Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-05-18
BARES MURDER7A TALE.
CHICAGO POLICE GET NEW cLEW
FROM CONVICT WHO TOLD
OF KILLING MlNlON.
NAMES SLAYER OF A. WALSH
o'NeiIi, In Joliet Penitentiary at First,
Declares He Would Hang Rather
Than Reveal Identity Of Burglar
Who Fired Shot.

Chicago, May 15.-A second confess
sion was wrung from James O'Neil,
Joliet convict, who, through his raw
ings in his sleep was discovered to be
the murderer of Policeman Robert
Mackaneny, shot and killed more than
a year ago within a stones throw OF
his home at Sixty-third street and
Wentworth avenue.
The second confession of O'Neil, 1t
is declared, will clear up the mystic
rious murder of Albert Walsh, who
was killed by a burglar at his home
at 4544 Indiana avenue. Detectives
Bidinger and Dubach, now in posses
sion of the confession, are searching
the city for a man named George"
said to be a former room mate of
O'Neil, and wanted as the murderer.
1t is asserted that the mans arrest
Is a question of only few hours.
Search for woman, an intimate OF
George" was also begun.
Effect of Troubled Conscience.
The murders of Mackaneny and
Walsh, it was long feared. would
never be cleared up. Weeks OF work
by skilled investigators was Of no
avail. Now through the mutterings Of
man with troubled conscience,
the police declare, both mysteries will
be solved and the murderers brought to
| justice.
Walsh was shot and killed in his
home early in August, 1907. No clew
was left by the assassin. Miss Anna
Walsh, sister of the victim, could
tell nothing of the crime. She was
Frustrated for days after her brother
was killed.
The murder of Policeman Mackan
eny was equally mysterious. On the
day he was killed he answered roll
call at the Woodlawn police station
Sixty-third street and Wentworth ave
nue..
The officer took only few steps
when shot was fired and he fell
He never regained consciousness, ant
was thus never able to tell who firet
the shot. After weeks of investiga
ton the case was placed among thu
unsolved criminal mysteries of Chi
cago.
Convict Writes to Judge.
Less than three months ago, O'Neil
who has confessed to the commission
of one murder and implicated chun
in the other mystery, wrote note tt
Judge Kersten in the criminal cour
asking that he be given his freedom
At the same time O'Neil declared tina
he had no desire to be criminal o
to associate with lawbreakers, blu
that he was compelled to do wrong
that some mysterious subconscious i'm
pulse forced him to do its bidding.
O'Neil wrote that mistake mus
have been made in his sentence, a.
he had agreed to plead guilty to
charge of larceny if he were givel
sentence of one year. When he al
rived at Joliet he found his term wa
20 years.
Crime with me is not of my own We
lition," wrote O'Neil to the juris
Something uncomfortable has &c
hold of me and canont help my
self. l will say with all sincerit
that do not want to be thief or con
NIT crime of any kind. l hate Grim
and criminals. / want to be an VI
right, honest and respectable either
but cannot"
While those words were being wri
ten to Judge Kerston, O'Neil. accort
ing to his confession, was sufferin
: from troubled dreams and an accu
2 ing conscience.
The case has attracted much attel
: ton and criminologists and psychol,
gists may be called on to questio
8 O'Neil in an effort to learn more {
:, his case and determine the reason IL
:. his sleep mutterings.
orr,Ioro ro r0rr oos mr.