Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-07-24
HOW col O'BR1EN WAS MURDERED.

(F'rom the Report of the New York Herald J
Had the commander ol this military force
taken his departure at this time, there is little
Doubt that his life would have been saved
But fatality had destined him for its victim.
and he was a doomed man. Col. O'Brien
STAYED in the drug store some few minutes it
is thought that he went in to get some refresh
menrs The crowd were around the door at
this time. There was scarcely word spoken,
but the lowering gauces Of one thousand men
looked down in their vengeiul spirit Hpon him
as he stood in the door He then drew his
sword and with revolver in the other hand
walked out on the sidewalk IN the very center
of the crowd. He was Immediately surround
ed, and one Of the men came up behind, and
striking him heavy blow on the back of the
head, staggered him. The crowd then imme-
diately surrounded him and beat him in most
shocking manner.
After having been terribly beaten, his-al.
most inanima,e body was taken up in the
strong arms of the crowd and hurried to the
first lamppost, where it was strung up BY rope
After few minutes the body was taken down,
he being still alive and thrown like so much
rubbish in the street.
The body lay in the middle Of the street,
within few yards of the corner OF Thirty
fourth street. Nature shudders at the appall-
ing scenes which here took place, The body
was mutillated in such manner that it was
utterly impossible to recognize it. The head
was nearly one mass of gore, while the clothes
were also saturated with the crimson fluid OF
life. A crowd of some three hundred persons
wounded the PROSTATE figure. These men
looked upon the terrible sight with the great
est GOODNESS, and some even smiled at the gay
object Our reporter walked leisurely among
the crowd which surrounded the body and in
company with the rest gazed upon rhS extend
ed mass of flesh which was once the corpulent
form of Colonel H. f. O'Brien. Notwithstand-
ing the fearful process which the soldier had
gone through he was yet breathing with eyi-
dent strength. The eyes were closed, but
there was very apparent Iwitcing of the
eyelids, while the lips were now and a.
gain convulsed, as if in the most intense ag-
ony.
After lying Tor somewhat Of an hour in this
position, several of the crowd took bold of the
body by The legs, and dragged it from side to
side of the street. This operation was gone
through with several times, when the crowd
again left the body lying in its original posi-
! ton.
Had Colonel OBrien been a man of weak
constitution, he would certainly have ceased
to exist long before this time He was how
ever, through life, man of great natural
strength, aud this fact probably kept him
breathing longer than would any other COM
aJ ~ 4
watched his every slightest movement with
the most intense anxiety. Now and then the
head would be raised from the ground, while
an application of a foot from one of the crowd
would dash the already mangled mass again to
the earth. This coAduot was carried on for
some time, and when our reporter left the body
was still lying in the street, the last spark oI
existence evidently having taken fight.