The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-27
"BuCky" O'NelII's Escape


The recent death Of Captain "Bucky"
O'Neill, who died so heroically while lead
ing his troops to battle before Santiago on
July "a, calls TO mind an exciting tragedy
which took place in Prescott, Arz, In the
summer of 1885. which will be remembered
by many Angelenos then residents Of Ari-
zona, and in which ONeill. though not
playing prominent part, came near being
made one of the victims.
The trial of Kelsey VS.. McAteer was in
progress in the district court, and was pre-
sided over by the late C. w. G. French, at
that time chief justice Of the Arizona SUI
preme bench. The suit was over
a water right in Kirkland valley, claimed by
Mrs. j. W. Kelsey and forcibly held by Pat
rick McAteer. a big, burly and eccentric
Irishman. At the trial Mrs. Kelsey's in
terests were looked after by the late Clark
Churchill and Charles b. Rush represented
McAteer. During the proceedings warm
words passed between the attorneys, and
finally the lie was given. Immediately the
lawyers came together and in an instant
were wrestling over a table. While this
scuffe was in progress McAteer rose from
his seat, thrust his hand into an inner coat
pocket and drew from it bowie knife with
q double-edged blade eight or nine inches
long. His face assumed an expression Of
hate that gave it a satanic appearance. With
a spring he jumped at Uncle Jimmy" More,
Mrs. Kelsey's chief witness, and before any,
one could Interfere he plunged the blade to
the hilt into Uncle Jmmys" righ shoul-
der. Turning as If on a pivot, and without
moving in his tracks. he struck at the late
Charles w. Beach, Mrs. Kelsey's son-in-
law, who had arisen and was going to
More's assistance The blow struck Beach
in the shoulder and the blade penetrated to
depth of couple of inches, being turned
by the bone, but was delivered with force
enough to momentarily daze Beach and
knock him over the railing into the open
court room. McAteer then started for
ONeil, who was then court reporter for
the Third judicial district, and who was only
employed in an official capacity and had no
leanings either way. O'Neil picked UP a
chair to defend himself and backed to the
corner of the room to the right of the judges
bench, McAteer following with appraised
knife. O'Neill made an attempt to use the
chair, but as 1t swept down McAteer
grasped it with his left hand and held 1t
with vise-like clasp, at the same moment
preparing to strike at O'Neill with the
knife Just then loud report rang out and
McAteer fell paralyzed to the floor with.
bullet in his spine. The shot was fired by
Beach, at a distance of thirty five or forty
feet, and was a dead center To Beach's
craftsmanship alone was due the saving Of
O'Neills life, for there is no doubt at all
that McAteer would have killed or wounded
him and probably every one else in the court
room. had he been let alone for two or three
minutes. AS it was, the whole scene did
not occupy one minutes time.
McAteer, after being shot. was taken to
his rooms, where he died thirty days after
wards in the most acute agony, vowing VEN
geance against Beach,
Beach recovered in a few days from his
wounds, but was never arrested for the kill
ing of the Irishman, although his violent
death in 1889 is said to have been planned
and consummated by some of McAteer's
friends.
"Uncle Jimmy" More's life was despaired
of for a long time, but he was brought
through with only the loss of his arm by
DIR. f. K Ainsworth of Los Angeles.
T. D. " d.