The evening world., 1895-08-30
FOR HIS WIfE'S DEATH.
Edward 0'Connor Arrested on the
Charge of Murder.
They QuarrelIed on the Root, and
He Struck Her.
II Was All Over the Iiaby. Which
She Would Not Give Him.

Mary O'Connor. the wife OF Edward
O'tonnor, 'longshoreman was found
dead early this morning In the miserable
apartment which she occupied with her
husband In the basement No. 6 Doyers
street
The police, who were notified soon
after, regarded the woman's death as
ot peculiarly suspicious nature. As a
result of their Investigation they ar
rested the husband on the charge of
murder.
Mrs. O'Connor was seated on the roof
OF the tenement last night nursing her
five months old infant when her hus-
band returned from work. He was very
much under the influence OF liquor.
The woman. seeing his condition. and
knowing that he was very ugly when
intoxicated, started to go below to her
rooms with the child. This seemed to
anger OConnor. as he walked up to his
wife and ordered her to sit down.
She oheyel, ani then O'Connor began
to cry for the baby In "A maudlin voice
lie shouted that he loved the child and
they were always taking II from him.
Mrs. O'Connor thought it would be un-
safe to trust the child to her husband
and refused To give Il up. O'Connor
then became infuriatcd and snatched
the Infant from It's mothers arms at the
same time pushing the latter roughly
against the chimney
Ellen Gillespie. her sister, seeing that
row was brewing. took the child from
the fathers arms and retreatei to the
back OF the roof.
strsae to where his wife was standing
and struck her In the face with his
open hand, The woman slipped. and in
doing so tripped on n loose piece of tin
and fell to the roof, striking her head
against a telegraph cross beam which
lay there.
May OConnor, their eieven-year- old
daughter. saw the blow and her mother
fall. with d scream she rushed across
the roof and then threw herself across
the body OF her mother as though to
protect her from any further violence
from her father.
O'Connor leaned against post calmly.
like a pugilist waiting for the rising of "A
fallen antagonist. but Mary OConnor
did not rise.
After about fifteen minutes of silent
waiting 1t began to dawn on the drunken
man that something serious had oc-
CURED. He knelt beside his wife and
tried to arouse by shakes and gentle
slaps. but she was dead. O'Connor. how
ever. did not know this at the time.
With the aid of Ellen Gillespie. his
sister-in-law. he carried the body down
the r!cketa ladder and laid It on
the floor Of the single room that the
O'Connors called home.
What happened after that was difflcult
to ascertain. but at 2 o'clock this morn
Ing O'Connor, who was perfectly sober,
called at the house OF his sister, Nellie
Conklin. at 35l Water street. and in
formed her that his wife was dead.
This morning nm unknown man called
at tho Oak str, ct station and Informed
the police that murder had been com
mitted at Doyers street
Acting Capt. Thompson and Detective
william $. Barlow, of the Oak street
OConnor, who was IN the room stand
Ing over the body of his dead wife.
They also arrested Ellen Gillespie and
Nellie Conklin, who were there to assist
IN the funeral arrangements.
The couple had five children, but only
four of them were there. as May, the
eldest and the principal witness, had
rial garments for the dead woman.
Special Officer Michael J. Calvin
waited at the house and took little May
Into custody when she returned from
her errand. The child was crying bit
terly and through her tears told the
story substantially as given above.
At the oak street station-house OCon-
nor told the police that his wife had died
as the result of an accidental fall. lie
stated that he had notified the Coroner
this morning, and had also summoned
George Batchegaloupe. Mulberry
street undertaken More than this, he
would not say, and quietly followed tn.
keeper tn a cell.
Ellen Gillespie said that O'Connor was
an habitual drunkard, and worked only
when he could not get money for drink.
She said that Mrs. OConnor was forced
to give the baby Its airing on the roof
because she had no clothes ft to wear
even In the questionable district In
which she lived
The only mark on the dead woman
was n bruise just over the left ear.
The body was left on the floor pending
ha ('prnnera al Tb. oh xain