The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-04
THE HANGING OF 0'NEIL.
A LIFE or rIcE AND CRIME THAT
ENDED ON THE GALLONS.
Driving his wife from Him bv Neglect aud
Cruelty. ana Numbering his Mother-in-
I.aM-The Last Scene on the ScnnnId.


Driving his wife from Him bv Neglect and
Cruelty. ana Numbering his Mother-in-
Law-The Last scene on the scnnoid.
ST. JOHN, N. b., Aug. 3.-To-day Thomas
ONeil, who six months ago barbarously MUIR
dered his mother in-aw, bridget Fothergill, an
aged woman living with her husband Ia Carle-
ton. suburb OF this CITY, was hanged in the Jail
yard. O'NeH was born In Londonderry, Ire
land inllSe3, and came TO this country when only
sixteen years old. He settled in st. John, and
after a time went TO sea. In 1912 he deserted
his ship and year later married his frst wife.
Even at that time he bore an exceedingly bad
| character, and was feared and disiiked bv all
! who knew him. He lived in part OF the city
called Cooper's Alley, and almost every night
was engaged in n drunken brawl. by his first
marriage he had twelve children, several OF
1 whom are stir living. When his wife died he
| went to Boston, where he quickly became known
| to the police az a drunken dangerous fellow.
| In Boston he met Margaret Fotherg who be-
| came his second wife, despite the objections OF
her father. John FotberRill, a respectable
| JourneymHn tailor.
The marriage took place In 1870 and O'Nei at
once relapsed into his old habits. which he
seemed to have tempor.rily abandoned. lie
regular means Of livelihood, he frequently left
her without the common necessaries OF life.
| Al er time he returned to st. John, taking her
| with him. Her parents soon followed. and set
| tied near this city. Two children born to
| the nnal enlargement. Mrs. Fotherphl had
| never eased, since the marriage, TO solicit her
| daughter TO separate from her husband, and
| thereby she had Incurred the hatre 4 OF O'Neil,
| who frequently swore to revenge himself upon
to her parents, and refused TO see her husband
| again. While living with her father and mother
| she rave birth 10 tier third child.
| O'Neii was aroused to frenzy by his wifes
| abandonment OF HIM. lie went gain and az ain
| to her fathers house. but was always denied
aumIttpnrH. brought "A
| crisis by Mrs. O'Ncil going from her parents
home in Castleton To VISIT her sister in st. John.
She Intended To remain for few DAYS ouiy, Dut
bad weather prolonged her stay. and on Feb.
she had not returned. Two DAYS prev ously.
| WIS living, and had tried TO see her, but her
| brother-in-law, Mr. o'Bren, refused to allow
| grace to the family. Two DAYS later ONell
visited Mrs. Mckinnen, snothss sister Of hs
| home Getting no Information, he went away
mntteriug threats aud curses.
| He pext visited a butchers shop, and asked the
| boy VINO WAS there to lend HIM long knife,
| saying he wanted to kili sheep. lie was half
drunk, and toe boy refused to comply with his
request He tbeu seized a long. sharp butchers
knife, ana despite the circumstances of the
boy. he carried 1t out Of the shop. Soon after
ward lie crossed the short ferry in row boat,
aud asked the boatman To walt for him at the
| Cisueton side, adding that he would return In
| baf an hour. IL was then half past three, and
ave minutes later o'Neil entered mis- fathsr-in.
lsw's house with the butchers KNIFE Va hts nand.
The tailor was sewing ut the table, aud the
ola woman was sitting beside toe stove mending
her apron. fothergi saw O'Netl standing at
the open DOR, aud spruging to his feet he cried.
"for Gou's sake what are you up ~ -
NIthout uttertng word In reply ONeil rushed
at the old WOMAN and as she aitemuted to rise
| from her chair he plunged the knife into Der
throat. On receiving the wound she staggered
to the door, OILS, ance VI about fifteen feet, and
fell to the ground dead. Having dispatched bis
nist uctiu ONeil turned upon the old man
aud stabbed hin IN both arms and In the left
side. lie tnen rushed from the house, casting
the blood stained knife from him ~ ne fed. II
fell In the snow, aud was not found for some
| lime.
! fothergiil's wounds, though painful, were not
dangerous, aud he was able 20 pursue tho muir
uerer aud give AN alarm. OMEN tried to escape
by diving INTO unfrequentei aileyways; but
after a sharu chase Of ten minutes he was cap
perfect comp sure, although by no means ignor-
ant oi the fact thar-he stood In some danger Of
being summarlly disposed Oh W the Indignant
mob that followed him 10 tue jail. where he vas
at last lodged.
lie was iued before Judge Fisher at the May
circuit, anu the jury, declining u believe In the
validity Of his defence OF emotional insanity,
brought 10 verdict OF guilty alter fifteen min
utes' deliberatiOn. lie listened 10 the death
sentence with stoiid indifference. and the i'm
p.rtuiOsbilits that then cuarscterzed hin had
not deserted MN up " this morning. Clergy
men Of tbs Roman Catholic Church have at
tened him almost daily since his arrest. but,
uutii very recently, their Efforts seemed TO he
barren of results, Two OF his children came
from Boston 10 visit hun, aud he has been re-.
conceded to his wife since his Imprisonment.
O'heil spent last night partly IN prayer with
Father Murray, and partly IN sleep. tie arose at
400 and took "a slight oreskfa-t at 6l6, and was
visited BY Father Michau0, who spent ths next
hour with hun ia prayer and spiritual iHstruc-
| ton.
Al T:O6 the bell in the King street tower be-
Kan To toll a prelude TO tue execution. Sheriff
ii riding then, accompanied 10y Justices TApIey
anu GerOw, aud Doctors Christie, Preston, and
Earle, proceeded To the cell of the condemned
AN, aud told HIN that nts hour mad come lie
said he would not trouble him vita reaOing the
death warrant. ONel thanked the sheriff aud
Jiil officers for the Kind treatment he mad re-
ceived. His arms were then puionsd By the
turnkey, ana the procession started for the scat
fold. As they went, Father Michaud continued
10 exhurt the prisoner. Ca reaching the ONCE
In the rear Of the scafo, d. O'Nel Tected All ac [
. OF contrition, aud Father Mcnaud having put
the cructnx to his lbs retired.
All this tine O'Neil was calm and f-pos-
sessed. The - was placed ON his head and he
WAS directed 10 move on. As he took ais place
under the beam he was pale but not nervous.
His legs were fastened together py the deputy
sheriff the cap drawn over ms eyes, and the
signal given. In an instant the rope which held
the swing Ueam vas cut, and O'Ncii was jerked
Into tue ar. The body swung around several
times, ana when II had partially stopped oscilat-
ing II could he seen that the man was being
slrangled ~ death. His neck was not broken.
he knot OF the rope had been placed under the
lett ear, but had clipped around under the chin.
Omen apparently did not suffer much, as there
was hardy any movement Of the limbs. His
hands twitched Sill htly for short time and then
stopped. The heavy breathing OF the mau could
be ard by all IN the Jail yard. In twelve min
the body was cut down. After an inquest mad
been held and the usual verdict given, the body
placed In "A plain conn and buried In the
Roman Catholic cemetery. O'Nel's wife and
one Of his sons were pres, mt at the funeral, and
the scene at the grave was quite ~ cling. The
| hldck uig waved from the jail nigstan during
the hanging.