In consequence of a quarrel which happened in the theatre at Plymouth, on the Friday evening preceding, between Lieutenant Fitzgerald, of the Marines, and Lieutenant Warrington, of the 25th Regiment, they met, accompanied by their seconds, to settle the business. They exchanged shots without effect; but on the second fire Lieutenant Fitzgerald’s ball wounded Lieutenant Warrington in the side, after which the business terminated.
BETWEEN CAPT. SMITH AND LIEUT. FRANCIS BUCKLEY.
August 5, 1797.
Killed in a duel with Captain Smith, of the same regiment, Lieutenant Francis Buckley, of the Loyal British Fencibles, in the island of Jersey.
After exchanging several shots, the deceased received his antagonist’s ball in his right side, and died almost instantly.
The cause of this unfortunate affair is said to have arisen from a quarrel between Capt. Smith and the deceased; in which the former received a blow from the latter, who imagined that very improper language had been made use of towards him.
He has left a wife and two infant children, a brother (a lieutenant in the same regiment), and aged parents, to lament his untimely fate.
BETWEEN COLONEL KING AND COLONEL FITZGERALD.
October, 1797.
About four weeks before, the Hon. Miss King, who lived with her mother, Lady Kingsborough, eloped from Windsor. There were many circumstances attending the elopement which led to a suspicion of the person who had seduced her from her duty.
Colonel Fitzgerald, who is married to a very beautiful lady, and is second cousin to Miss King, had been very attentive to her for some time; and, it appears, had previously found means to lead her astray. She was very young, being now only sixteen years of age; and her habits of life had been such as to leave her more uninformed of the vicious habits of the world than happens to most young people, even at that early age.
Colonel Fitzgerald was at length attacked by her friends as being accessory to her elopement. But he was at first extremely indignant, and threatened to fight any person who should accuse him. The afflicted parent, by the advice of friends, had at length recourse to the newspapers; and after having repeatedly advertised in vain for her daughter, was induced to offer a reward of a hundred guineas for her recovery. It was in consequence of the reward offered, that a young woman, daughter of the mistress of the house where the young lady was concealed, in Clayton-street, Kennington, discovered Miss King and her seducer.