The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-13
FIELD FOR WILLFUL MURDER.
C0RONER'S JURY CHARGED SWEAT
WITH O'NEILL's DEATH.

Was Assaulted in IA STOPPING Posi-
ton, and Stabbed in the Presence
of His CbiIdren-BOth He and
Sweat Were Drinking When the
Difficulty Occurred-O'NeiII's wife
the Cause of the Crime.
Harry Sweat is charged with the willful
murder of Patrick O'Neili, who died in the
l Savannah Hospital yesterday morning as
/ the result of injuries received in a
| fight with Sweat Friday night, on Presi-
! dent street, between Arnold and Randolph.
The accused Is in the county jail, having
/ been committed from the Police Court,
/ after arraignment on the charge of as
/ saulting O'NeiH.
fun investigation of the facts sur
rounding the killing, by the coroner's jury
at Goette's undertaking establishment last
night, revealed a story of piuabie deprav-
ity 1t was shown that O'Neil was as
saulted and stabbed while his two small
children, the Oldest being only 4 years of
age, chung to his side and begged for
shelter The mother had wandered away
with two soldiers" leaving the home des-
olate, and it was for the purpose of get
ting some of the neighbors to shelter the
children for the night that the father had
been wandering from house to house.
1t was about 9 o'clock when O'Neill
called at the home Of Angus Smith, No.
! CHS President street, the children follow
ing a mis- side, and asked that they be Civ
en- shelter for the night. He was intoxi-
Gated, Smith stated, though able to walk
without much difficulty. Upon asking thar
the children he taken In and cared for, he
was told by Smith that the place for them
was home, and he advised him to return
with them.
w lille this conversation was in pro-
gress' Smith further testified, Harry
Sweat appeared from the side. jumped
over the bannister and out on the stoop
He insisted that 1 take the children. and
offered to pay me a dollar for the trouble
again declined to take them, and about
this time o NeiH said: This is a friend Of
mine, and as this is my affair, l want you
to keep out of At. Moreover, you nave
been carrying a knife all day to kill me-
" No, 1 have not tried to cut you
O'Nenl, Sweat replied, as 1 have had
many chances if I had desired to do so. &"
Smith stated that Sweat had a knife
in his hand while the dispute was going
on, but made no attempt to use it, He
said the men continued their quarrel until
they clnched, and he showed them off the
stoop, and told them to do their fighting
in the street. Both wabbled down the
steps, and after a short struggle were in
the street, where they tussled about a
minute. Presently he said he heard
sound, as if one of the men had struck
the other fistic blow, and about the
same instant Sweat cried out:
you have been accusing me all day of
trying to cut you; now, have done it."
"Oh, God, I'm stabbed to DEATH" O'Nem
exclaimed and at this Sweat ran down
the street.
A statement to this effect was made by
Maud Stewart OF No. 127 Arnold street;
William Mari, who lives two doors from
Smith, on President street, and Hugh
Banks, colored, Of No. 642 President street.
After the stabbng O'Nein went across
the street, where Banks and others were
standing, and clutching the wound which
was under his left arm, asked the negroes
10 accompany him to a doctor. telling
them he had been seriously stabbed. They
nSGililtI 10 90 II. however ana after talk
ing a moment. O'Nein started in a run
has two children following close behind
Making his way to Reds drug store, at
Oglethorpe avenue and East Broad street,
. Neil was placed in an ambulance and
sent TO the hospital.
The evidence tends to show that ONein
was stabbed while in a STOPPING position
Hugh Banks, who was in the crowd near
by at the time of the cutting, said he
plainly saw the men scuffiing. He said
the short man, answering the description
of Sweat, struck the other a terrific blow
in the side after which he made a re-
mark in effect the same as the other wit
nesses stated. Banks further said he
heard the knife pop when it closed,
after which the assailant ran I'm the OPP
pOsite direction to where they were stand
ing. There is apparently no question that
Sweat did the cutting, though he declined
to make any statement before the Re-
corder. aud has since declined to say any
thing about the charges against him. The
testimony showed that he wore a soldiers
uniform when at Smiths house, but when
later arrested at O'Neilfs, where he was
found in a room with the latter's wife,
he appeared in citizens clothes.
1t did not take the jury long to reach
q verdict after retiring, as the proof was
sufficient against Sweat to warrant them
in finding him accountable for the kill
ing. He will be represented in the courts
by Mr.. w. NJ Hayward, who has been
retained as counsel
O'Neil had the reputation of being a
steady, Industrious man until recently.
when he seems to have become reckless
on allying himself with his present wife
BY her he had two children. and the fam
lily relations were pleasant it is said. I'M
til Sweat found favor with her, when
number of difficulties took place between
the men, one of which was about four
months ago, when Sweat stabbed O'NeiH
on account of a dispute they had over
his wife. When ONell went into the
army with the Irish Jasper Green's he
placed his children in a charitable insti-
tuition, but on returning with the COM
pany on furlough, a few days ago. he
took them out and again endeavored to
live with his wife. But he was soon
again annoyed by Sweat, who had been
intimate with O'Neius wife during his
absence, and seemed bent on driving him
away in order that the visits might be
continued without interruption. This was