Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-01-07
Crime for Which O'Neii Paid the
Extreme Penalty.

Mrs. Hattie McCloud was the daughter
of G.. D. Crittenden, a retired lumber deal
er of auckland, and a woman of refine
ment, who, having been left a widow by
the death of her husband in a railroad &C
cident, maintained herself and her young
daughter by giving music lessons. On the
night of Jan. s, 1897, Mrs. McCloud, ,@ao
lived near her fathers house at a point
about three-q quarters of a mile from the
village of Sheburne Falls, had visited sew
eral stores Oh business and started TO walk
home. She did not reach there during the
night and early the next morning Mr.. Crit
tenden began to search for her, and her
murdered body, frozen by the winters
cold, was found lying some 80 feet or more
from the roadside, less than 20 rods from
the home to which she was going.
The medical examination showed that
the woman had been brutaly strangled to
| death. About Sl7 had been taken from
| her and when it was learned that on the
same night Jack O'Neil had funds, an I'M
heard of thing, the suspicious of the police
were directed to him. O'Neil was arrest
ed Jan. II, and after a hearing, at which
he was held for the grand jury, the latter
! body, sitting In special session, found an in
! dictment for murder.
The trial took place at Greenfield last
! July and attracted hundreds of people to
the courthouse. Chief Justice Mason of
| Brookline and Judges Fessenden of Green
field and Sheldon of Boston presided. At
torney General Knowlton, District Attorn-
ey Hammond and f. f. Greene of Green
field were counsel for the common wealth.
and c. j. Parkhurst, f. G.. Dowlin and +.
II. Beer of North Adams appeared for the
accused.
The trial of the case occupied nine days
| and Ill witnesses were examined. The
evidence against O'Neil was circumstan-
tial but was very strong. He disappeared
on the night of the murder from 10 s 80
during the time when the crime was com
mitted. He had been without money for
a week, but during the evening of the muir
der he exhibited Sl5 or SIG, or almost ex-
actly the SUN taken from Mrs. McCloud.
His actions the day after the crime were
very peculiar. TO some he pretended not
to know who Mrs. McCloud was, but to
others he spoke of her Familiarity. He had
not seen the body that day, but the Raguse
brothers testified that he took one of them
by the throat and illustrated the very way
in which the deed must have been done.
The defence tried to show that it was inn
possible for O'Neil to have committed the
murder and be at points where he was
seen, according to testimony for the de-
fence, at certain hours. Perhaps the most
sensational incident of the trial was when,
in order to account for the money which
O'Neil had, the prisoners mother and sis
tiers were compelled to testify that funds
which Miss O'Neil had deposited in a trunk
from time to time, for her own use, were
missing shortly after the time of the muir,
der.
Unsuccessful attempts were made tc
bring the O'Neil case into the courts again
Frank j. LawleT, Greenfield lawyer, be,
came interested in the case and sought tC
have the sentence commuted to life i'm
prisonment There have been severa
hearings recently before Gov. Wolcott, the
last on Wednesday, but he declined to in
terfere, DIR. Woodbridge of Williams col
lege appeared before the governor to pre-
sent theory that the marks on Mrs. Nc
Clouds body might have resulted in con
WILSON'S. Mrs. O'Neil, mother of the pris
oner, circulated petition recently in Shell
burne Falls and Greenfield in the hope o.
securing executive clemency.
Mr.. and Mrs. O'Neil and one of thei
daughters, about 10, paid a farewell visi
to the prisoner Wednesday. The mothe
exclaimed, sob, my son, my son." ant
, burst into tears.
/ O'Neil has maintained his innocence a
all times, and he has shown a courage il
facing his fate at variance with his reputa
g tion at Shelburne Falls. In an interview
Wednesday afternoon with Springfield,
$ Republican reporter he said:
= "You can say that l will die an limo
cent man. If was guilty, would say s.
I now. What use would there be for me T.
J. keep up any longer; the last hope has bee
= knocked out from under me. If l wa
q guilty, would be only too glad to tell a.
), l knew now for my mothers sake. Onl
few days ago she said to me in the pre-.
ence of Mr.. Richardson: Johnny, if yo
are guilty tell it for my sake l said
Mother l would tell it to you before an!
body else, but have nothing to tell, an