The Morning herald., 1878-03-06
A WrFEs SECRET.

Of TIE CRIME.
| (From the st. Louis Globe. March ~
BLooMINaTos. Ill, Feb. sSth. /
! As was previously telegraphed tn
Globe Democrat one morning in Decem-
Der last, James ONeil, . brave engineel
of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, wa'
found lying weltering in blood in the
western part Of this city, a distance of sew
eral blocks from the place where he got
of Of his engine upon his return trip "a
this city from Chicago, and only one block
from his own home. The affair was
wrapped in the deepest mystery for sever
al days.
1t was learned that O'Neil had &C
quamtance with Mrs. Wheaton, the
wife of Dwight E. Wheaton, yardmaster
of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, and
the friends Of O'Neil claimed that Whea-
ton knew this, and had threatened 10 kill
O'Neil; that O'Neil had told his friends
that he feared Wheaton, and that Whea-
ton had given him look one night that
made the cold chills run through him.
| Upon these and other facts the warrant
for Wheuton's arrest was made out. Alter
q days examination he was discharged.
While the examination showed 20 positive
proof that Wheaton killed O'Neil, it failed
to develop anything material to show
that Wheaton did not kill him. Sur
veillance of Wheaton was not dropped,
however. When Wheaton was discharged
rewards were offered for the detection of
the murderer amounting to 81, 400.
| A FATAL QUARREL.
About two or three weeks ago Wheaton
and his wife quarrelled, and as has been
related by Wheaton's nelghbors, Wheaton
chased her out of the house with revol-
yer into Garvey's house, next door. At
this time Mrs. Wheaton wanted Garvey's
son to 60 up town with her after a police
man, but this was not done. After supper
that night Wheaton was taken seriously i'll
and had to quit work, and the rumor
soread abroad that he had been poisoned.
Nothing has 20 startled this community
a, the depouncement which occurred yss.-
terday, and in tragic effect az il isir .,.
ing with the the terrible deed - s1.na
the first link in tho = 'nSe W n.
~ of,nerCor .oaton went 10 the tious,
that h. Away and informed that Office
> IS life was in great danger, as wer'
ne lives Of one or two other pers ons who
had figured in the arrest o.. Wheaton
She made ansarrangemsnt 70 meet Con-
way, with a competent Witness namet
Malloy, at ONeips grave, little south.
west Of this city. This was on Monday
At three o'clock Mrs. Wheaton, Conway
and Malloy met at the appointed pace
and startling revelation was madeby tn
excited woman, who seemed in norta
fear lest Wheaton should appear up0l
the scene and kill them all. She sait
that the Sunday before Jim O'Neil wa
killed Wheaton said to her, sis, I an
going to do some work, if / do it clean
am going to stay, if don't I will 8
away, 60 / want You to have some shirt
ready for me-" Mrs. Wheaton then sal
to him, "What are you going TO do; goin
to rob someone?" On the night Of tn
murder Wheaton came home, Mrs. Whes
ton said, about two o'clock, as she though
He was painting, and wanted his overcos
and some matches. Having got those b
started of.
EVIDENCE OF MURDER.
! The next morning Mrs. Wheaton o
D going out of the door saw Wheaton in th
> shed putting cap on one of his revolver
She supposed he had iust finished tb
loading Of an empty chamber. He CAV
I Mrs Wheaton the pistol and told her ,
Q put it under her apron and take it int
the house, which she did. There was mu
. on the cyiirder and she rubbed it Of
When her husband was accused she SAT-
"My God, Wheaton, it can't be that 20
killed Jim ONeil." Wheaton said 10 hi
isis. I want you 10 take the pistols, wra
Q them up in papes, 60 10 the south pa
. Of town, and when yon get there sho'
them off. Do good job. or BY God, r
shoot hole through YOU" She went
q certain place about ten o'clock in Il
morning after the murder and fred Il
pistols into the ground al point whic
she will designate. When she retnrne
d Wheaton said to her that the Office
n would certainly search the hpuse az
"A would hold pistols TO her head to NAL
her tell, but that she must not wilt. F
;. told her to say that the pistols had n
e been fred since the Fourth of July, al
to testify to this in court. She narrat'
that " heaton had said repeatedly that
Is would kill O'Neil. He said that he pick'
10 up a bar of iron and with it behind b
~ back, followed O'Neil to his engine, il
~ tending 10 kill him, but that the frema
" "" Tom ONeil, Jim's cousin, was in Il
70 way. 1t was about this time that ON
.. ssid to bis friends that Wheaton o
81 night gave him q look that made hi
Us shudder. This attempt to kill, accordi
ne to Mrs. Wheaton's story, was made t
be weeks before the killina. He told M
Wheaton that he would have kill
O'Neil that night but for the hrem,
a. Acting on this information and other n
Id more tangible facts, the officers determir
1T to issue a warrant for Wheaton's are