The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-24
SIMON O'NEILL KILLED.
Said to Have Been Shot by Officers
Who Were I'm Pursuit of Him.

A deputy warden of the penitentiary,
who was in the city yesterday for the pur-
pose of taking back with him three convict
ed felons, reports that Simon ONeill
whose escape was reported in the Morning
News several days ago, had been shot and
killed by the posse pursuing him, in the
southwestern section of the state, near the
Alabama line.
The story runs that O'Neill and a negro
were found asleep under a tree and that
the posse crept close upon them before
they were aroused. O'Nenl was armed
with a Winchester rife, and as the posse
came closer opened fire and started to re-
treat. The fire was returned and ONeili
fell dead.
The news of O'NeilIs death, If true, will
be received with regret in Savannah. In
spite of his confinement in the peniten-
tiary O'Neill had many friends here,
who were greatly disappointed a the re-
cent refusal of the Governor to grant the
request for a pardon. O'Neill's sister-in-
law, who resides in Texas, was very much
attached to him and had used every eff
Tort TO secure pardon for him,
having visited Savannah twice since his
conviction for the purpose of interviewing
the officers of the court, jurymen and
others who had taken part in the trial
!
ton but was unable 10 move the judge
| and solicitor general, who felt that O'Neill
had been justly convicted, notwiChstand-
ing his previous good character.
O'Neill was native of Pennsylvania,
but had resided in Savannah for good
many years previous to his conviction. He
was for several years a member of the
police force and made an excellent Of
! hcer He was high-strung how
ever, and when in anger, a
dangerous man to tamper with.
Some difficulty caused his dismissal from
the police force and for some time after
| wards served as a constable.
During the greater part of his residence
| in Savannah O'Nein abstained entirely
! from the use of liquor. He knew by eX-
! perience that it was something he could
/ not afford to tamper with He once
! threatened to arrest a young man who Of
| fered a drink of liquor while on duty on
a Christmas night and became angry
what he regarded as an intended in
! suited.
| Unfortunately, after leaving the police
| force, he fell into bad habits. 1t is prac-
tically certain that had he not been drink
ing on the night of Nov. g. 1896 he would
not have aided in the killing of Preston
| Brooks. The evidence at the trial showed
! that the killing was causeless and unnec-
| essary, O'Neill and Maurice Sullivan hav-
/ ing followed Brooks up and killed him
because of a drunken quarrel at Ben
| Crum's barroom on Houston street. Both
men had friends, and a strong effort was
made in their behalf at the trial Their
! conviction of manslaughter and sentence
to fifteen years in the penitentiary was
regarded as quite a victory for Solicitor
| General Osborne.
O'Neill was high-spirited, and the con-
| finement in the penitentiary must have
been calling to him. He cherished the
] hone n a nd
! of his escape after a pardon had been re-
| fused caused no surprise to those who
knew him. Neither will the fact that be
fought to the death rather than return
| to the penitentiary cause any surprise.
| 1t was the nature of the man.