The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-09
ON WHICH WILLIAM O'NEILL, THE
SUSPENDED PATROLMAN, WILL
bel
coRoNERsa INQUEST HELD.
JURY FINDS M,DONOUGH,s DEATH
RESULTED FROM A GUN-sHOT
WOUND.
COURT TO DECIDE THE BLAMl
The Dead Mans Brother Svears Out
the Warrant-Made in the
Second Degree.

william ONeill, the suspended pa
trolman who shot Martin McDonough
whom he had arrested, causing his
death, will be formally charged with
murder In the second degree today. The
warrant was issued yesterday, having
been sworn to by Thomas McDonough
the brother of the dead man.
The coroners jury summoned by
Coroner Whitcomb to inquire into the
death OF McDonough. returned the fol-
lowing verdict yesterday afternoon:
That the said Martin McDonough came to
MS deatn In the city of St. Paul at the city
ana county hospital of the said city, on Thurs
gay, September g.. 1896. of peritonitis. result
the hand of one William O'Neill an officer
oi the 81. raul police force. Said shot was
n 1sas on wednesday morning. September q.
Paul. Mimi. -
- Signed; George Allen, Edward Boggs. D..
u; Foley, e. N. Nelson, Charles Kartak E.
w. wallace, e. H. Whitcomb, coroner
The inquest, which was to have been
neid Monday, but which was postponed
on account Of that day being a legal
hoiiday, was conducted in district court
room NO. 8, at the court house. and
was attended by large crowd, at
lracted by curiosity usually incident
TO such proceedings. Among the in
terested auditors was c. D. O'Brien,
O1ncer O'Neill's counsel, and Thomas
McDonough, a brother Of the dead
man.
Coroner Whitcomb began the investi-
gat1on at l:30y o'clock, and shortly be-
lore O'Clock the jury had decided up
on verdict The story told by the
dlHerent witnesses is substantially that
which has heretofore appeared in print
IN connection with the shooting, though
bringing out the details more clearly.
O1ncer Ross Miller, who was with
ONeill when dMcDonough and Frank
Clark were arrested on the evening of
the shooting, was the first witness. He
told how he arrested Clark and Nc
Donough on East Seventh street, near
Locust street, and of the subsequent
events as follows:
asked ONeill, who came upon the
scene, to take one Of the prisoners.
He took McDonough and I took Clark
to the box on Seventh, near Broadway
At the box, O'Neill and McDonough
got into fight, the officer trying to
hold the prisoner against the stone
wall. Finally the two fell, 1t being
doubtful whether he was tripped or
| thrown.
| 'McDonough held the officer down.
When they got UP McDonough started
as though to run and struck at his
shoulder, he ducked and received the
! blow on his head McDonough then
told O'Neill that if he would throw his
club away and fight fair, a police Of
f1cer would receive a good thrashing.
! O'Neill refused to fight and McDon-
ough broke and ran,A just before he did
so grabbing ,O'NeilPs club from his
hand and tearing his star from his
coat and throwing both into the street.
| The patrol box is about 100 feet from
I Seventh street ION Broadway, and Nc
! Donough was almost to the corner
McDonough struck O'Neill with his
! fist
| David Geary, a young man in the
employ Of towel company, testified:
81 was present and witnessed the
| calling of the wagon for McDonough
and Clark. McDonough was not fight
ing until Officer Miller struck him for
talking O'Neill pointed his pistol di-
rectly at McDonough each of the three
times. I was only about twenty five
feet from the officer and could tell the
direction in which he shot. McDon-
ough was not making any resistance
when he was struck by Officer Miller"
| Martin Jacobson saw the affair at
| the box. He testified:
81 heard the men quarreling. Nc
! Donough said he could whip twenty
~
and O'Neill were lighting the officers
club fell to the sidewalk. O'Neill fired
tinto-the air twice and then at McDon-
ough. 1 did hot see McDonough take
| or have possession of the officers club
| or STAR
| Christian Gustafson, a bartender for
Dohlquist, at Sixth and Sibley, and liv-
ing at 233 East Sixth street, testified:
ST was only "a few feet away from the
box and saw McDonough and O'Neill
struggle twice. OsNeil1 fired in the air
| twice, and the third struck the man
and he fell. Z did mot see .McDonough
strike sQ,Neilla's n
| At the conclusion of this testimony,
| Coroner Whiteomb stated that it was
useless to hear further testimony, as
1t would only be a5repetition of that al
ready introduced. He therefore called
upon Lieutenant Pothen to clear the
room, allowing no one but the jury and
| himself to remain, which was done, the
| jury going into executive session at
! ten minutes of 8 o'clock. The verdict,
as above, was returned after very
short consideration.
| Shortly after the verdict Of the
EceFener's jury had been arrived at, o.
Neill was taken before Judge Orr in the
municipal court for a preliminary hear
| ing in. order that an application for
| ball might be filed with the district
court. Owing to, the incompleteness Of
some Of the details, the hearing was
postponed until o'clock this afternoon.
LIVING FLAG CONCERT.