Case Number: 1801

Owens, Patrick, special officer, C.M. & St. P. Ry., shot dead, Dearfield station, by William Lake and P.J. Gordon, alias Greswold, railroad thieves, who were arrested and sentenced at Waukegan by Judge Upton to life imprisonment in the Joliet Penitentiary. Griswold died of consumption in Penitentiary, Aug. 6, 1899. Lake became insane and was sent to Chester Asylum for Insane Criminals.



Circumstances

Date of Offense August 24, 1894
Date of Death August 24, 1894
Time Between Offense and Death Immediate - death occurred at the crime scene
Address Dearfield station
Type of Location Residence
Location Description Dearfield station
Type of Death Homicide
Type of Homicide Intentional murder
Method of Killing Other gun, gun unspecified
Weapon shot dead
Motive special officer of C.H. & st. P.R. shot by railroa
Description Robbery
Total Number of Victims 1
Location Dearfield station
Number of Defendants 2
Type of Residence Residence of both victim and defendant

Victim

Name Owens, Patrick
Gender Male
Race White
Employed Yes
VictimEmploymentType Employed, professional (incl. police and military)
Ethnicity Other, european
Victim Killed While Protecting Property Protecting other property
Occupation/ Skill Law enforcement

Defendant

Name Lake, William
Gender Male
Ethnicity Other, european
Race White
Employed Yes
Employment Type Outside labor force (incl. criminals)
Occupation/ Skill Crimanl - thief

Police

Allegations of Police Corruption No
Total Number of Defendants Arrested 2
Victim Employed by Law Enforcement Special officer, e.g. Pinkertons

Legal

Outcome of Coroner's Judgment Defendant held to Grand Jury
Charges Against Defendant No
Trial Judge Upton
Type of Legal Decision Recorded Coroner, trial
Allegations of Police Corruption No
Length of Sentence Life
Outcome of Trial Guilty of murder
Sentenced to Joliet, Stateville