The Indianapolis journal., 1883-03-20
ILLINOIS.
The Wheaton Murder TriaI-History of the
Killing of O'Neil


BLOOMINGTON, March 19-The case of the
People VS., Dwight e. Wheaton, charged
with the murder of James ONeil was called
in court here to-day. In consequence of the
death OF relative of Wheaton's attorney
the case was continued one day. Though it
is more than five years since the marder, the
interest in the case is still exciting As
Wheaton, the alleged murderer, is former
resident of Indiana, and since the murder
has served term in the Michigan City pen
itentiary-four years sentence-the readers
of the Journal will feel ali the more inter
ested in the case. Wheaton was first heard
of as resident of Kentland Ind. He mar
ried in that State quite early a very pretty
but loose and ignorant girl. He soon went
West and was lost sight OF by the
authorities for some years. 1t is said that he
was a cowboy on the plains, and that he left
the West for some scrape he got into at Wal
lace Kan. About six years ago he was hired
by the Chicago & Alton as yardmaster at
Alton, and became known as a very fine rail-
road man. From Alton he was promoted to
Bloomington, and lived here until some
months after the tragedy. Upon leaving
here, he went to Indiana again, first going A.
Indianapolis where be had friends His wife
went to Laporte, and became the proprietress
of a house of prostitution Wheaton went
next to Fort Wayne, where he became in
volyed in gambling scrape relieving Ger
man market gardener of sum of money.
He was re-arrested at Michigan
City as soon as his term had
expired, and has since been in Jail here. No
labor or money has been spared to make a
case against him, but it is doubtful if this
can be done. The principal new witness in
the case, man who had been his cell-mate
in Michigan City, placed in the prison by the
authorities, has since died.
THE KILLING OF o'NEtL.
James ONeil passenger locomotive engi-
neer on the Chicago G. Alton railroad, resi-
dent of Bloomington for many years. was
found dead about half-past o'clock on the
morning of Thursday, Dec. 27, 1877, at the
corner of Chestnut and Mason streets in that
city, He was on his way home from his en-
CINE, that had arrived in the city about
o'clo ok in the morning, when, at the corner
of Chestnut and Mason streets, he had evil
IDENTIFY been assassinated so quickly that ne
did not have a chance to defend himself He
was large, well-formed, athletic man, one
who could cope with almost anybody in a
personal encounter, and was we'll up in the
art of self-defense; which facts led to the CON
clusion that he was shot before he knew
| that anyone was near him. The northwest
corner OF the two streets Chestnut and Mason
| where he was found, was darkened by wide
wooden awning, which made it a safe harbor
| fer an assassin. O'Neil was shot through
the breast by pistol that carried large
sized bullet The shot was fired only few
minutes before his body was found for he
was still warm when he was found, and the
sound of the shot, as well as the screams
were heard by persons several blocks away
At o'clock on Sunday morning, Inn
medately following the murder, Dwight t.
Wheaton, who was then night yardmaster
of the Chicago & Alton railroad at Bloom
ington Station, was arrested upon warrant
charging him with being ONeiPs murderer
He denied the charge at the time of his ar
rest and has ever since that time denied it.
He is a man about forty years of age, cool,
nervv man, full of physical courage and
personal daring. 1t has generally been be-
lieved that cause of hostility between him
and O'Neil was that O'Neil was reported to
him as being too intimate with Wheaton's
wife. aud that he sought revenge by killing
y Neil. The exact time when the murder
was committed is known with certainty; for,
as said before, the shot and cries were dis
tinctly heard by persons who immediately
ran in the direction of the
noise. There was just few minutes
during which it is necessary for Wheaton
to account for his whereabouts on the night
OF the murder, because his working place is
not over five minutes walk from the scene of
the tragedy and he could have accomplished
the deed and gone back TO his work all within
few minutes of time. Working as he did,
in the railroad yard he knew just when
0'Neil's engine came in, and he could quickly
place himself at a selected spot ON his route
home. 1t will not be proper, upon the eve
of the trial, to stale what evidence will be
produced for and against the peoples side of
the case but it is known that both prosecu
ton and defense are fully prepared for trial,
and they will try the case vigorously. A few
days after Wheaton's arrest he had pre-
lminary hearing before Coroner Hendryx,
who discharged him from custody, believing
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