, 1874-09-14


tion by j. Wilson Mcdonald, of Nov York. Will
bo srcotOd. |
HORRIBLE DEATII-RIDE.
How 0won 0,neil Was Ground on Il
Wagon Hub for u Distance of Tsvclv"
ftilcs--Dlurdorora Fantcn Him Asc-
tween sl.c Spring and tho xVhnct. .
~ Il SS ST. st1 }<ts'a essEt''"'<e' Of '"e
On the morning Of Sunday, July 8, 1874, ABOUT
+ o'clock. ghastlv and horrible alght mel the
eyea Of Mrs. Owen O'Noit as she came lofth lron
lsor dwelling houAo, which Ia etuatcd on tho tin
pike In Altona, at diB!anco OF eight or ni'i9 se
miles from thla plasc ner nmsyaq ~ Iatsh"rr IT, .u
and had not returned Wondering what hsd
boon tho oauso Of hia delay ase arouo end look'
Ing ont perceived that tho wagon WINCH no ~,
taken with him waa under tho shoo. ~ Ely eo~ sr
non, Laurence 0'Neif, Tint his fathor had not 70.
tur1,od, but tint the horao and wagon wotn nndef
the ehcj, Bhe haatened out. only to end her hnB-
bands fooss le1y wodgod p bet"so @ hts tue .,a tor
hanging down. his foot On the ground and LIZ
btaao'frantio by tho fearful Hlgl!t thus thrust
boforc hor viBlon, Bho continued to roinove LUG
llfo, healthy aud strong tho day before, from itB
noaltiou, and, with tho aid Of hor fatlorloBB
alMtd, carried It into tho house..
Tho clotboH On tlo oltlo which had reatod on
tho hub woro worn to sllre1B, aud tho flesh whB
oil rubbed on, making wonna Bonae ten ineheh
In lougth, through which tho stomach could bo
soon. Thoro WIS also a wound FIVE inches long,
ncar tho armpit, which e1poncd tho lnnEa to
Wow. Throe culs woro found on tho liead, aud
the body WAS bruised til several places.
It WAS At firgt thought that perhaps no had
fallon accidentally out OF tue wagon. but 1t *an
soon demonstrated TINT 1t waa impoHsitio to fntl
into the position in which 'a @ wna found, and II
became generally beloved that liz liRu bn1h
cruelty murdered.
4 iury uas summoned BY Coroner I,afoltntain,
and Tho testimony at tho inauest showed tat
O'Noil had left. Pinttalurg hotssoen . aud 10
that one witucsa Ind mot throo mon In n wagoni
qunrroliug, and that groans lad boen heard by
several persous living along tho road, co1nmonc-
ing snvoral n,ilos this side Of 0'Neil's home. No
ono Ind vonturcd out, as all thought 1t to 10
some ono returning from Fou,th Of July spree.
Tho Coroner's Jury doeiIed that tho deccascd
mot hia death 1t tho hnrds Of sonle person or
perHonB unknown.
Tie general belief was that he had been at-
tackled OIL tue road shortly after he loft town,
and that after rendering him lnsenAihle the iu
human wretcl,cB iastcnea linn benoath the spring
that ho might die Blow, horrible deatll on that
1nney road. through tho dark hours Of tho nighl.
What terrible agony and pafh untold no suffered
on that ride to death can mover be half realizga.
Tho most savage ingenuity and cunning could
scarcely hayo devised moro barbarous mode Of
suffering.
Tho Indignation Of tho public was intense, but
80 cosnpso{ely had the Villains covered up all
traces Of themselves that no one waB arrested.
No motive could b. assigned for tho deed except
personal maiice a. tho deceased did not have
much money In his possession. His watch WIS
gono however. No one who would kill him for hiH
mp1,oy would oYor have tnalo him suffer as lio
did; no doubts remain but that it was dono for
royongo and to crafty holliah hatred.
4 doep fooiinB Of sympathy for his widow anh
seven children pervaded Tho whole community,
and such funeral as Ii seldom seon IN this sec
lion followed bis romans to tho graro. THO
Board Of Supervisors of Clinton County hold n
special session soon after and offered \ reward
Of 1000 for tho apprehension. OF the guilty
parties, and tho caae was suffered to norge into
lorgetfuness until Wednesday, Aug. 26, when it
WIS again roviyod in q mannor which added now
interest to it.
On tho morning OF that 1ay posao Of police
proceeded to the roA1ouco Of 4 family named
Leonard, Oh tho road Oil which tho murder tooli
place, aud arrested two or tho sons. Pete and
john, on charge Of having killed O'Neil. Tloy
we're brouHht TO r!atssbnrg, and, Oil the sxa'nina-
tion that followed, tho following testimony was
brought out:
Tho cause Of their arrest WAS statement made
by NJ otd'man named Granger, WIN had been
working for several farmers i'll that section. in
which it appears TINT on the night uftor tho
funeral Of o'Neil he loft plattsburg, about 10
o'clock, Oh his way to the residence or n'an
,su M ta ee ~ no, IL lvns ~
n-o, s,,;c,, ~ h. ,o h,,so ~ tho Toonnr,a
Ha~n ,a ant da,yn md 1,nh,c1 liz niuo Ero innr
he obsNrynJ M I two man co,na Tt nj tho bnnae and
% down toward tie brook by tho road fcucc.
s1hor, ta rccan,;y"d hv thc iii nf tha noor,,1t
~ "nEt' Ia ~ "pate and Lain T,eonard tho fnr7n"
no,s;,t, ~ 10 ssn s,,da ~" "0''" A1' 'o 1oAAl4o'
11y;m saot's. iian, .omo tow,rds him ar,noor
,ap, ~ Is,,d 1a asor liz ,o ana III. .s,,
s'at1S 5or 5 A a corar ~ ~ a h,,ai'aa so Wb"n
spoa IuoI ~ to hrool o.', hnI Irnd,o ~
H. nd mi sootu A, ,,,n,1nr his arm ,ylici'
i,ttar a fa, ' =" tha orn',15, s"rm az II n woro
.hsr ~ ,ron tfc cam,,ncnccd In was1, tho nnr.
o~a,t;an NV o"larad tint t. aoona oa u
sotaI M h ,no a,,"r no,o ~ of .a ,totos
; IT, poou hro,nr mou t1,arono r .Jvaed lin ~ rn
| mar, ~ ~ fh;s iuTrt,,ra a .rnman dresaof in
t%a, ea ~ th nnor nr Goa ~ con,a utn liz
noase' ~ = ~ uI ,nI ar ~ ,.o IT,