Charta
in 1915. For an alleged offense
against the government in 1887, five
of them were hanged, quartered and
burned, and their ashes thrown from
the tower of London. Others led the
great Geraldine revolution, and the
great-grandfather of Sergeant Fitz-
Gerald was forced to flee to Spain in
1887. His grandfather went to France
but left the French service to assist
Austria in the war against Italy in
1S48-49.
Brothers in Austrian Army.
There the family has lived ever
since and there Sergeant Fitz-Gerald's
father was born in 1855 He and his
two sons are now fighting for Austria.
According to last word received from
them, the father was to take COM
mand in the Austrian army. One of
Sergeant F'itZ-Gerald's brothers is
| lieutenant commander in the naval
branch of the aviation corps of Aus
tria and another brother is a captain
of the Tyrolean rifles in the Trentno.
| The husband of a sister is also an
Austrian officer.
They are soldiers said Sergeant
F'itz- Gerald. bound by system
which means death if they do not en-
! ter the war, and in all probability
death if they do. If they had their
way they would rather be here. But 1
am not forced by the government to
fight. My conscience is the only die
| tator and some day l hope to fly the
Stars and Stripes over the home of
my. parents in Austria and then they
| will all be free
| In 1907, Sergeant FitZ-Gerald. who
was then 20 years old, resigned from
| the Austrian navy to enter the consul
lar service. Leaving this, he became
interpreter for a steamship line. While
| plying between England and the
| United States, he became interested
in stories of the United States and the
| freedom of its people and landing in
New York in October IT, 1918. he sew
cred his relations with the steamship
company. Eleven days later he en-
listed in the United States army at
Fort Slocum. Serving the army con-
tinuously since that time. he was sta
toned on the border with the Eigh-
teenth infantry during trouble with
Mexican raiders. He has been de-
tailed at Fort Leavenworth since No
vember. 1916.
"A country which stands for hui
mainly and the rights of mankind as
does our United States can not help
| being on the right side in this great
struggle" Sergeant FitZ-Gerald said
proudly in telling of his application
for citizenship, ''and 1 hope to be al
lowed to do my bit in crushing the
| war lord of EurODe''