The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-01-20
Schuette Bros.


same night offered him beer in the kitch-
en- which he thought had been fixed up.
At party given by Mary Guhin at the
| town house in August 1894, Guhin and
NJ. A. Cornell paesed beer around.
O'Brien finding the bitter taste refused
| TO take any more and one of the conspira
! tors remarked on noticing this, "he is on
| to us then" Cornell looked uneasy and
went out, saying he didn't mean anything
by it. He then tells how IN October 81,
1894 jim O'Brien and sister, Nj. Day and
sister. Fat Fielding aud sister himself
| aud sister went TO a ball at Kabauly's 8.
While unhltching his horse O'Brien no
| ticed a stranger come out of the saloon.
He greeted O'Brien by saying Hello
Nike" But O'Bren told him his name
was Won Slagle. The man then went and
combed horse taking the stuff with him
| into the saloon.
Nov, IS, 1884 VIM. Mayors was to give
dance. at the cheese factory. But
OBrlen went to John Drlscoll's wake, at
| midnight he and Stephen Guhin set ont
| for home. When they reached the cheese
| factory they went IN. When he entered
| Peter Stoker and one other went ont,
Jim Mullins asked him if he would take
some beer. Then others wens out but re
| turned and crowding about Mullins put
something in the beer, O'Brien tasted
it, asked Mullins to drink it himself but
he refused. He then names all there and
| he Lot Tn,
Ryan and w. Mayors. O'Brien adds in
| the letter that some said 1t was coffee
| " hlch was put IN the beer. but coffee
would not sink or taste like that,
He then says that these are dangerous
characters and should not be allowed to
| be AT large. They were nsing the curry
| lpg of horses to give him leprosy and had
told people to look cut for him az he had
leprosy.
The letter is a wild series of charges
| against men who would neither do him
or any other person any harm.
Four other letters written by O'Bclen
were admitted, one to the district sttor
ney written in January 1897, OF which the
one 10 March Is an elaboration: One writ
ten to Mich. Conuel, charging himl with
attempts at ipjuring him (O'Brien), one
to James Mullins which was destroyed,
O'Brlen kept duplicates or tie letters. A
letter to his sister from the county jail
dated September, 1897. showed that be
thought he still was being plotted against
and showed resentment as we'll.
Davis, a Canadian Indian, testified as
to O'Brien's complaints and his threats
against those he fancied were persecut
ing him. He stated in cross examination
that O'Brien said that he and Fielding,
the murdered man, were keeping company
with the same girl This bit of testimo
ny is being talked of considerable as
showing the possibility Of motive.
Dennis Sheahan, Michael Conneli
James Mullins, Tom Fenlon, Ed Stoker,
James Nolan and others testified to Pc
cn!iarities of O'BrIeD, bis suspicious and
distrust of people. All the evidence
showed that there was not thing to
Justify bis suspicious.
DIR. WegGe, superintendent of the
Northernt Asy lum, IN answer to hypO-
thetical question which included all the
, facts connected with O'Brien's case, re-
, piled that man such as described is IN
sane.
Another Hypothetical question in
| G dlng in it's substance O'Brien's actions
! since the homicide and asking if this in
Dictated continued insanity, was answered
in the affirmative.
He was asked to describe Paranoia
He said the first symptom was imagin-
, ing resolution, which soon after was
followed by demands for protection and
the employment OF violent means to Sc
) cure 1t. The last stage was loss of iden-
, tlty, the person fancying himself some
other parsonage. DIR. Lphman and DR.
Fraser examined O'Brien last June ant
being called on the witness stand salC
> they thought him insane.
The state rested Wednesday evening
and court adjourn ed until this morning
L he other side Is now being heard. Dis
trict Attorney Schenlan and Mr.. kell,
, opened their case this morning. 1t il
understood that the prosecution vii
have DIR. Kempster to testify as toO'Brl
ems sanity. It now appears the case
Will not take as long time as YVES a
: first thought.