Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-06-28
MORE LIGHT.
A Complete Narrative Of the 0'Neil
Murder.

III A98W8WHmS-HMG MMW0 J
Presentiment of Foul Play and
Petitions . an Inquest over Hi
Remalms-A Desperate Fight fol
Life by His Two Boys.
TAYLOR DISTRICT, White Pine Co.
June "a, 1888.
Ed. SENTINEL: In your paper Of Jun'
10 you have an article in relation to tn,
killing of R. G. O'Neil, headed "a Cow
srdly Murder" ALI good citizens say i
was c~owardly, indeed. A more atrocioul
or b~lood-thirsty crime never stained thu
annals Of White Pine County. 1 have beer
a resident Of this county for 10 years.
have been to Osceola since the shameless
slaughter, and l know whereof 1 am abou
to write. Please publish the same that tn,
world may have the facts.
In the first place, you speak Of Mr..
O'Neil's going over to Osceols and giving
himself up to the Justice OF the Peace
Now, Mr.. Matson, our Deputy Sheriff
left Osceola to arrest O'Neil; vent to hit
ranch, and not finding him there, followed
him to Cherry Greek, where he and Morris
Lyons made the arrest in the house of DR.,
Tufford. On the day following the arrest
Matson and AL. Nuckles brought the
O'Neils back to Osceola. Your readers
will understand that Mr.. Nuckles is Dep.
uty Sheriff for this county. Well the day
after the arrival Of the party in oscsols,
the Deputy Sheriff turned the O'Neile
loose. Old man O'Neil had his rife, which
was not taken from him. No bonds vert
Oivan Tho Iuofioo {htrJsvan tha -~~A ~ khn
prisoners sufficient to bind them to await
examination, the time for which had been
fixed within Q few days.
Mr.. Matson started out for Spring Val
ley in quest Of witnesses in the case, for
and against the O'Neils, Deputy Sheriff
Nuokles remaining in Osceola. A. @.
Cleveland happened to come in. and offered
Nuckles q trade in some cattle, by which
the latter could clean up some $500. This
took Mr.. Nuckles off to make the trade.
Then two or more enemies Of the O'Neils
went and told His Honor they would run
away, and they volunteered to guard the
prisoners themselves. Thereupon Justice
Farnhsm had the O'Neils arrested and
disarmed-just what his cold blooded
murderers wanted, for they feared ever
the one rifle in the hands Of the old man.
When O'Neil was brought before the
Justice the second time he told His Honor
he did not like the move; that he was the
prisoner of the Sheriff, and he pointed out
the danger Of the place they proposed to
take him to. The Justice replied, ''The
place is good enough" and ordered the
prisoner disarmed.
O'Neil looked then earnestly into the
face of the Court and said, as though he
was warned of q foul purpose by a pre-
sentiment: IF the citizens of Spring
Valley murder mt before morning, you
hold an inquest ever my remains"
In the meantime two good citizens of
Osceola, perceiving the object Of the move
and the danger ahead for the disarmed
and helpless prisoners, went to Justice
Farnham and offered their services, free
of charge, to stand guard over them. His
answer was simply, "No, your services
are not needed" All the while he knew
full we'll that he had turned the prisoners
over to stockmen, the only enemies that
poor old O'Neil and his boys had.
In regard to O'Neil's sons, you state that
they were armed and showed fight. Now,
from the time the O'Neils were first ar
rested up to and after the murder of their
father, neither of the two sons had any
arms on them, not ss much as . pocket
knife.
Mr.. Davis, in his paper, the Cherry
Greek News, q y he thinks the Grand
Jury cannot or will not do anything. Sir,
we here think and hope differently, for il
would be q burning shame and disgrace
for every officer and citizen to allow
small band Of midnight assassins to 60 o
large.
Mr.. Davis also states that the O'Neilt
were q bulldosiDg set and a terror to Their
neighborhood. l think he makes a ran
dom statement. Until the day Of O'Neil'i
death he stood unconvicted of any crime
whatsoever, and I defy any one to prove
the contrary. O'Neil had trouble with
his neighbors, l admit, but whenever an
officer of the law went to Mr.. O'Neil'i
house he was treated with respect and
courtesy, as | can prove by more than ont
officer.
The u~nvarnished facts of the crue
murder are these: 1t was l O'Clock in the
morning that the deed was committed
The prisoners were asleep. The two
stockmen, his recognized enemies, we're on
guard over them, Williams on the
outside OF the house and Denton on
the inside. The victims we're reused
from their sleep by the entrance of masked
men, armed with shotguns, rifles and
pistols. One Of the ~ruffians advanced
upon old man O'Neil, and as be arose
up from bed placed q pistol to his hear
and shot him dead. So close was thu
weapon placed to the old mans bosom
that his shirt caught aire from the flash
of the powder. At the inquest his son
William swore that he struck his father
murderer in the face with his hand anc
xo.A Isc r.a.r III s1a-kGaI kha I'll
lain, who, / am sorry to say, has not beer
this mans mask q rife was put to hi
breast, but he caught hold Of the barre
and turned the muzzle downwards. The
discharge was received in the leg, and his
hands were badly burned. While THU
struggle was in progress the larger part
of the crowd were jostling with Richard
the elder of the boys. They overcame hin
and dragged him out of the slaughter pen
beating his head almost to q jelly with
their dubbed weapons, while they in
dulged in such remarks as this: "Damr
him, he's got a hard head, hasn't he
thought"
Meanwhile the OUNCE son, William
seeing his father dead, his brother heater
to the ground, and having no power Il
resist, tore away from the assassins sni
forced his way into the second house b
tried In the race for life. The cowardl
fred upon him as he fled, and he received
q pistol ball in his back. from the effect
of which I am afraid he will never re
cover. A load Of buckshot, also aimee
for him, buried itself in the door-case q
his heels as he forced his way into tn,
house.
Now. sir. these are A few Of the sicken