Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-07
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
THE DEATH OF PATRICK SWEENEY
EIGHT DAYS AGO WAS A
HOMICIDE.
A CONFESSION HAS BEL-T MADE
BY One OF the Parties Implicated.
Two Men Are Now in Custody-The
Third Is Supposed to Have Fired
the Shot Which Killed Sweeney.
Story of the Deck Hand Arrested
Yesterday.

i Chief of Police Clemans has worked
hard upon the mystery surrounding
the death of Patrick Sweeney, who was
found one week ago at the foot of Fifth
street, with bullet in his brain. He
has two men in custody, and the police
/ in score of cities have been furnished
| with an accurate description Of the
| third man, who is believed to have fired
the fatal shot with murderous intent.
/ One cf the men now in jail is Henry
Campbell. a kgnger-on about the wharf
and boats, and occasionally employed
at driving cattle. 1t was Campbells
story which gave the first clue to the
identity of the other two men who ac-
/ companied Sweeney on his walk up the
railroad track shortly before he met
| his death. 1t is believed that Camp
bell has not told all that he knows
about the crime.
! The second arrest was made yester-
day morning, when the steamer Key
stone State arrived at the wharf. Chief
Clemans had been advised that one of
| the men he wanted was working on
the boat as roustabout The Chief
was on the wharfboat when the Key
stone State touched it. He learned that
his man had given the boat crew an
assumed name. When Clemans APP
| preached him and told him he was
wanted, he said
Il know what you want me for"
The man, whose name is suppressed
| for the present, but who is known to
many habitues of the public landing,
when Intercepted by the police, told
his story without hesitation He adj
| mitted that he accompanied Sweeney,
together with Campbell and the other
man. He said the shooting was the
result of an old grudge between Sween-
ey and the third party. They quar-
relied about a financial transaction two
or three years ago, but their differences
had evidently been patched up, as
they went down together to drink beer.
The story further is that during the
quarrel, Sweeney said: I'll knock
your block off, and either started to-
ward the third man with beer bottle,
or threatened to do so. Then the
other man pulled out his gun and
commenced shooting.
This story may or may not be true,
but friends of Sweeney will discredit
it, because of the fact that he has
been known as a quiet and inoffensive
man, DESTROYS Of avoiding trouble at
all times. When his body was found
it was sitting in an upright position,
and he could hardly have fallen into
that attitude.
The man who was arrested yesterday
stated that Sweeney was left, and he
and the murderer walked down the
railroad track, the latter throwing his
sweater into the river, and later dis
carding his hat and buying a cap.
They went aboard the Urania, and pro-
ceeded as far as Marietta, where they
caught freight train and rode into
Cincinnati. There they separated, and
the man arrested yesterday went
aboard the keystone State on Thurs
day.
A riverman known as 'Parkersburg
Mike" was arrested in Pittsburg upon
a telegram from Chief Clemans, but he
proved to be the wrong party, and yes
terday the Pittsburg authorities were
notified to release him. 1t is expected
that the man who did the shooting will
be arrested within few days.
1t is understood that the police
authorities have the testimony of sew
eral witnesses that Sweeney asked sew
eral persons to go up to the North
End with him, because he feared
treachery on the part of his compan-
ions.