The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-24
LIVED BY HIS WITS.
Swindling Operations of "At-
torney" r. A. O'Neill.
IN SEATTLE AND TACOMA.
He Dearly Loved His Whichever Paid
Any Bills. and Borrowed All the
Money He Could.

R. A. O'Neill, young man formerly of
Seattle. has been found out in Tacoma,
where he was less successful in swindling
than he was in this city.
O'Neill is about % years Of age, WELL
built. feet inches tall, and has symp-
toms of black mustache. He dresses
well, talks cleverly and makes himself
agreeable to the ladies. On January 6 he
presented himself at the Montello block,
Tacoma, and engaged rooms. He would
be joined in a few days by his wife, he
said. A suite of rooms at $105 a month
took his fancy and he engaged them, prom
Using to make payment in few days.
His baggage consisted of valise. From
the 9th to the 18th of January he busted
himself in negotiating loans. securing
money from large number of persons,
many of whom refnse to admit that they
were taken in. His story was that he was
about to open law office; that he had
been associs ted with Colonel ]. c. Haines
IN Seattle, and had resided at the Ven
dome hotel while IN this city; Judge
Lyle, of Tacoma. was referred TO as
an old friend O'Neill negotiated with
Colonel W. II. Effinger for the purchase of
a certificate OF life membership in the
He had no funds at the time but would
certainly have money by the 10th instant.
The colonel still owns the certificate.
January IA O'Neill was joined by his wife,
and about the same time he was requested
to pay his board bill. He informed the
proprietors of the Montello house that he
would surely receive money from his pa
on January 90 and he asked for few
days. grace once more. On January Is, the
young man appeared to be very much
distressed, and in reply to sympathetic
inquiries he exhibited telegram purport-
ing to be from his wife's father, requesting
her to meet him in Portland the following
day Late that evening ONeiu used the
telephone in the house to call for quincy.
Mrs. 0'Neill went down stairs and babe
Mrs. Heagy and few other ladies good
bye. O'Neill stated that be was only
going as far as the depot with his wife, and
that he would be home as soon as he had
seen her safely on the train. he carried
two large valises. Subsequent develop
ments showed that he had no other goods
in the house. Since that time the couple
have not been seen, and are supposed TO
be in Victoria Before leaving the house
O'NeiIl called on DR.. Grant 5. Hicks, whose
office is I'm the building, and borrowed $40.
The board bill still remains unpaid.
ONeill is we'll remembered at the Venz
dome hotel, Seattle, where he remained
week. being elected for non-payment OF
board He asked and received permission
to have a safe put in his room, and, in
deed, purchased one from Charles Hill,
who engaged John L. Kahaley to deliver
it to O'Neill, C. o. ID. kahaiey had an old
coal bill against O'Neill, however, and re-
fused 10 take the job. 1t is presumed the
attorney" thought the safe would i'm
press his fellow-boarders with his wealth.
Mrs. O'Neill, who comes Of a good fam
liz and whose parents live on Bellingham
bay, was not visible during her husbands
stay at the Vendome, but the other guests
are sure ne loved her dearly, for he always
said he did. One day, just after Christ
mas. he went down town and induced q
Front street merchant TO let him have a
s24 umbrella ito show his wife, " and he'd