Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-09-22
Killed by a Maniac.
A mURDEREss INsPIRED BY
TAUNTs, JEALOUbLY AND
LIQUOK Is DklvEh WILD.
AN AXE THE WEAPON.

PorrsvILLE, Sept. 2l.-Sally Lyons
wss blooming and buxom country
girl when, three years ago, she was
married to Richard ONeill, an indus
trious young countryman, and they
made their home with this aunt, Kitty
X eefe. who had house near Silver
creek, q little mining patch ton miles
east of Pottsville. Because of hsing an
Albino, Mrs. Kesf was known for
miles around as Kitty with the blink
ing eye and white hair"
From the start of their joint house.
keeping the two women were inhar-
monious, and, a. time passed on with
out the wedlock being blessed with
children, Mira. Keefe frequently TAINTED
her niece with the fact. Other women
around The neighboThood took up the
cry, until the young wife became al
most q monomaniac upon the suoJecS.
O'Neill ardently wished for CHILDREN,
and this added 10 his wife's unhappi-
ness.
On Sunday many ne'ghbors were
gathered at tbs house OF O'NeilPs
brot her .in-law to celebrate the christ
ening of the youngest child. sally
and her husband were there and the
women made JOKES AT her expense.
Plsuty Of beer and whisky was pro
vided and towards the afternoon every
body was feeling jovial except Sally
O'Neill, whom tho liquor and the
references made to her chlldlessness
had driven into Inorose passion. Sud
denly sne reused from her passion
thre " a glass at her husband, stormei
at him in tee hardest language and
then flung berself out of the house In a
fury. screaming that she was going tt
| see Dick's aunt.
THE MANIAC's DEED.
About o'clock in the evening tht
people in the little cabins near th'
Albino woman's heard noise like
! chopping, and in q few moments Sally
lO'Neill rushed from the door. Her
eyes were blazing, her hair stream ine
out behind her and her dress from
streaked with blood, in which be
hands and her bare arms seemed u
have been bathed. She presented the
horrid appearance of raving maniac
Close upon her heels followed two men
who shouted that Kitty Keefe wa
Lying dead in her doorway and thai
Sally O'Neili had killed her.
Men gathered around the screaming
aud hysterical woman, who cried out
"If she's kilt, I'll be happy to swim
for it. She ought to have been xii
long ago." A dozen strong hands W er
laid on her, but, with the strength o
insanity, she tore herself loose, and
lbreaking through the throng, flew bac
to the stiffening corpse OF her victim
grasped 1t by the shoulders and dragge'
lii into the middle OF the road, shriekin
at the top of her voice, and defy ing an
! one 10 touoh her. 1t was difhcu
: task ID secure her, but at last she wa
ound and brought to Jail here at o
lclock this morn ing.
RAVIEG IN PRISON.
Mrs. Keefe bad on but one carmen
and this and the condition Of the int
rior of the cabin showed that terrib
struggle had taken place. Mrs. O'Fei
had evidently found an axe insid
the house and pounced on the old VI
man while she was in bed. The latt'
had been dragged to the floor, fiRhtin
for her life, AID had been repeated
Istruck with the weapon until ha
strength failed her. Then the murder
ess had severed her head from tt
trunk, cutting away the last thread {
skin. In tho jail to-day Mrs. O'Nei
raves incessantly and recognizes L
lone.