The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-29
Convicted Of Murder, But
Was Not Guilty.
Late Rev. Mr.. W00dburyHelped
Free Innocent Man.
Which Was Right, Mr.. Coleman or
Ex-City Engineer Gray?

The recent death OF Rev. Angus
.us Wood bury recalls one OF the most re-
markable cases in the criminal annals OF
the State, for IL was due chiefly TO Rev.
MIR. Woodbury's painstaking investlga-
tion as chairman OF the bosrd OF prison
inspectors hat man who was serving
life sentence in the State prison Tor
crime he did not commit, was nnally
pardoned and restored 10 liberty The
story goes back TO the trying ana unhap-
py Gays OF the war, TO tie time when the
Eleventh and Iwslltn regiments were en-
oamped on the Dexter Training Field IN
this city.
One day, during the sojourD Of the
soldiers there's row occurred. Fights be-
tween recruits were common occurrences
anu attracted but little attention, but
this one resulted IN tragedy. How II
originated - OF little moment, even II
the facts were ever known, which ~ very
doubtful. The first notice the camp had
of the trouble was when man ran
wildly from the tent-covered field, pur-
sued by ten or a dozen other soldiers who
seemed bent upon giving the fugitive
thrashing. lie crossed Cranston street
and ran into shed, where he took refuge
in chaise. His pursuers quickly sur
rounded HIM and one OF the foremost OF
them drummer named Simmons, was
flashed and Simmons fell TO the ground
with terrible wound in his side. Ii
was not the covering man In the chaise
who bad dealt the blow. nor did the sol
diers have wit enough in their excitement
TO single out the wielder of the knife.
Insteas, they lifted up their wounded
comrade and bore him back TO the camp,
where he died day or two afterwnrd.
In some unknown manner tho rumor
spread that the stabbing rad been done
by one John O'Neill, also a soldier, but
he could not be found, and interest in
the matter subsided. The Eleventh and
the Trotting Twelfth went of TO the war,
ana the Simmons murder was forgotten,
40 be brought TO mind many months
afterward by the report that O'Neill had
been captured. He was brought to Provi-
dence and tried. II. III. Hazard, Esq,
defended him, and although the evidence
!. against him could not have been very
strong. ne was convicted and sentenced
TO life Imprisonment. Now this man was
innocent, and could have proved himself
so, were he not afraid of bringing upon
himself heavier penalty than that inn
posed for murder IN Rhode Island.
The fact is, he was a bounty jumper
He had deserted. not once or twice. but
three or four times. He could easily
have proven that he was neither at Dex-
ter Training field nor In the city at the
time Simmons received the fatal wound !;
but In proving that he would prove also
that he was most fearful OF establishing,
what he was q deserter. In those days
deserters were shot. Such q fate O'Neill
wished to escape, so rather than expose
himself to that summary punishment.
he accepted what to him seemed the
lesser evil, and went to prison as con-
victcd man-slayer. For ten years and
moro he remained in confinement. Final
ly, when the war had long been over, and
when deserters were no longer shot, rela-
tives In Philadelphia brought his case
before the late Governor Burnside in q
petition for pardon. Nothing came of
II during his term in Office. but 1t was
revived during that OF his successor, the
late Governor Padelford. Rev. Mr..
Woodbury. became interested in the case.
His Investigations convinced him of
O'Neill's innocence, and he so reported
to the governor, at the same time recon-
mending the appointment OF Legislative
committee to hear witnesses and examine
ad1davits in support of the petition for
pardon. The Recommendation was acted
upon, with the result that O'Nei!l was set
ut liberty.
curious feature OF this curious case
was that the identity OF the real m urder-
or was esta blished during th q investiga-
tions that followed o. Neill's petition for
pardon. Reynolds was his name ana he
died in the police station at Pawtucket
from alcoholism, after the close OF the
war; dusing which, IL fs said, he proved
himself q brave soldier. His death was
anterior to the filing o. O'Neill's petition
wss not cold blooded murderer. The
man who fed from the wrath OF the SOL
oilers was his brother. He saw him run
and saw that his pursuers meant 10 beat
him. perhaps xiii him. He followed.
he saw simmons start to drag bis brother
angry and excited soldiers waiting to
ponDcs upon the unhappy and helpless
vicflm- Out came the knife and Simmons
fell Eeynolds saved his brother by be-
coming . murderer.
That epidemic of ciphtheria In Johns
ION ~ occasioning considersbic alarm,
not only In that town but IN the section
,f this city contiguous to IT, IL II hoped
he authorities will be sbIe to find means
3f preveutIng the further spread of the
disease and ultimately to stamp IL out al
cgetner. In this connection the remarks |
u medical man, on the manner IN which |
iiphtnerta is sometimes spread, are Of more \
han passing interest ana may prove OF /
value 10 the people of Johnston The /
ioctor makes the statement that the CON-
non house cat Is more dangerous as a
means OF communicating the germs from
,ne household to another than are per-
ions suffering from the disease, for the
;at is never suspected OF carrying with
Z the seeds OF the dread malsdy, while
hose stricken with 1t are a. rule,
carefully watched and qusrantined.
Observation has esta blished the fact \
hat not only 40 cats contract diphtheria.
BOT that fney carry the disease germs
" tn them, even when they are not them
selves Affected. IL would seem, then,
'bsf u the Johnston people are to ueaI
s|tpsesisIly with the epidemic they had
pettsf ieok after the cats OF the town. as
~st ~ rs1,ec streams snd fuby premises.
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