The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-12-09

| miles soutn from Dubuque; Wblle tAetf
mining operations were conducted in the
immediate neighborhood. On The 10Th Of
May, 1884, O'Keafe came up TO Dubuque
and purchased some provisions, when he
returned to his cabin about 2 O'Clock in the
afternoon, accompanied by an acquaint-
nnce. Upon arriving at his cabin and find
ing the door fastened upon the inside, he
called to O'Connor to open it. pConnor
replied s'don't be in 4 hurry, III open il
when get ready" O'Keafe waited a
few minutes when he again called to
.O'Connor, saying, iii is beginning TO rain;
open tho door quick" TO this O'Connor
made no reply; when O'Keafe, who had
bundle in one hand and ham OF bacon in
the other, placed his shoulder against the
door, and forced il open. As be was in
The act Of stepping into the house, O'Con
nor, who was sitting upon bench, on the
opposite side of the room in front oi the
door. Immediately lereied musket and
fred at. O'keafe. Five Sings entered his
breast, and he fell dead Tho young man
who accompanied O'keaGe immediately
ran to the furnace of koontz q Ewing.
4bout mile distant, and gave informa-
ion Of what had occurred. In short
time, large concourse Of people were as
sembed around the cabin. O'Connor when
asked why he shot OKeafe, replied, ,"That
il nv business" and proceeded with great
sa ng iroid to give directions concerning the
disposition ofthe body. This produced 50
much excitement that it was proposed BY
several persons that be should be hung
forthwith, upon tree in from: Of his cabin:
nd an Irishman, who happened TO have
! windIass rope with him, began 10 prepare
/ moose fer that purpose. Bat the more
discreet and rejecting portion ol the by
.landers insisted that he should be taken
up TO Dubuque, and the matter there fully
md fairly investigated. Accordingly
lO'Connor was brought up TO Dubuque
and on the ooh Of MAY, 1881, the first
trial for murder, in wha, is known rs the
State of lows. was held in the open air, be
neath the wide spreading branches Of .
sree elm tree, directly in front Of the
dwelling then occupied by Samuel Clifton.
4 large concourse of people had assembled,
and stood quietly gazing upon the prison
er; when, Upon motion OF some person.
Capt. White was appointed 10 &C, as prose
cutting attorney, or counsel in behalf Of the
people. O'Connor, being directed to
choose from the bystanders some person to
nc, as his counsel, observed, "Failh, an III
tind 10 nv own business" and appeared
4 ~. IL. A,
length he selected Capt. Bates of Galena,
in whose employ he had formerly been.
The two Counsel then summoned from
among the bystanders twentyfonr persona,
who were requested to stand up in line;
then Capt. White directed O'Connor 10
choose from among those persons twelve
Jurors. He accordingly chose the follow.
ing persons, calling each bv name: Wood
bury Massey. Hosea r. Camp, JDhn Nc.
Kensie, Milo II. Prentice, James Smith,
J sse NJ Harrison, Thomas McCabe.
Nicholas Carroll, John S. Smith. The
names OF the other three urors we do not
remember, but recollect hearing it observed
al the time that six Of the jury were
Americans three Of them lrishmeD, one
Scotchman, one Engishman and one
Frenchman.
The jury being seated upon some house
lors, Capt. White observed to O'Connor
Are you satisfied with that jury ~
O'Connor replied 81 have no objection io
any of them; We have no laws in the coun-
try, and We canno, try me!' Capt. White
continued, "You, Patrick O'Connor, are
charged with the murder Of George
O'Keafe; do you plead guilty or not gull
ts 7" O'Conuor replied, "l'il not deny
,ha, shot him, but We have no laws in the
country, and cannot try me-" Three or
four witnesses were then examined; +; when
Capt. White addressed the jury for a few
minutes, and was followed by Capt Bates,
who endeavorea to urge upon the jury to
send The criminal 10 the State OF Illinois,
and there have him tried bya legal trlbu-
nal. Capt. White replied that offenders
had been sent TO Illinois for that purpose,
and had been released upon "Habeas Cor
pus," that State having no Jurisdiction
over offences committed upon the west side
Of the Mississippi River. After this, the
Jury retired, and having deliberuted for an
hour, returned to their seats, upon The logs,
with Woodbury. Massy as their foreman,
who read from paper the following YER
dict and sentence:
"We the Undersigned, residents Of the
Dubuque Lead Mines, being chosen by
Patrick O'Connor, and empanneled as n
Jury to try the matter wherein Patrick
O'Connor is charged with the murder OF
George O'keafe, do find that the said Pat
rick O'Connor is guilty Of murder in The
first degree, and ough, to be, and is by us
sentenced to be hung by the neck until he
is dead; which sentence shall take effect or
Tuesday the Goth day Of June, 1884, at
one o'clock z. NJ"
Signed by all the jurors, each in his own
hand writing.
There was unanimous expression OF al!
| The b,standers in favor OF the decision OF
\ the iury. No dissenting voice was heard
until short time before tho execution
when tho Rev. Mr.. Filzmaurice Catho-
| lie priest from Galena, visited OConnor
and inveighed against the act of the peo'
| pie, denouncing it as being Illegal and I'm
just. Immediately the Catholic portion o.
the Irish people, became cool upon Tho
subject, aud it was evident that they in
tended TO take no further part in the mat
ter