Daily Evening Bulletin

BATTLE WITH A MANIAC.

AN OFFICER SUBDUES A MURDEROUSLY INCLINED MADMAN.

Michael O'Neil About to Perforate His Wife and Daughter--A Bullet Sent Crashing Into His Head--Before the Courts--Not Guilty--Jailed.

New York, Jan. 11.--An aged man, whose gray locks were tinged with blood, staggered into the Butler street court room in Brooklyn. About his face was strapped a bandage saturated with blood. His eyes gleamed like two balls of fire, and his matted hair and face were smeared with gore. The prisoner gave his name as Michael O'Neil, aged fifty-two years. He said he was a laborer by occupation and formerly resided at No. 130 Dykeman street. Recently he had not lived with his wife and two daughters but had been an inmate of the Flatbush Asylum for the Insane for six months. Mary O'Neil, one of the daughters of the prisoner, appeared at the bar and accused her father of assault in the second degree. She told Justice Massey that over six months ago O'Neil had exhibited such violent symptoms of insanity that the family secured his incarceration in the asylum at Flatbush. They were ignorant of his release from that institution until he suddenly made his appearance at the door of his wife's apartment and demanded admission. The women refused to permit him to enter, and the door was locked in his face. Several times during the evening he attempted to force an entrance, but was unsuccessful, however.

About 1 o'clock O'Neil knocked at the door of the apartments occupied by the family. Under the impression that the deranged father had long ago departed, and that a neighbor had called, Catherine, a daughter, unlocked the door and asked:

"Who is there?"

"Me." was the reply, so simulated as to resemble the voice of a friend of the family. No sooner had the door been opened than O'Neil, with a fiendish yell, bounded into the room. In an instant he whipped a five-shooter from his pocket and leveled it at his daughter. With a scream of horror she rushed from the room and sought refuge from her maddened parent in the bed chamber, where she and her mother were accustomed to sleep. She jumped behind the bed and pulled the clothing over her, and the madman, who had followed her, pulled the trigger and fired two shots. His hand was so unsteady that the bullets flew wide of their mark and lodged in the wall. The reports of the pistol and the screams of the terrified wife and daughter aroused the neighbors, and they came rushing into the apartments to ascertain the cause of the excitement. Officers Murphy and Kennedy, of the Eleventh precinct, were among those who first arrived upon the scene. A bullet just escaped Kennedy's nose as he entered O'Neil's apartments. By the flash of the revolver the policemen discovered the figure of a man in one corner of the room. They charged upon the fellow with drawn clubs and pistols. Before reaching him, however, there was another flash, and a bullet whizzed by their heads. At the same time the lunatic yelled.

"Get out of this or I'll blow your brains out!"

Officer Kennedy hastily drew his revolver and fired at the dim-looking figure. The shot was followed by a shriek of pain and O'Neil tumbled to the floor. He was unable to speak, the bullet having entered his face just under the nose and lodged in the mouth. An ambulance was quickly summoned and Surgeon Van Cott extricated the ball without much difficulty. O'Neil, now thoroughly subdued, was removed to the Long Island College hospital, where he lay until arraigned in court. He pleaded not guilty to the accusation made against him, and was taken back to the hospital for further treatment. He will be arraigned for examination upon the 12th inst.