The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-12-01
From the Dubuque Tribun
TRIAL AND EXECUTION OF PATRICK
O'CoNNOR OF THE DUBUQUE
MINES.
BY 4 SPECTATOR.

In giving detailed historical account IF the
trial and execution Of Patrick OConnor, at the
n Dubuque Mines, in the Summer of 1884, we are
aware that there are many persons still living
y who participated IN bringing about consumma
ton oi justice that occasion as well as ma.
u ny whe were witness OF the solemniiy attend.
Il ing its closing scene. And as the account we
design giving is based entirely upon our recol.
lection OF the affair." and of those primitive DAYS
IS of border settlement, it doubtless NAV contain
! some error. 1t this should be The case, vein
vite correction of the same; as the object we
have in view is to record true historical ac-
count OF all the circumstances attending the
same
Soon after the Treaty between the U $. and
!, the Sac and Fox Indians in 1872 which resu,-
ted in rhe extinquishmcnt OF the Indian title to
the lands embraced in the present state Of Iowa
, permanent mining locations and settlements be-
gan to be made in the vicini'y of the presen,
City Of Dubuque; and at the close of the win
ter Of 1884, Congress attached the country &C
CURED under the Treaty to the Territory of Mi
chigan for Election and Judicial purposes
Up TO that period, no Judicial tribunals cxis-
ted in the country, except those created by the
people fox special purposes Difficulties of a
civil character were usually settled by arbitra
ton while those of criminal character were
investigated by jury composed of twelve men
and when condemnation was agreed upon the
verdict of guilty was accompanied by the sen
tence. Such was the Judicial character OF the
Special Terms of Court which were held at thai
time in what was known the Black Hawk
Purchase.
And now f,r the subject Of this Mem If.
Patrick O'Connor was born in the year 17!)5,
in the county Of Cork, ireland emigrated to
the U. S. in the year 1925, and soon after ar
rived at GaIena, in the Sta Of H., where he
embarked in mining operations. H'ving tract.
ured his left leg in the Fall of 1898, on board of
asteamboat in Fevre river, it was found neces.
sary to amputate the limb, which operation was
performed by Doctor Phileo, of Galena. In
this situation O'Connor became an object OF
charity and public regard. A subscription pa
per was but in circulation among the miners
and citizens Of Galena, and liberal do"ations of
money subscribed tor his support. In the course
of time, he was enabled TO get about with the
assistance Of wooden leg, when he began to
display brawling and quarrelsome dispositi'
which soon rendered him no longer an Object OF
public sympathy. And IN order to awaken
renewed Of public feeling in his behalf, he set
FIRE to his cabin in Galena, which came near
destroying contiguous buildings filed with VAL
liable property The fraud was detected, and
exposed by MIR. John Brophy, towards whom
O'Connor ever alter entertained deadly hatred
and declared determna alton to kill him.
While passing the Grocery of MIR. Brophy at
Galena in the evening, soon after, O'Connor
fred the contents of a loaded gun through the
door with the view Of killing Brophy. Failing
to accomplish his object and being threatened
with some of the provisions of Lynch Law, he
left Galena and came to the Dubuque Mines in
the Fall of 1883, where he entered into mining
partnership with George O'Keafe, also a native
ofIreland. O'Keafe was an indus'riou :, sol ef
and intelligent young man about - years old,
and much respected by all who knew him.
They erected a cabin upon the bank OF the
Mississippi river near the present smelling fur
race or Peter A Lorimier about two miles south
from Dubuque while their mining operations
were conducted in the immediate neighborhood.
On the 10Th Of May, IS43, Keafe cane up TO
Dubuque aud purchased some provisions, VIII
h returned to his cabin about 2 O'Clock in the
afternoon, accompanied by an acquaintance
Upon arriving at his cabin and finding he Gonr
fastened upon the inside. he called to . Connor
to open it. O'Connnr replied "dnn,t get IN
hurry I; open it when | get ready o Aeafe
waited few minutes when ne again called 70
O'Coanor SAYING it is beginning to rain; OPP
en- the door quick To this, O'Connor made,
no reply; when O'Kea fe, who had bundle in
one hand and a ham Of bakon in the other, pac
ed his shoulder against the door, and fo.ced It
OPEN. As he was in the act of stepping into the
hons, O'Connor who was sitting upon bench
on the opposite side Of the room in front Of the
door, Immediately leveled mnsket and fired at
O'Keafe. Five slugs entered his breast, and he
fell dead. The young man who accompanied
O'Keafe Immediately ran TO the furnace OF
Koontz & and Ewing, about mile distant.
and gave information of what had occurred. In
a short time, large concurse ofpcople were as
sembled around the cabin. @ Common when |
asked why he shot o Keafe, replied, "That is |
my business and proceeded with great sang
froid to give directions concerning the DISPOSE
ton Of the b,dy. This produced so much ex-
citement that it was proposed by several per-
sons that he should be huRI forthwith, upon
tree in front of his cabin; aud an lrshman,
who happened t. have windass rope with him
began to prepare moose for that purpose. Eut
the more discreet and rejecting portion Of The |
bysianders ms sted that he should be taken up
to Dubuque and the matter there fully and
ceary investigated. Accordingly, O'Cnnner
was brought up to Dubuque and on The 10th Of
May, 1884, the first trial for murder, in what
is known the Stale of Iowa, was, held in the
open air, beneath the wide spreading branches
Of large elm tree directly in front of the dwell
ling then occupied by Samuel Clifton. A lar e
concourse Of people had assembled, and stood
quietly gazing upouthe prisoner; when, upon
the mo ion of some Ferson, Capt. White was
appointed to act prosecuting attorney, or
counsel in behalf Of the people. O'Connor be
ing directed to choose from the bystanders some
an l'll-tind 10 my business and appeared per
fectly Indifferent about the matter. AT length
he selected Capt. Bates of Galena, in whose
employ he had formerly been. I
The two Counsel then summoned from a.
mong the bystanders twenty four persons, who
were requested 10 stand up in a line; then
Capt. White directed OConnor to choose from
among those persons twelve jurors. He accor
dinghy chose the following persons, calling each
~ Mae
John M'Kensie, Milo H. Prentice, James +
Smith, jesse M. Harrison, Thomas M'Cabe, Nj.
cholas Carroll, John s. Smith. The names Of
the other three jurors we do not remember, but
recolect hearing il observed at the time that six
OF the jury were Americans three OF them Irish
men one Scotchman, one Englishman and one
Crenchman.
CaptWhite observed toU' Con-or Are yousa,is-
fed with that jury'', O'Connor replied
81 have no objection to any Of them
ye have no laws in the country, and We cannot
try me = Capt. White continued, "You, Pa
trick 0 Conner, are charged with the murder of
George O'Keafe do you plead guilty? or not
guilty - O'Connor replied, ell not deny that
shit him, but ye have no laws in the country,
and cannot try me- Three ar four witnesses
were then examined; when Capt. White ad
dressed the jury for few minutes and was fol-
lowed by Capt. Bates who endeavored to urge
upon the jury to send the criminal to the Stale
oflllinois and there have hun tried by legal
tribunal. Capt. Wqite replied that offenders
hsd been sent to Illinois for that purpose, and
been released u,on "Habeas Corpus that
State having no jurisdiction over offences com
mitted upon the west side of the Mississippi
River. After this, the jury retired, and having
celebrated for an hour, returned to their seats.
upon the logs, with Woodbury. Massey as there
foreman, who..read from paper the following
verdict and sentence.
awe the undersigned, residents of the Dubu.
que cad Mines, being chosen by Patrick o.
Conner and empanneled as Jury to try the
natter wherein Patrick O'Connor is charged
with the murder If George O'Keafe, do find
that the said Patrick o Connor,s guilty of muir
der in the first degree, and ought to be, AMI is
by US sentenced to be hung by the neck until
he 10 dead; which sentence shall take effect on
Tuesday the Goth day Of June, 1894, at one o.
clock M
Signed by all the jnrors, each in his own hand
writing.
There was unanimous expression Of all the