Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-05-24
Island in Mississippi River Scene
of Many Tragedies.
BURNING NOTORIOUS HERLD RESORT
1t Recalls the Rexford Murder story
of the Crime and the Capture
and Conviction of the
Perpetrators.

CLINTON, May 22.-Durlng the early
part of the settlement of this section
the Mississippi river was the scene of
many crimes, and along it's banks and
on its many islands congregated the
most desperate of criminals. In fact,
it was the home of the privateer, and
could a history OF the crimes of the
Mississippi valley be told, they would
fill large and interesting volume.
With the burning OF the old Herld
house on the island in front of this
city, there passed away one of the
historic places of crime in this section,
a place which was the scene OF many
deeds of violence. In this house,
which was consumed by fire recently,
one of the most atrocious of murders
was committed. The house was locat
ed on the north end of the island and
was built for a saloon, gambling house
and d house of prostitution. Under its
roof gathered many desperate crimi-
nails. the deeds of whom have never
come to light, with but few eNcep-
tions.
The most revolving crime, however,
was that committed in September,
1874, when young man by the name
of ReNford, who also resided on the
island, was lured to the house and
deliberately murdered by one 10
O'Neil, brother Of Jacob O'Neil, who
conducted the famous resort. O'N.il
and ReNford We're rivals for the at
| lection of one of the inmates of the
house, which led to the crime. On
entering the building he was attack
ed by O'Neil and stabbed to death.
The police OFFICERS in this city heard
of the crime and went over to the
| island, but were met with bullets
from number of guns and We're
forced to beat a retreat. for it was
well known that the house was occu-
pied by many desperate characters.
In the meantime Sheriff F.. A. Worrell,
of Whiteside county, Illinois, was no.
titled and came here about dark on a
switch engine. He brought with him
a deputy and after investigating the
matter, started for the scene of the
crime. He was told that he would
never return alive and was advised
to take posse with him, but he said
he preferred to go alone, as he could
gain admittance to the house if not
attended by ii number of men. The
island is within the Illinois boundar-
les, and this is the reason why Sheriff.
Worrell took the matter in hand. On
arriving at the house he entered
with the deputy and said to Jack
FO'Neil, and his two bartenders: IA
murder has been committed here
and you are all under arrest" MI.
Worrell, who is now resident of
this city, said the three men made Il
move to secure their pistols. but as
he had the drop on them they threw
| up their arms and were soon in irons.
He left them with his deputy and
| went upstair and corralled the other
inmates of the household and placed
them all in irons. The remains of the
murdered man were found in corner
of the hall upstairs, covered with
some bedding. An examination re-
yealed twenty-three knife wounds
about the chest, and the head had
been cut off with an AK. The prison
ers We're then taken to Fulton and
We're placed in Jail.
The sheriff then went out to see il
he could secure any clew that might
throw light onto the whereabouts OF
the murderer. While near the rail-
riage approaching at rapid rate and
ueClutu " sup Vuc dlluIul. LIE SIttD-
bed the bits, forced the horse on its
launches, breaking the buggy in the
operation. The driver then jumped
out and was about to attack the siler-
if with his knife, the same one which
ended the life of ReXford, but was
met with pistol in the hand of Wor-
rell aud surrendered.
All of those under arrest were then
taken to Morrison and placed in Jail
O'Neil was indicted by the grand jury,
was tried and sentenced to be hanged,
and paid the penalty of his crime on
the gallows in Carroll county. A
dwarf, who also inhabited the island,
was accused and convicted of being
an accessory, and was sentenced to fiji
teen years in the penitentiary. The
arrest and conviction of O'Neil prac-
tically ended the trouble on the island
and with the burning of the noted
resort the last yestige of a series of
crimes, covering period of many
years, has been removed.