The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-08-05
The Well-known Westline Farmer Killed
Friday Night and His House Set
on Fire.
His Frenzied Wife, Crazed by His Drunken
Abuse, Commits the Deed in an
Insane Moment

down. While he was with his wife
they indulged in heated quarrel.
Mrs O'Connell started to come down
stairs, and had reached the third or
fourth step from the top. She wore
her hair braided and hanging down
behind her back. QConnell reached
over the railing and happening to
catch his wife by the braided hair
drew her back to the second floor and
threw her down with great violence.
This treatment produced the fit of
insanity. She afterwards arose and
went down stairs, and was soon fol-
lowed by O'Connell. On passing down
OConnell took seat on trunk at or
near the foot of the stairs, and the
children claim to have heard him
moan several times during the next few
minutes. When Mrs. O'Connell came
down stairs she woke all of the child
ren, telling them to dress themselves
and ordering the second oldest girl to
take care of the baby. She escorted
her brood of nine children to some
weeds near by, but the oldest boy,
fearing a repetition of past quarrels,
jumped on to horse and went to the
home of his mothers parents, the
Murphys, residing about mile north
west of the O'Connell farm, to secure
help. It was while he was gone that
the deed was committed. Mrs. o.
Connell, admonishing her children to
remain in the weeds, crying Seattle
thieves" "cattle thieves" frequently
at the top of her voice, rushed to the
house, and with some tool of iron in
ficted the fatal blows. Her screams
and shouts could be heard a mile
away. Soon the house was enveloped
in flames, and the appearance of ker-
o5ene oil on the clothing of O'Connell,
after his remains were rescued, to-
gether with his body being burned in
streaks, leads to the belief that Mrs.
O'Connell desiring to cover up her
crime, saturated his clothing with ker-
osene oil and set fire to the building.
During all of this time she was scream
ing frantically and only the two old
est girls dared to venture from their
hiding place in the weeds and 90 to
the house. Maggie O'Connell states
that she arrived there just after her
father was killed and the flames com
menced to spread. She attempted to
drag her father out but could not do
SO, and it was not until the Murphys
returned with James O'Connell that
the partly burned body was rescued
from the flames and the fire on the
clothing extinguished by water thrown
over the body by James. Mrs. o.
Connell was then raving maniac, and
it required all the strength of two men
to hold her, place her in wagon and
take her to the home of her father,
whittier the children were also taken,
Early Saturday morning DR.. C. P.
Gibson of this city, as coroner, receiv-
ed a telegram to the effect that Mr..
OConnell had been accidentally kill
ed in the burning of his residence.
DR.. Gibson started for the place at
once, arrived there in the afternoon.
He made an examination of the BODY,
and soon saw that O'Connell had been
the victim of foul play, there being
seven ugly gashes on the head, and
one or two fractures were discovered
by him at that time. He empaneled
a jury, and after some evidence from
the children of the family, who at that
time would say nothing to incriminate
their mother, returned q verdict that
the deceased came to his death by
scalp wounds inflicted by some person
or persons unknown to them.
DR.. Gibson ordered careful watch
of the premises and shortly after left
for this city, arriving here about three
o'clock Sunday morning. He notified
Sheriff Pease and five hours later DR..