The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-22
ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE.
LARRY SWEAT CHARGED VITA
MURDER OF PATRICK O'NEILI.

tiOnaI Charge aof witness
Against n Nurse of the Savannah
Hospital.
Harry Sweat is on trial in the Superior
Court for murder. The case was called
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock and win
probably be concluded to-day. Sweat is
charged with the murder of Patrick
ONenl.
The killing occurred Oct. last, on Pres
ident street. between Randolph and Ar
mold. Sweat stabbed ONen twice in the
left side. inficting wounds from which he
died five days later in the Savannah hos
Dital
There were developments brought out in
the investigation of the case, and by the
close questioning of counsel and the
solicitor that were absolutely slckening.
There were lawyers present who have
been engaged in cases in which the de-
tails were revolving, but there We're few,
If any. who could say they had heard any
that had more about it to disgust
An hour and half was spent in secur-
ing jury, more than fifty having been
examined before thee required number of
jurors were selected. Some were thrown
out for cause, some on objections of the
attorneys and some through their being
opposed to capital punishment
After the solicitor had read the law on
murder and homicide to the jury the
counsel for the prisoner, w. NJ. Hey
ward. Esq, stated that the plea for Sweat
would be Observation-Disclosures homi-
eide T1dpa A MapDOna11 iS cd
with Mr.. Hayward
The evidence of the state went to show
that there was malice and reconciliation
in the killing. A number of witnesses
were examined a sensational feature of
the case is an implied charge made by the
defense that O,Neill was killed, not by
Sweat but by an overdose of morphine
administered by a nurse a the hospital.
Evidence of one of the defense's witnesses
showed that seven grains of the drug had
been given O'Neill, and the statement of
DR.. Warning was adduced to show that
this quantity would have been enough to
make it fare badly with ONell in his
weakened condition. What this evidence
may be worth in the minds of the jury
men is a question. 1t came from women
who had visited ONein at the hospital,
and is evidence that is only secured
through the recital of a conversation.
The killing of O'Neill by Sweat is gener-
ally supposed to have been the result of
jealousy. Testimony shows that Sweat
and Mrs O'Neill had been intimate, and
this was with the full knowledge of the
husband. Sweat and the woman denied
this The first witness called by the state
was Coroner Goette. He identified the
wounds of the deceased as having been
the cause of his death. These were de-
scrbed by the witness a. being two ex-
tending from the back toward the front
of O'Neill's body.
Hugh Banks, colored man. testified
that he was standing on the corner not fer
from the scene of the difficulty, which
occurred at about 9 o'clock at night He
saw a man strike O'Neil two blows, and
the latter came running across the street
TO him, crying my God, I am cut to death;
take me to a doctor" The other man, tie
witness stated, said, you have been say
ing have been carrying a knife for you
all day, - you, and now have used it,"
Edward Morrell, another negro, gave
about the same testimony
Angus Smith stated that on the night
of the killing the two little children of
O'NeiH came to his house on President
street and asked to stay over night. They
had been driven away from their own
home by the father having bombarded it
with brickbats. Smith did not take the
children, boy and girl of eight and six
into his house. He told them TO go back
home, as that was the best place for
them. Then Sweat and ONeill came up,
and O'Neill asked Smith to take the child
rem in. He again refused. There was then
some interposition on the part of Sweat
which O'Neill resented, saying Smith was
his friend, and that there was no use for
Sweat to interfere. This angered Sweat
and the two clinched. Then, he said,
Smith pushed the two off the stoop and
they fell on the sidewalk outside. Sweat
was on top and rose first Then, while
O'Neil was in a STOPPING posture, he cut
him twice
After cutting O'Neill, Sweat went to
the house of a woman named Emma Will
Jams, who lives near by on Arnold street
There he found O'Neills wife, and the
two were together, the evidence disclosed,
when the officers arrived to arrest them.
The arrest was made by Detective Gar
ity, who was called by the state. He de-
scribed the circumstances of the arrest,
and denied that he and the officer VINO
assisted him had used any undue force.
He also arrested a soldier whom he
thought had been implicated in the affair,
but, upon the assurance of Sweat that
this was not the case, he let him go.
Maud Stewart, a woman of the vicinity,
was examined. Her evidence was that
she had seen Sweat cut ONell and that
he had said on a previous occasion that it
was has intention to kill the man if he got
In his way or bothered his wife. OMEN
little children the woman said, begged
Sweat, as he had him down, not to Kill
their father.
Charles Harrison, man who had serv-
ed in the same military company, l. of the
First Georgia Regiment, with ONeill'
stated that he had had a talk with Sweat
a short time before the trouble, and that
the latter had told him that O'Neill was
at home again from the army and he
going down 10 make him get out.
The state rested its case at O'Clock ana
the court adjourned until the afternoon
when 1t took up the defense's side. Dr.
Waring gave his testimony as a visiting
physician TO the hospital, and attended
O'Neill. He described the wounds and
said that WE'LL showed signs Of alcohol
ism.
The O'NeiE woman was not called by
the state. Her evidence was brought