The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-08-16
THE o'NIEL CASE.
shortsIeeves' story to His Mother.
No signs Yet of Charles o'Niel.

Saturday afternoon a despatch was receiv-
ed at the police station, signed Eli Short
sleeve, and dated Marlboro, Mass, asking
who the Timothy Short was that was report
ed shot in Portland. Deputy Marshal Black
Immediately replied that it was his, Mr.. Eli
Shortsleeves' son. The late train brought
both Mr.. and Mrs Eli Shortsleeves to the
city and they are stopping at the City
Hotel.
A reporter for the PRESS had converse
ton with Mr.. and Mrs. Shortsleeves yester-
day morning. They had just returned from
the Greeley Hospital where they had been to
visit their son. Mr.. Shortsleeves shows his
French extraction very plainly in his features
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Shortsleeves were fully
impressed with the gravity of their sons sit
uation. Mrs. Shortsleeves said Timothy, the
wounded man, was in his twenty-ffth year.
AS child he was always remarkably healthy
and, while his brother took all the infantile
diseases, Timothy, who slept with his broth
er, escaped them. Timothy was apprenticed
to shoemaker, but he was restless in dispo-
sition and wanted to travel. At the age of
fifteen he left home, and went to the far
West. Later he took Southern trip, but
returned, and had good situation in Boston
until the Welch's came there and, by the al
lurement of high pay, induced him to take
the situation at Charles Welch's in this
city.
When Mrs. Shortsleeves saw her son she
was cautioned by the physicians against
talking much and especially about the shoot
inn no yad h frrra
that he used knife on any one. He told
her he had no knife although he thought, if
he had possessed one, he would have been
justified in its use. He told her the O'Niels
surrounded him in the saloon with the evil
dent intent of doing him serious injury. He
said to Charles don't shoot me- but he
could tell by Charles's manner he meant to
do him harm. He had been told the night
previous to the shooting that Charles O'Neil
said he meant to kill him, and that all in the
saloon were opposed to him. He told her
that Charles fired at hin three times. The
first shot was the one that hit him in the
back; he heard the two other reports as he
ran but did not feel that either of those shots
hit him. Charles had no occasion for enmity
towards him. When Mrs. Shortsleeves saw
her son the surgeons had an ice coil over his
bowels and he could not bear the clothes to
rest on him. He bore up with good courage
and hoped he might recover but, from what
the surgeons told her she had little hope
he would ever rise from his bed. If he must
die said she, l would rather it would be
quickly than that he should linger and suf-
fer. Three weeks ago he visited me in his
full health and strength, and said to me
mother, I have had rowing life but am
tired of it, and now / am going to try and
settle down." Both Mr.. and Mrs. Short
sleeves will remain for some days in the
city.
Mrs. Charles O'Niel has not left the city as
bands house on Washington street.
1t is not at all improbable that Charles
O'Niel is hidden away in the city by friends,
and 1T has been thought that if Shortsleeves'
wounds had not been of such serious char
acter he would have surrendered himself
some time ago.
Saturday morning Assistant County Attor-
ney Libby, accompanied Marshal Hawkes. to
the Greeley Hospital and took Shortsleeves'
ante-mortem statement.
1t is reported that Charles O'Niel did not
think he had hit Shortsleeves after firing at
him in the saloon, and got into the hack,
drove down las has been stated heretofore)
to Tom O'Niel's saloon on Centre street, and
then went into Toms place, and, being very
much overcome with liquor, soon afterwards
went to another place on the street where
he had a nap and partly got over the effects
of the liquor. About four o'clock as has
been reported, he got up and went through
Cross street court and it was there he first
heard from friend that he had seriously
wounded Shortsleeves
Besides the statement of the wounded man
that Charles O'Niel shot him and Mathew
Kirwin, there are two other witnesses to the
firing of the fatal shot, who can be relied on
when wanted.
Kirwin is now in custody having been ar
rested Saturday for an assault on an officer.
Shortsleeves was still suffering from peri
tonitis last night, but as comfortable as pos
'sible for man to be by means of the aid of
the surgeons.