Bio: O'Neill, Jimmie - childish sport
Contact: Vickie

----Source: The Clark Republican and Press Date: 8-20-1880

The greatest scare of the season was caused yesterday afternoon by the report that little Jimmie O’Neill had been drowned in O’Neill Creek, near Lowe Bors.’ Slaughter house, just below town. The report was not generally credited, as there is not water enough in the creek at present to drown a kitten, but it had the effect to frighten his mother and other relatives out of their senses, and in getting most of the town near the locality where the drowning was supposed to have taken place. Jimmie was found by the advance of the anxious crowd in full enjoyment of health and childish sport near the reported scene of the disaster, and when made acquainted with the report, appeared to think it a huge joke. When brought home he jumped astride George Blakeslee’s neck, who was sitting on the sidewalk in front of the O’Neill House, laughing and saying, "I wasn’t drowned at all." The fright quite overcame his mother who fainted away on the street and had to be helped to the house.