The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-04
THE DEATH PENALTY.

EXECUTION OF THOMAS o'NEII- THE NEW BRUINS
WICK MuRpERER--A DOMESTIC DIFFICULTY
EXECUTION AND SKETCH OF THE CRIMINALS
CAREER.
81. JouS N. b., August ., 1874
Thomas ONcil, the perpctrator, six months ago, Of
one OF the most terrible murders committed in the
province of New Brunswick. was hanged in this city
to-day. The murder committed in the village of
Carleton, the other side the ST. John River and
the victim was Mrs. Foherg, tho mother Of his Sec
ond wife He entered the house in the afternoon where
was quietly seated the aged woman and her husband,
and without any warning whatever sprang toward the
venerable lady with appraised knc which he had
drawn from his BOSOM and before anything other than
nm exclamation could be uttered by tho husband tho
instrument was plunged into tho throat OF the woman.
The wretch, turning from tho female, attacked her
aged companion and inflicted wounds in his side
and one on tho muscles OF his right The haste no
made TO finish his work rendered his blows less eHcc
two than hey might otherwise have been. Hurrying
from the house without remaining to the result Of
his visit he started lots in the direction OF The
wharf, where he had left the ferryman The woman
;cr"wed her sonn-law to the sidewalk screaming all
the way and close in footsteps her husband,
who just in time her drop tho last throes
OF death Ncghbors assisted the old man, who was
bleeding prouscly IRON his wounds to carry his wife
into the house aud deposit her upon lounge dead. An
excited crowd gathered, physicians were summoned
and police officer put IN appearance. Learn.
ing route taken by the murderer the officer hurried
Of and quickly his track that he came upon
| him blocks away. With all the GOODNESS magma
bic the murderer was smoking pipe and us If
expecting the policeman, submitted to be handcuiIod
and changed his TO the railway ferry landing
THE INQUEST
He locked up and inquest begun that very
evening Ii continued the morning and
brought to close on Friday evening. The evidence
OF the most positive kind; tho old man. not being
| killed. his wounds not proving as dangerous as was
expected giving his testimony There was no hcsita
bringing in verdict Of murder, the jury being
unit on this point
was the enlargement OF O'Nes wife from him, which
he attributed TO the influence of father mother
This, indeed tho fact Tor upon her marriage she
disowncd by them unless she left O'Neil and this
she was quite willing to do aftcrward, on account OF
| his brutal treatment.
| HIS PRISON LIFE.
The first three months of his confinement, including
before and after the passing of sentence, tho real ma
turc Of his offence did not appear to be felt by him.
but the continued visitation of Rev FATHER Mchaud
his spiritual ADVISER had tho effect OF bringing him to
sense OF hs awful position.
TAKING LEAVE OF RELATIVES.
Yesterday afternoon the condemned man was visited
| by son and daughter by his first wife and by tho
second vile and her child The sceno was affecting in
the extreme.
The mode Of execution was the same MS was carried
out here few years since The condemned LETT the
| hall of the jail and proceeded from the back door,
where the beam had its point OF suspension, plat
FORM Eight ieet of the beam extended over the plat
form and the rest 1t was inside end weighted
and made fast 10 the ceiling The police forco was early
the ground and disposed about the jail yard To
vent anybody from climbing tho roofs OF the surround
ing buildings Al SIX O'CLOCK the only sign OF tho COM
ing execution the presence OF half dozen persons
in King street. opposite the JAIL and they seemed moro
like persons who had just happened along than men
who there with set purpose. In the course OF
the nextfew minutes a dozen or more joined them.
| O'Neil and the husband OF the victim
OF his crime. He very cooly leaned against
the graveyard fence, smoking his Pipe and say
ing very little, but he became the centre of little
knot OF curious friends, who, being unable to tho
murderer, satisfied their eyes by looking at man
| who came very being OF his victims. At
quarter past six Father Mchaud the spiritual adviser
OF o'Neil entered tho jail to Fay his last visit and do
the last Offices OF the Church to the unfortunate
dercr while in tho flesh Soon tho press representa-
| tives wcrc admitted, with others who had received
tickets including doctors and the Coroncr-about fifty
In ALL At seven O'Clock the tolng Of tho alarm bell
was sounded each minute, and the condemned
was brought out of his cell HIS arms were pnioned
and the solemn procession to the scaiold begun AT
the door leading from the Office to the PLATFORM just
outside, halt was made, and the religious services
commenced, O'Ncil repeating the responses in won
dcriuly clear voice
The whitc cap was then placed on his head and tho
Sheriff made motion Tor O'Ncil to proceed Amid
the chanting of service the prisoner walked out upon
the platform, looking rather pale and slight rcmor
In his hands. He veycd the crowd of gazers but
| once and this taking his place Immediately
under the drop, ana ne Withdrew MS eyes from then
| IN a moment Here his feet pnioncd by the
Dcpnty Sheriff, and his lips were observed TO move
few times II m silent prayer Father Michaud stood
back from the prisoner and tho other officials were
gathered At seventeen minutes past seven tho
cap drawn over his eyes and the world shut out
forever IRON Thomas O'NcL The moose which had
previously been placed on his neck now attached
TO the hook, which suspended from the beam and
IN another instant the Sheriff gave tho signal and with
a dull thud the beam fell and The body OF the
fortunate man the air HIS neck not broken,
owing PROBABLY the in which the rope caught
4 midi a hpl
the back OF the left jaw About four minutes had
elapsed when X. j. Richie, the counsel oi Neil at his
trial. faintcd the sight In eleven and half
minutes from the time O'Nell was suspended lie
pronounced extinct and IN sixteen minutes the body
placed the rude coffin which had in The mcaf-
while been brought into the private office OF tho jail
| The colin partly filled with hay.
On the body being brought in II was placed on tho
floor and the fasienings the and feet removed.
The hands had purpsh color, and, when the cap
drawn oil, the lace to be of lvid hue I'm
black. When the body had been paced III the colin
tho usual prayers for the dead w,ro offered
HISTORY or ruE MURDERER.
Before being taken TO the scaIold tho condemned
SAID That his real name was Thomas Mc1arnnn ana
not O'NelL lie was born IN the parish OF MALARIA
county Derry Ireland the 12,h day Of August 1925
and had he days more to stop upon this earth
would be Nifty Lhrce years OF lie emgraied to this
country.ir May, 1859 coming TO ST. John. His occu-
pation when AT work that OF sailor In 1872
he deserted from brig called tho Bcssi Captain Len
noy and that year he changed his to ONcil.
Since then he had gwen out that as his name ST
John but tho u tied States he and his children
known McI.arnan. In 1s43 he married his first
wife and left the United states four years later.
Twelve children born 10 him by his first WIFE, and