Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-06
"BUCKY' ONE|LLS
CAREER WAS A
STIRRING ONE
THRILLING TALE OF HIS
TRAIN ROBBER CHASE
Some Interesting Lights on the
Character of the Brave
Rough Rider C|ommemorated
in Prescott

veterans of the Spanish war who
served in the famous regiment of the
Rough Riders" ana here are many
who knew personally the brave cap
tain of that regiment to whom a beau
tiful statue has just been unveiled IN
Prescott, Ariz.-Captain Bucky
CNeill. TO these, as TO those who
never knew the gallant warrior of
Arizona, the story of his life is of alb
sOrbing interest. WHO would not
die for another star in the flag ?" is
The eloquent epitaph on the captains
tomb in Washington. d. G. A writer
in the Prescott Journal Miner says
that these words express completely
and simply the mans deepest nature
Regarding the stirring events of his
life this writer says:
Reared in Washington, Captain
William o. O'Neill received excellent
educational advantages, n after be-
ing graduated in the classic at Con
zaga college, pursued a course in the
law department of The National uni
Versity, where he was graduated in
1879.
shortly after this event IN his ca
reer, young O'Neill, with tho organiza-
ton OF a band Of some 100 Washing
tonians, to journey TO Arizona, caught
the western fever. and wrote a let
ter to John j.. Gosper, then secretary
of Arizona, and chief stakeholder in q
daily paper at Phoenix. the Herald"
securing a promise of employment on
that papers staff, of which Charles
McClintock was business manager. In
the latter part of June. 1879. O'Neill
arrived in Phoenix and was ever after
closely identified with the territorial
and nolitical life Of Arizona.
After two years spent in various
ways O'Neill came to Prescott and
made that city his home %henceforth,
until his enlistment and subsequent
death in the Spanish-American war.
In 1889 he was elected sheriff of YaY-
aai county, serving as sheriff until the
fall of 1890, during which time he
. Derienced numerous adventures with
the lawless element that would u t.
shame some of the wild west" sto-
ries found in eastern publications, not
the least of which was his capture Of
the notorious Canyon Diablo train rob
bers.
on the night of March 90. 1889, the
Santa FEES passenger train was held
up at Canyon Diablo by four masked
robbers, Charles Clark, aged pa, John
Smith. aged %, James Quinze, aged
70. and BIZ S~teinan, aged 80.
or the afternoon Of March p. Sher
IF O'Neill received word Of the hold
up and left for the scene of the rob
berry on the morning Of March %.
on his arrival there he Immediately
NUN W. Nv 81 vi AAAN ~
gether with his deputies. James l..
Plack OF Fla gstaff, and Special Dep
uty Ed. st. Clair, of the same place,
and Carl Holton, an atlantic n Pa.
cific detective.
Day after day Bucky and his dep
uties hung on the trail of the rob
bers. following them in their flight to
Utah. After a chase over mountain
and plains. for a distance of 600
miles. the desperadOes were sighted
the morning Of April /. nearly two
weeks after the affair. at a place In
Wahee canyon, about forty miles east
of CanyonVille. Utah. Bucky called on
the robbers to surrender and. was re-
piled TO with a Volley from their re-
Volvers. The country was heavily tim
and the robbers had a good hid.
ing place. A pitched battle ensued
IN which several Of the officers and
train robbers had narrow escapes, two
of the horses being shot. As the fight
warmed the desperadoes deserted their
horses and fled on foot. Despite the
hardships the officers followed them.
and soon o~verhauled Bill S%teinan, ac-
credited with being the leader of the
gang. The next day clark and Smith
were captured and on April 4 Ounce
was gathered In.
Alter more hardships Sheriff O'Nein
and his deputies arrived safely IN
with three of the prisoners,
VINO made a confession of the robbery
On their way back.
When Louis A. Wolfley. then gov
arnor of Arizona, heard Of the cap
.ure, he sent Bucky h Following mes
Phoenix. Ariz.. April II.
". q. O'Neill. Prescott. Ariz.:
The undersigned heartily Congratu-
ates you on your successful capture Of
he train robbers after 50 persistent
-. Nh. rDaaH.NA a. ]
Arizona and the country i'm general are
lroud OF your achievement and are
LOUIS A. woLFLEY.
Governor.
n. o. MURPHY, Secretary.
% Coming down the Ration mountain
N route TO Prescott. one of the dcs-
leaadoes. John smith, while hand
.ufed and shackled. leaped from the
moving train and escaped, temporar-
~. Bucky continued to Prescott vita
other three prisoners. and then
ook up m search for Smith, which
led him into Texas. The story
that while smith VAS fleeing he
a woman dying OF thirst on the
Iesert and took her Ia a water hole
which ne had previously intended Civ
a wide berth. a. he feared some
there might capture him. Arriving
Il the watering place with the woman
H. was recognized by descriptions
nailed out. and arrested. oNeill ar
a feW DAYS later 10 bring him
Later. after his conviction
nd sentence 10 the penitentatN.
WE'LL made a plea 20 b governor
70 ~ardon smith. owing 20 his kindness
D this woman which led 90 his cap :
ure. Z
Previous To- engaging I'm politics,
, NeIl took az his Journalistic Work 2
\ becoming editor Of the "hnuf aud Q
turn. "a publication devoted 90 the {
l~ferests 81 the stuckmen orrick d
was business manager % thls Z
.erindical for many years. % was [
associated with "BuckF up s
% the time fhc latter went Co war. q
when rumors % "a war WIN spar s
20 nl the air BuckN was
"a term as MAYER 20 Prcscpi- 3
the DAYS preceding the d~ecltfa- .
.nn o. 81 war. "Bucky conceived the 7
81 raising a troop 81 typical Wes e.
I'm men. 1000 strong. Co D. n 2
into fhs service a. Rough kiQ-
To Michael j HickeY. Pc had
several terms a. deputy sheriff
a.fH communicated hlH idea when 81
eus 81 fhe blowing un Hf The Maine d
5 Iasf fha r-nifed State lmmell- e
felV pNelI's Idea took frfnii inil g
De- wired President Mcklnlff. ui- D
h. raise = command ~ AnNN 9
~ flr afr lrf HErr 900 nar dee 81
anH And H Haa frHm flH flaf ii
lmnus Hnugh Riders uas Nfn'uaAi
1900 HL.H..