Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-18

PROCLAMATION BY THE MAYOR.
Offering Reward iOr the Perpetrators
of the Great Crime.
HISTORY OF TIE TRAGIC AFFAIR
a Widow and Three Orphaned Chill
dren to Mourn the Loss of
Husband and Father.

About $50 o'clock yesterday morn
ing Daniel O'Connel, a policeman of the city
OF st. Paul, was shot and killed by burglar,
on the grounds lately owned by Mr.. 7. NJ.
NeWsor, on st. Anthony Hill, now the prop
erty OF Frank B. Clarke, while in the dis
charge of his duty as such officer.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE KILLING.
The deceased was one of the lately appoint
ed policemen and received his authority to act
il that capacity on the 18th of last May, SO
that be had been in the service Of the city Just
one month when he was killed. He was as
signed Friday night to duty on the Fort road,
and remained-on his beat till o'clock yes
terday morning when he was relieved by Of
icer Palmer and he started
for his humble home on
Marshall avenue. His route naturally was
down Fort street to the Seven corners, thence
up Third TO st. Anthony hill, and across the
hill TO his home. This led him directly past
the place where he received his death wound
To present the case in a connected form II
is necessary to 60 back little Mr.. William
Dickel, collector of internal revenue, resides
with his family, in the second house east Of
the First Methodist Episcopal church, on
West Third street. Mr.. Bickel was absent
from the house the nightin question, and the
inmates were Mrs. Bckel, her two sons and
two daughters. The division line between
Mr. Bickel's house and the one next above it
is represented by stone retaining wall, the
top Of the retaining wall being on level with
the ground of the upper lot, while Mr.. Bick-
1ot
the top OF the stone wall. The windows of
the Bickel house on the west side extend
down nearly to the ground, and are conse-
quently easy of access from the outside.
Mrs. Bickel occupied the bedroom on the first
floor on the side OF the house toward the
retaining wall spoken Of, with her youngest
child. Her other children were all UP
stairs. just Off the bedroom is a sitting
room, into which opens one of the windows
on the first floor. About o'clock yesterday
morning Mrs. Bickell was awakened by an uuu-
sual rafting noise. Not knowing what it was
that caused the noise, she got out of bed for
the purpose Of ascertaining. When she
reached the door leading to the sitting room
she found the noise proceeded from the rat
Ting of the window of the sitting room
referred to. She stopped in the doorway
which was so located that she
could setthe window plainly, when she was
'astonisheGNto see a man shaking, or rattling
tie lower sash, evidently thinking he could
cause the catch to fly around so that be would
be able to open the window. She saw the
man plainly, as it was then beginning to be
light, though not plain enough to distinguish
the mans countenance. This man, after he
had ratified, stuck his face close up to the
glass, with both hands at the sides of his face
It seemed as though the fellow was trying ex-
periments, partly to see if there was any one
in the house. After gazing in while, he ratified
again, and then put his face up to the window
IS before. This was repeated several times.
and finally the fellow that was at work at the
window, apparently spoke to some one else,
when another and taller person, who seemed
to have been standing just one side
of the window in the shade, also looked in
and both their faces were close up to the
glass, and each had his hands up to the side Of
his face, peering into the room to see if they
could discover that the rafting of the window
disturbed any one. Not seeing any signs of
any person moving in the house, the shaking
was repeated. Mrs. Bickel became satisfied
that they were robbers, and that they were de-
termined to get in. She therefore ran across
the house, and, opening a window, called to
the dog to bite the robbers. The dog, which
sleeps in the stable short distance from the
house, in response to his mistress voice,
bounced out and commenced barking with
great deal Of vigor. Seeing that they
were discovered, the two robbers hastily
jumped upon the stone wall, which at that
point is not more than three or four feet high,
and climbing over the fence, ran through the
church yard into the one adjoining, and SO on
through till they reached the high fence
which encloses the premises of Geo. L. Otis,
where it is supposed they concealed them.
selves in the bushes. William Bickel, Jr., who
was sleeping up stairs, as soon as he heard
the dog bark, suspected what was the matter,
and jumping out Of bed slipped on his pants
as quickly as possible, and picking up his
self.cocking Smith & Wesson, started down
stairs in his bare feet. Of course he was too
late, for the robbers had been thorou ghly
frightened and had evidently terminated their
labors in that direction for that night
He made thorough examination of
the premises and looked all about with as
much thoroughness as he could. 1t is now
supposed the robbers had concealed them
selves in the underbrush and shrubbery with
the intention of quietly leaving as soon as
the search for them was abandoned.
POLICEMAN O'CoNNELL APPEARS,
Asyoung Bickel was making his way back
to the house, officer O'Counell being on his
way home, as above stated, reached the front