The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-07-31
TWO ATHLETIC BRurEs.
Sweeney ana Nicholson are Con-
victed OF the Assault ON the O'COn-
nOrs and Receive Just Sentences.

Sweeney ana Nicholson are Con-
victed OF the Assault ON the O'COn-
n0rs and Receive Just Sentences.
Charles Sweeney and Frank Nicholson
the two young East Washington roughs
who so brutally assaulted old Mr.. and Mrs
OConnor, Of Seventeenth and East Capitol
streets, were put on trial in the Police
Court to-day.
Mossrs. Cahill and Mackey appeared for
Sweeney and Nicholson respectively.
There were two charges of assault against
each.
The first witness was DR.. Beatty, who
testified to being called in TO attend Mr..
and Mrs. 0'Connor. He found Mr.. O'Con-
nor in comatose condition. He was
Frustrated, and was also suffering from q
confusion under the eye and an injury in
the groin. He regarded the injury as a
serious one.
old man, SO years Of age, had TO BIO assisted
to tho witness stand
He stated that last Friday about noon
he was sitting on his front porch reading a
newspaper, when he looked up and saw the
defendants trying to ride on the back Of his
COW that was grazing on the commons near
by. He called to them to desist, when they
used insulting language to him and Nichol-
son struck him in the jaw. Sweeney pulled
him off the porch and knocked him down
and told Nicholson to clay him out" The
old man said
Sweeney Had Brass KnuckIes
on at the time, and after knocking him
| down they both fell on him and kicked him
| and beat him until he was insensible.
Mary O'Connor, an old woman, the wife
| Of tho previous witness, corroborated her
husbands stateUent, and also said that
| when she saw them have her husband down
| and kicking him, she went to his assistance,
| and was knocked down by Sweeney with
brass knuckles and
Hfcked i'm tho Side by Nicholson.
Maggie O'Connor, o daughter of the other
| witnesses, also testified to tho circum-
stances Of the assault, which showed it to
| be one of the most brutal and shameful af-
fairs that was ever tried in this court.
| Other evidence was heard, which was
simply accumulative.
On motion of the counsel for the de-
| Tense the Government witnesses were sepa-
rated and excluded from the courtroom
during the hearing. 1t was afterward
found that the witnesses for the defense re-
manned in the courtroom.
Judge Mills said the order of the Court to
exclude the Governments witnesses carried
with it tho exclusion of the defendants
witnesses, and hereafter he will hold that
when the Governments witnesses are ex-
cluded and the defendants remain, he will
refuse to let the latter testify.
| Sweeny said he was drunk at the time
and had no brass knuckles, but admitted
that he struck with his fist.
Nicholson said that when the old lady
came at him she had something in her
hand that he took for q pistol and he
knocked her down but did not kick her.
Mr.. Cahill said an assault had been made
out and they had not successfully rebutted
the evidence against them.
Judge Mills said there is no controversy
about ting facts proven by the injured
parties. The age Of those old people ought
to protect them from assault from anybody
but especially from young athletic young
men like the defendants. This is
An Unparalleled Outrage.
Unparalleled in the age of the assailed aud
the youth Of the assailants. 1t Is such AT
assault that the Court should be severe In
| its sentence. If young men or old men car
get drunk and put themselves in tho posi-
ton Of maniacs they could voluntarily pu
themselves in that condition and commi
murder. This only aggravates the o6ense
A Severe but Just Sentence.
"The defendants are sentenced to SIX
months in each case, making one year eacl
in Jail, They arc also fined $25 in eacl
case, and in default 80 days additional |,
each case"
An appeal was noted and bonds were fixe
at $500 in each case.
They were also charged with brutality a:
saulting an old man named Charles L
Peake on the same day, and Sweeney ad
mitted knocking the old man down an
kicking him.
In this case the Court imposed fine o
only S. ON account Of the severe sentenc
in the other cases and the assault not beinl
j so serious