The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-14
Execution Of ISham B. O'Neill for the Murder
Of James Little at Atlanta.
History of the Crime and the Par
ties Involved.
How q Clerical Blunder Tnvaida4es an
Indictment.
LOQuaciiy of the Murderer on the
SCaifDld.

ATLANTA, Ca, June IS, 1879
One,of the moet revolving tragedies that ever
vasscnacted in Georgia occurred In this city on
6eptelDber 8, 1874, in which Isham Bolton O'Neill
stabbed James Little with q bowie knife. The par
ties TO this fcarfrl tragedy were both house and
Sign painters in this city and well known in their
line OF business.
0'Nefl who was executed to-day for this crime,
was thirty.two years OF age. and was born at
COnyers, station on the Georgia Railroad, some
forty miles from this city, being brought up to
work on q farm. He went into the Confederate
army in 1861, and during the following year came
70 Atlanta
Mr.. Houghton was a painter in this city, and
amer the close OF the war ONel learned the bust
with him. affl IN 1867 married his daughter,
who survives the sad death OF her husband and
lives with her widowed mother cher father having
died several years ago. in destitute and distress
sing circumstances, though fortunately having no
children TO bear the stigma of q father who has
persisted upon the gallows
THE MURDERED MAN.
A mOnrDful interest clusters about the history or
James Little, go far as 1t is known. At the time OF
h,s death he thirty-one years old. He was
born and brought up IN Elizabeth city, N. J.
lie came to Atlanta TWO or three years before
the late war and worked as a moulder in foun-
dry lie learned the business OF painting after the
war. He was hard-working man, though i'm
provident, and spent all his earnings. He was one
oil the FIRST who enrolled his name in Captain Lees
company in Atlanta, which was fully organized
February, 1851. He and most OF the members OF the
company were present when Jefferson Davis was
serenaded in this city and made speech from the
balcony Of the old Trout House, on his way to
Montgomery 10 be inaugurated President or the
Confederate States.
Little was brave and faithful soldier, and,
though only private in the ranks, he distinguished
himself and won the plaudits OF his commanders
IL his heroism and solderly bearing at the bonn
bsrdment OF Fort McRae, where he was wounded
in both his ankles by piece OF shell. He was in
This city when General Sh erman's conqnerng
legi0ns took the place IN 1864 and was one OF the
many citizens sent OF northward by the Generals
order. He stopped IN Nashville. where ne remained
I'll the war closed ana then returned to this city,
in 1866 he married Sarah Frances stevens, who is
now living with her father, having three little
children.
FATAL PARTNERSHIP.
In the fall OF 1870 0Neill and Little formed part
nershp to carry on the painting business, which
dissolved. There was some litigation and dispute
among the parties. Little met O'Neill on the
street several times after the suit and visited
him at his shop, always urging him TO let him have
SASH which he claimed to be ms own property.
THE DEED
Tho two met by accident on the street corner
that fatal day-sth OF September, ls7l-and
there DID not seem to be any special an,mosity
between them Little first spoke in a friendly way,
saying, How dy, Beltonfn o'Neill replied, "How
4 AND AFTER n few ION
u by swearing damned lie." The testimony
and he seized O'Neill first by the collar and then
ny hie hands, which he endeavored to hold firmly;
but O,Neiii, by turning and eXerting himself
II behind him ami drew from under his coat large
bowie knife and quickly stabbed Little in the all
dOmen the knife penetrating six inches deep
making surface cut OF two inches long, the sides
Of when were Jagged, as If the sharp, two-edged
knife, after having been plunged in, had been
twisted round and drawn out. O'Nel started or
down the street on a run hare-headed, with the
knife IN his hand. Little called out. arrest that
man: he has murdered me.n OMEN ran into a
store, threw his knife behind some boxes and
CONSTABLE ARRESTED HIM.
Little, with some I'VE feet OF his bowels protrnd-
where lie died before one O'Clock that night,
ONeill tried at the Spring term or the
Superior Court for Fulton county, tie Jury on the
1871 May rendering verdict OF guilty ana he was
sentenced to be hanged 10th August, 1872. motion
was made for a new trial upon the ground that the
indictment OF the Grand Jury charged him with
KILLING JAMES LITTLE,
while the evidence went to show, and the petit
Jury so found IN their verdict that he had Killed
James Little and not Little. This objection was
also made during the progress OF the trial. The
tr1al, whereupon the case carried TO the SUI
preme Court. This high tribunal the 18th OF
remarkng, tersely, that II the Jury which tried |
gNeiil had acquitted HIM granting that the In
new indictment had been preferred charging
plainly the Killing OF Little, the introduction OF the
nave sustained the plea o. datrtots dcquu, anu on
the "a OF May last Judge Hopkins, OF the superior
Court, Tesentenced O'Nei TO be executed to-day. |
PLEAS FOR MERCY.
strong efforts have been made to induce Gov. |
ernor smith TO commute his sentence, but IN vain.
CNel mas chung tenaciously TO hope for lile and
UP TO Wednesday last refused to listen Tor a mo- |
mem 70 any suggestion that me governor might
might be hanged, and would not heed the admoni- |
tions OF ministers and friends who have besought |
MN 10 prepare for death. He has displayed H. |
temper, INDUCED in profanity, declared hts trial TO
mockery and his sentence unjust, alleging thar
he Killed Little in selfdefence; that Little first |
struck him that when he made the stab Little
irving 70 put his hand IN his pocket, and believes
that STAB acne saved him from being shot the next
moment. lie further alleged that he carried the
kniie to open paint kegs and 10 otner work IN his
line and not as deadly weapon Two OF the wit
nesses at the trial testified that they had seen him
CARRYING THE KNIFE
and heard MN say ne intended TO cut Little's I'D
heartstrings out" with IL If he ever bothered him
again and one man in this city, but few days
ago, said O'Neill whetted that same knife in hts
presence and sad he intended 10 "cut rascal's
heart out' with IT not FIVE minutes before the deed
was performed ONeill declared all these reports
10 be wickedly false.
He could have escaped once, but refused to do
90 In February, 1872 the jan door was opened
by false key and number or the inmates es.
capped and have never been heard OF since. lie
bnew oil the plot ana the entire preparation before
II was contaminated, and could as easily have
gone az any one, but he remained in the jail, with
'he door wide open, til he was locked up again. .
But on the night OF the 5th May last, he at
tempted 70 escape. His wife had visited him in his
ceii the evening before, and IL is believed she fur
matches. With these he cut and burned his way
thioueh the woedeB floor OF his cell, only to be con
nohted oy the iron bars and stone wall below
winch he could neither cut nor burn. Since then
ms wle mas not been allowed TO enter his cell.
WIN al ihe devotion OF which woman is capable
she has done every Thing for him she could and IL
IL Inexpressbly sad 40 look upop her carewOrn
lace ana read there the grief which has broken her
heart
TIE LAST EFFORT toR coMarrATIoN or SENTENCE. |
The petition asking that the sentence OF ONelll |
be committed TO imprisonment for life accompa. I
DIes 10y affidavits impeaching the testimony Of one
OF the pfincIpai witnesses, was forwarded 10 the
Governor yesterday. He remained In the Fxecu. |
1--we Office until eleven O'Clock last night and care.
fuily examined the entire record Of the case. lie
declined 10 commute the sentence and addressed a |
nOLe 10 MNellIie counsel EaXIuN Thai