Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1921-12-14
Famous Trials
ROBERT EARL OF KINGSTON.

From one end of England to the 9TH
er there was great excitement in May,
1898, when the trial took place in the |
house of lords, OF Robert Earl of King |
ston. He vas charged with one of he
most serious charges that can be made |
againsA any 1nan-t1le murder of fell |
low subject" The prolog to the case
was as, follows:
In the summer Of 1887 the Hon. Mary
King. daughter of the Earl of Kingston.
disappeared from her home. She left a
note, saying that she was going from the
parental roof with the intention OF
drowning herself in the Thames. Men
were gent out posthaste and discovered
her shawl and bonnet on the bank of the
river, and SO the people of the neigh
borhood, as well as most of the family
We're convinced that she had committed
suicide. Not so the father, however He
said that ne could see no reason for his
daughter putting an end to her own life,
| and vowed he SAS.ld continue search
| until some clew was found. Many ad-
| vertisenents were placed in the papers
| and it was in answer to one of these
that he stumbled upon something which
| afforded a clew TO the mystery.
! A postboy informed him that, while
driving gentleman on the road 10 Lon
| don, he saw a lady standing alone in
there for q purpose and he was not
wrong, for as the coach drew up to her
| the gentleman inside ordered the boy to
| stop, and without a word of explanation,
| the lady climbed in. When they ar
rived at London they both got out
and walked off arm IN arm, but to
where he had no idea. The Earl then
| excitedly asked for a description of the
| girl. but the boy said that it was nearly
! dark and he could not see her features.
The earl turned away In disgust, when
suddenly the boy called him back and
said that the lady he saw on the road
was very conspicuous by the abundance
and length Of her hair. The Earl of
Kingston at Gree came to the conclusion
that this must be his daughter, as this
was her one noticeable feature
|. But this led to no trace of the girl.
although it had the effect of redoubling
the efforts Of the searcEers However
one day, servant girl Of the very low
est class said that she had waited on
girl with very long hair at boarding
house where she was employed and also
that gentleman that seend to be Of
rank, often visited her At this mo-
ment the cousin Of the iost girl, Col.
Fitzgerald, walked into the room and to
the surprise of the company, the girl
biurted out: "Why, that's the very gen
tienan that visits the strange lady"
i II at this stage Fitzgerald had kept
cool he could have saved himself. but
he acknowledged the crime by at once
bounding out Of the room and making his
escape through window. Col King at
once sent q challenge to Fitzgerald. who
replied that he was willing to meet his
opponent. At the duel many shots were
fired, but w1ather it was Intentionally. or
through bad firing of the combatants, not
one of the shots too effect. Meanwhile
! the young lady had been recovered from
t her seducer and brought home.
Then Fitzgerald, with a bravado for
which he must be equally pitied and ad,
3 nired took up flfs residence with an
e old retainer Of the Kings. Col King and
: Lord Kingston at once HE'D off to this
house upon receiving the Information
that he was there, and breaking oper
his bedroom door, dashed IN Fitzgerald
at once presented his pistols, and Col
: King dashed at him and grappIed witt
9 him. Seeing his son in danger and think
ing he might be shot in the scuff1e. I,ort
| Kingston rushed up, and unhesitatinel,
\ shot the unfortunate Fitzgerald in tn,
g back. 1t was for this crime that he wa.
y called before parliament to be tried b,
, God and his peers on May IS, 17sS.
The prisoner was brought out accom-
panied on his left hand by the constabJ
: Of Dublin Castle bearing the ak wifi
n the edge turned away from him. m
: prisoner was charged in the usual man
X ner.
How say you, Robert Earl Of King
ston are you guilty or not guilty of tti
a murder and felony for which You stan,
u arrafgned?''
U Not guilty, replied the prisoner. III
proclamation was then made by the ser
y geant-at-arns:
-Oyez-Oyez-Ar manner a
persons who Will give evidence upon oat
If before our Sovereign Lord, the Kine
- against Robert. Earl of Kingston. tn
= prisoner at the bar. let them come fortf
80 and they shall be heard" To the sui,
" prise of the court. however, no witnesse
came forth. ann after sundry questioning
by Lord Clare as to how the notice, +
z, the trial mad been posted, and to who,
"A they had been served: the case was cal
:, ed. As the question was nut to ear
of the pears in succession. thew all paw
>. the customary arswer. mot guilty. ,,T
&c on my honor. The prisoner was unanl
monsly acquitted.