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 |
