Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1898-08-24


riders, who fell in the terrible charge
up the hillside at San Juan, was one
of the most picturesque figures in the
west, A brave spirit, and a unique
character, Buckley" O'Neill was
known from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific, and his epitaph cannot be bet
ter epitomized than in his own graphic
phrase, written just before the depar-
ture from Tampa: who would not
gamble for new star in the tiag?"
Buckley" gambled and lost, and the
rough riders are mourning a gallant
fighter, a man who never knew fear,
who had shot five men in his day and
who went to the front at the head of
800 intrepid Arizona citizens, all as
anxious and as proud to die as Buck
ey" died-with his boots on and his
face to the enemy,
William Owen O'Neill was born Of
Irish parentage in st. Louis in 1860.
Coming east with his mother and
brothers, he graduated from National
Law School of the District of Column
bia. Later, out of seventy-two appli-
navy, he passed at the head. There
was some delay in making the APP
pointment and O'Neill, chatting for &C
ton, went to Arizona, where at diff
ferent periods, he edited the Arizona
Miner, the Phoenix Herald and the
Hoof and Horn, a cattleman's organ.
Clear headed and somewhat prophetic,
he decided that Arizona was the place
to get a fooothold. He got a half
interest in several good mining prop
critics, and his wonderful energy and
leadership began to assert itself. The
miners came to him to settle their
brawls; the rangers accepted him as
the court of final appeal, so equitable
and just were his rulings, Finally he
was elected judge of Yavapai county,
and sat on the bench for some time.
Subsequently he was elected sheriff for
three consecutive terms, and while in
that Office demonstrated his courage
and fearlessness. None of the desper-
ADDE'S of Arizona ran amuck more than
once in Sheriff O'Neill's bailiwick.
O'Neill was the best armed man in the
Finally, after many ups and downs,
with desperate,, chances and FIVE tights.
with six shooters in which he got the
drop on law-breakers, he retired as
sheriff of Yavapai county and moved to
Prescott A. T., where he ran three
times for congress, being defeated in
each instance by a small majority.
IL, IN RIM
for mayor of Prescott. He was elected
unanimously, and the only vote against
him was cast by himslf. Every man,
woman and child in Arizona knew and
called him Buckley" and every one
loved him.
When the war broke out Buckley
had been living a somewhat quiet and
uneventful life. When Roosevelt's
regiment was being formed he quickly
decided to raise company, and he got
a quota of TROOPS together with such
rapidity that President Mckinley sent
him a telegram of thanks. There was
not a man in Arizona who would not
have been glad to die by Buckley
O'Neilrs side. Nearly three hundred
Cowboys, SilAHSio t'Au PCN'N'
clans of Arizona enlisted under him
and the whole company rode down to
San Antonio and was received with
open arms. The women of Prescott
presented him with a silk flag (the
first raised near Sevilla, Cuba), and
the men presented him with a revol-
yer. Judge Ling made the presenta-
IL, Wnr1qs
Mayor O'Neill, we want to give YOU
a mount. 1t is not full grown, but
merely a Colt. We tell you that II
bucks. Every time 1t bucks head Il
toward a Spaniard and you can res
assured that one more Spaniard will
bid his godfather, the devil, good morn
ing"
Buckley" then went to the front
ready to give his Colt all the buckint
in sight. He wrote his friend, Thur
low Weed Barnes, letter from SaI
Antonio, which close with these char
acteristic lines:
81 am ready to take all the chances
Who would not gamble for new sta
in the flag?"
Buckey sopiiluet wac "SH
through his willingness to "buck" an!
game ever heard of. He "bucked
every obstacle in his path, too, ant
"bucked" his way to prosperity am
into respect of his fellow man. Hi
father was Capt. John o'5eill of tn
famous Irish brigade of the secon
army corps during the war of the re
belllon. His brother, Eugene Brad
o'Neill is now on his way to Manila
a first lieutenant of volunteers. Hi
wife still lives to mourn the man who
no matter where he happened to b