The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-09-09
TALK WITH MRS. O'CONNELk.
She Cannot Yet Recall ANYTHING
About the Fire.

She Cannot Yet Recall Anything
About the Fire.
"A. representative of The GAZETTE
had an interview with Mrs. Martha
O'Connell, wife Of John O'Connell,
who wassmurdered at his. home ia
Westline on the night Of July 3lst,
last Thursday morning and afternoon.
While Mrs. O'Connell is fully aware
of the righteousness of her side of the
case, and has q feeling that the public
is with her in sentiment, she is not
bearing up very we'll under the charge
lodged against her. She worries con
siderable, and the past five or six
weeks seems to have aged her mater
tally, and one cannot look at
and talk with her without having a
feeling OF pity for the unfortunate
woman confined in the Jail on charge
which she will undoubtedly be able to
controvert. Her baby is with her, and
in this infant boy she seems to find a
great deal of consolation, occasionally
shuddering at the thought of posi-
BILE inevitable and thus being torn
away from the child. She longs to see
her own immediate relatives and the
detailed representative of The Ga
zErTE was welcomed by her, and asked
by her whether mother could not be
brought down from the Westline home
to call on her once or twice." Mother
Murphy is quite aged, yet it is posi-
BILE that she will stand the ordeal of
coming to Redwood Falls and calling
on her daughter.
The special representative of The
GAZETTE, after conversation on gen.
eral matters, informed Mrs. O'Connell
that it was time for her to tell him ev-
erything she could possibly remember
in connection with the whole case.
Mrs. OConnell was firm and frank in
her reply, saying:
"Really, I cannot recall anything
more, even at this late day, than what
I freely offered to the county attorney,
Mr.. Clague. l have no recollection,
whatever, of what took place, after I
struck him with the pin, in self-de-
Tense. l cannot state, and have Oft
en- tried to think, how the house be-
came set on fire, and if Johns clothes
had kerosene oil on, how they came to
be in that condition. I hoped that as
my mind became stronger would
know these things but I cannot, can
not. I don't know now how the child
rem ever got out of the burning house,
and don't remember saying word
to them in the way of getting them
out of the house,"
Didn't you have trouble with your
husband just short time before this
event happened'
eyes, only a. short time before, we
had trouble in the night time. At
that time Jimmie and Mr.: Bennett
were sleeping together, and it appears
that Mr.. Bennett was awakened bv
the quarreiiDg, and he awakened
Jimmie John became very abus-
i've and Jimmie got up to see wheth-
or he couldn't quiet his father. But
John took hold of Jimmie and gave
him an awful, terrible whipping-poor
Jimmie and he never even offered to
strike back, and told Mr.. Bennett to
keep John from injuring 'Jimmie's'
limbs. John was intoxicated at that
time. Mr.. Bennett came and John
quieted down." ..s.
Mrs. O'Connell had nothing more to
say, except that she hoped that she
would be back with her family before
long. She thought that if she had a
house to live in she would be able,
with the aid of her children, to pull
the mortgage off the farm, and gain a
good livelihood. She was particularly
pathetic in her references to her child
rem.
Mrs. O'Connell is receiving the best
of treatment at the county Jail, she
being allowed the freedom of the
sheriff's residence, and given other
privileges not given to male prisoners
for the benefit of herself and child.
GUIDE BOARDS.
Law Says They Must be Put in and
Thew are Needed.