The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-02-21
THE TRIAL OF O'TOOLE.
FOR NIURDEROUS ASSAULT UPON CHAS.
CALLAHAN,
How He Tried to Win a Bride
VERDICT RIOT GUILT

tent to murder Charles Callahan, near EdgewoOd,
on Sunday Dec. ID, 1889, began on Monday; Mr..
j. Edwin Webster represented the Stale, MeSsrs.
VIM. Young, Maynadier and Cooley appearing Tor
the prisoner.
testified that on the night before the shooting
O'TOole told him Callahan thrashed him. On Sum
day morning, Dec. 49, O'Tooe came into his office
at quarter past seven O'Clock. having pistol,
and said he was going down to kill Charles Gala
han. He left going in the direction of Galatians
After about two hours he returned and said he had
been shot. He remained in the telegraph office
until nearly II O'Clock, when he was taken to his
boarding house, and from thence to a hospital in
Baltimore. There was bullet wound i'll his lett
hip and another under his right arm.
Charles Harvey testified that on Sunday night
O"rooe said that he had been shot by Charles
Callahan, and showed slight abrasion on his neck
and a slight injury to one of his eyes. 0Toole
also said he was going to geta warrant for Charles
Callahan and was going back to settle with him.
Sunday morning witness saw O"ToOe leave the
telegraph office and go towards Callahan'S. AT
II o'clock saw O,Ioole lying ON his back in the
telegraph office. There was blood on top of his
head and under his right arm. Saw DR.. Opper-
man probe the wounds i'll the hip and under the
arm.
Justice Geo. NJ. Hardy testified that at 10 O'Clock
Saturday night O'Iooe came to his house intoXl-
said he and Charley Callahan had had fight and
he wanted warrant for Callahan's arrest Wit
ness told him to go home and come back in the
morning. O'ToOle said if he had had his pistol
Callahan would be Il dead man and added if he came
across him that night Callahan would be a
dead t man h saw 1oe sunday sun avn m0 %
Witness telegraphed for the sheriff. O'TOole said
the fight was about Katie Callahan.
Charles Smith, colored, testified that on Saturday
night he met .O'Toole going towards Callahan's.-
He was intoxicated. Heard him mutter that he
gonGg to sheet the s sSa nd
husband live with his father mother and sister,
namely, William and Bridget Callahan, and their
daughter Kate. After much cross examining by
Mr. Young an account of the occurrences preced-
ing and during the shooting was drawn out piece
meal. On Sunday night, Dec. IA, O'Toole, who had
lnrlNr in into Tho
kitchen where she, her mother-n-law and Henry
Roberts were. O'Toole took her sx-months-old
baby from her lap and after fondlng the child for
a while, gathered up its clothes and said he would
stand the child in pan of hot water which stood
on the stove. Witness took the pan away, and
then OToole wanted to set the child on hot bread
Presently William Callahan and his son Charles
came in and sat down. After several minutes of
let witnesses father-in-law and husband beat him
for tramp. That occurrence was two months be-
fore. Charley told OToole he had no right to beat
the man in the house. OToole called Charley a
liar. VIM. Callahan undertook to put O'Toole out
when the .h Latter struck him Charley tried to
Charles and bit him on the arm. Charley then
came in. Katie had seen OToole outside before
the row began
The next morning while witness was getting
breakfast in the kitchen and Katie holding the
baby, O'Toole gave the door a kick. No one OPEN
asked for Charley and the old man. He was told
they were not there 0'Toole walked through the
een aars .he wnn ng T0o n from tT %hence
room and got her husbands revolver from shelf
Katie followed and put wood in the dining-room
liam, Bridget and Charles Callahan and Henry
Roberts were milking the cows. She gave her hus-
eFd the aTe and Mrs she
coaxing him to go back to the house. Then she
saw O'Toole firing his pistol towards the back
thought she had been shot. She next saw O'TOole
fire at her husband. who then went nearer to him
and and got behind wagon; oToole fred another
O'Toole then ran down the lane, and when about
to fall her husband fired at him again. Her hus-
band ran and getting upon OToole took his pistol
from him.
One of OToole's shots struck and wounded a
pig.
witness called being Katie Callahan She testified
that Mike came Saturday night and had been there
some u tlme before Sne me saw MN Ihey were en-,
It, Mike went to Baltimore for the license and
said he had rented a house and bought furniture.
Father Sartori having obtained a diSpensation for
the wedding, which was to take place next day.
Witness was to get a horse and wagon, meet her
lover at Edgewood and together go TO ST. Francis
Church, Abingdon to be married at IL O'Clock. A
letter was shown. which the witness admitted was
hers, in which she said she was in doubt whether
not. She had talk with him on the porch Satur-
day night. He came to the house Sunday morn
ing, kicked at the door and then walked in and
said, where's Charley and the old man? I'm
going to shoot them BOTH Her sister-in-law and
herself replied that they were not there He went
through the kitchen into the dining-room and
then went up stairs. Her sister in law followed
and got the pistol. witness standing in the door
way; OToole came down and went out as far as
the barn. Hermother met him and came with him
him to the house. O'Toole came i'll and sat
down, when her mother told him he had better
Side. The first shot she heard was when Mike
went to the barn. She saw Mike lodging from one
tree to another and going down the lane but heard
no shot fired as he was falling After the shooting
she saw Mike sitting on the porch, with blood on
his forehead. Her mother was then on the lounge.
Her lip was cut and her chest black and blue.
Mrs. Bridget Callahan mother OF Kate. testified
that O'Tooe came to her house on the Saturday
night before the shooting. with lantern. He had
Bodt, with whom he boarded, the family being
kind to him. Witness thought he had come to
pay for the turkey, but he said he had no money.
After remaining outside until the men left he came
in and sat down. Getting up he took the baby
from her .daughter-in-law, and after nursing it
awhile gathered up its clothes and was about to
plunge It in pan of hot water. Witness had a
pan of hot bread in her hand, which she dropped
to put the baby in the hot pan. Her daughter-in-
law took the baby away from him. Her husband
and son coming in, O'Toole said to witness: You
let such and such people abuse me-" He referred
to man he had sent to work for them and with
whom O'ToOe had fight. | said no. He caught
hold OF me and struck me- My son rushed in and
he set the dog on him. and O'Tooe bill my son on his
arm. He remained an hour and left saying he
would come back Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning while they were milking
witness saw O'Toole coming towards the barn :,
with a revolver, her daughter-in-law having said
that O,Toole was coming TO shoot her husband and
son. Witness went out and wanted O'Toole to go
home. After a tussle he went to the house with
her. She ordered him to leave but he said he would
not until he had shot her husband and son. She
was washing her hands i'll tin basin full of warm
water on the porch when O'TOOle struck her on the
mouth and chest and knocking her down kicked
her. He fired at her. and when her son came to
her assistance OTOole turned to fire at him, when
she threw the water on him. Witness became I'M
conscious, and when she recovered she saw her
husband and son taking OToOle's revolver from
him. She ran out and recovered her shawlbonnet,
which O'Toole had taken from her head. O'Toole
was rogue enough to tumble himself on the ground,
said the witness. After his revolver was taken the
men went to look after the milk and OToole got up,
came to the house and laid down on the porch
She fired" his coat out to him ana he put his head
on it. After awhile he got up and went away.
Several times the witness became very angry at
the repetition of questions and at last said to Mr.
Young: i've told you that three times. Do you
want me to perjure myself? You do. 1 see it in
you'
MIR. Young declared that he only wanted the
truth and appealed to Judge Waters to compel the
witness to answer his questions.
Witness said she did not know of O'TOole'S en-
gagement to her daughter until the Sunday spoken
of, when Katie told her father. III she had told
me-" said the Witness Il would have knocked her
William Callahan testified that on Saturday
night when he and his son came into the house,
after feeding the CATTLE they found OToole there.
He used vulgar language to his wife and son and
witness ordered him OUT. He refused to leave and
witness put. him out: On the porch they both
and daughter came between them and his son and
O'Toole came in contact and Scuff1ed. They were
separated and he took his son in the house and
kept him there. His wife remained outside trying
to get OToole to go away. The latter went
around to another door, getting saw on his way,
and tried to burst ill., saying he would cut the head
off him with the saw. After some time OToole
left.
On Sunday morning while milking at the barn
his daughter-in-law ran in and said O'TOOle was in
the house looking for Charley and the old man, to
shoot them. His son went out OF the barn door
when he heard Il shot and his son came back. Wit
shut the door and made his son go up into the
hay-mow. His wife went out. After some time he
side of the wheels of Il wagon. Saw O'Toole from
behind a tree fire at his son. After firing he dodg
ed to another tree, and then to the milk house
His son followed and as OToole was crossing the
again, then ran. He stumbled and as he fell
Charley jumped on him. O'TOOle had his fingers
on the trigger of the revolver. Witness told his
son to hold his wrist and we wrenched the pistol
from him. Father and son then went back to the
house, leaving OToOle on the ground and carried
Mrs. Callahan into the house. O'TOole got up and
laid down on the kitchen porch. Witness and son
went to attend to the cattle and when they return
ed O'TOole was gone.
Henry Roberts, colored, was milking when Mrs
Chas. Callahan came in the barn and gave her hus-
band the pistol related substantially the story
the other witnesses did. He followed Mrs. Bridget
Callahan and O"rOole to the house and heard the
latter say he came there for murder. He said Il
kicked Mrs. Callahan down and fired at her, the
ball going into the milk house. Charley shot four
times and OToole five times. When O'TOole
on the porch he carried him his cap. He said he
was very sorry he came there that morning,
Jennie Bryan, colored, lives about 100 yards
from the Galatians house and saw the occurrences,
as related by the other witnesses
Charles Callahan testified that his wife brought