The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-12-22
MURDER in HIS HEART
Arthur 0'Heil Fatally Wounded BY Bis
S0n-in-LaV.
A rr>wedy which startled tho Residents Of
aouth Hutee Last
Tried 10 Ksn Hss wife and wss
8hot DOWn.

Special to the standard.
BUTTE, Dec. 21.-Two shots hred I'm
quick succession were heard in the clear
mir over the greater part Of South Butte
about q O'Clock this M Two men
passing down Utah avenue mt that time
traced the sound Of the shots tn No. III Of
that street. Screams and cries of terror
accompanying the crack of the pistol left
no doubt that somebody had been shot.
No. III. Utah avenue, is n small one-story,
three room house, occupied by Arthur
O'Neill and some of his family. Tie
three rooms consist of n front bedroom, a
side bedroom and a kitchen. The two
men hurried into the kitchen to
find n startled family group.
The kitchen opens at the rear
into a small wooslshed. Stretched upon
his back I'm this w~oo<lshed, n stream Of
blood howing from his side and staining
the floor, lay - man about forty years old
Q~roaning i'm terrible anguish. 1t was
O'Neill. a boilermaker at the Montana
Union shops. Messengers were DISPATCHED
for DIR. Drake and for Gus Ready, officer
at the Montana Union station. Ready
Immediately telephoned tn the sheritf's
office. DIR. Drake arrived about s:15
o'clock. Meantime the man
had been carried into the front room and
laid on the ~ An examination showed
two wounds i'm the abdomen. One was
apparently n flesh wound, n little below
the navel. The other was a wound which
started at the point Of the hip, penetrating
into the intestincs. Ii il thought the
wounds are fatal.
The doctor instantly saw that death was
only a matter OF a few hours at the most.
veloped the fact that the shooting was the
result Of n family send. Mr.. and Mrs.
opposite their present home. Seven
months z they separated. Mrs. O'Neiil
old the reporter that her husband was
not live with him longer. She went To
Rawiins. Wyoming, where she has rcla-
son-in-law, Harris, who recently married
O'Neill's daughter. Three other children
lived with them. One Of the latter, Arthur,
O'Neili was sent for. She arrived this
morning on the mixed train from Poca-
tello: She went mp tn the house and there
O'Neill had been discharged from the
boiler works last Sunday aud since then
forenoon he declared that his family must
he united. In the afternoon he had a long
interview with his wife and insisted ON
said she would live with him IL he would
stop drinking and he kind once more. hut
IL and must pat him ON his good behavior
S s"sis liz them S"I . aid: my '" GoS. ri have my
Then he started mp town, saying. 80
a Assn.r' after II: says s sn". n f. wa" "a.
playing a small revolver of 3s calibre. He
lighted a pipe and sat down by the stove
remarked that his family should resnaiS
with him. Towards 8 o'clock the sick
son advised his mother to go To the hotel
her. Mrs. O'Neil put on her things. Mr..
O'Neill started to interfere. Then Arthur:
his father away. They had quite q fight
together. In the mids OF which the IL
year-old son went after Edward Harris,
Mrs. O'Neill's trunk. The hoy said that
O'Neill was at the house brandishinsa gun
Harris quickly arrived at the house and
called ON his father-in-law To stop.
"Ill kill You and your whole family"
ine IN. revoiSsr. Mrs. NELL ILL" Started out
of the back door when O'Neill leveled the
revolver and remarked. ''Hannah, your
bullet whizzel past the heads OF Mrs.
partly i'm front of Mrs. O'Neiil As soon
as the shot was fired, Harris instantly
drew q long 80 cnl'brc Colts revolver
o:Ssiii.' ~
The above account Of the tragedy was
O'Nciil and Arthur, Jr. They agreed sub
stantially in their ccount- OF the affair.
Al 9::D O'clock O'NcilI was failing fast.
He made the following
"KnowinR that I am about To pass into
the presence Of my Maker, swear I never
Mrs, O'NeiIi says tina while her hus-
band was lying in the wood shed he called
To her and mutted, "forGive me-" The
wife answered. 'frccly.
Although the men who heard the shots
noted but two. IL Is Thought three were
fired. Two chambers Of the Colts re-
volvcr were found discharged and one OF
the small revolver.
Deputy Sheriff Thomcs arrived soou
after the affair and arrested Harris. The
latter il n fine looking man OF 25
years. He has piercing black eyes,
aud is about 8 feet 10 inches
in height. He admits the shooting.
I! He il n ranchman from Wyoming. hut
| hut has lived here for three weeks, being
employed at the Montana Union shops.
| He WINS recently married and his wife is
distracted. She was determined to ac-
ompany her husband to Jail.
DIR. Drake found that O'Neill had GER
tainly been Thinking and Thought he was
intoxicated when he fired the shot. Har-
ris says that Arthur. jr:, threatened during
with the affairs Of the family. Al 1Oo'clock
the doctor thought O'Neill could live hut
nj. a1,,ra Asr,,, nsnspur hsa ~prssprIs xsnrx,