Go back

Timothy O'Brien murder

Archive
Research summaries and newspaper clippings about the murder of Timothy O'Brien in (New) Richmond in 1871.
Daily_Patriot_1871_03_16_1.jpg 857KB
1871-AllCoRec.pdf 550KB CommercialRecord-1871-0304-p3.jpg 126KB Diane Geanuleas Research.pdf 238KB Timothy O’Brien Outline.pdf 68KB; Timothy O’Brien Murder 1849 - Sep. 3 Timothy O’Brien (~1826-1871) and Margaret Kelley, both Irish-born, are married in Syracuse, New York. They eventually have five children. 1855 ≈ The O'Briens and their first child move to Michigan. 1860 - Aug. 23 The 1860 US Census lists the family in Gaines Township, Genesee County 1863 ≈ Margaret dies after Timothy, Jr. is born (27 Dec. 1862) 1864 - Sep. 26 Timothy Sr. marries Mary ___ , widow of Michael Maurice. 1869 The O’Briens sell their land in Gaines Township (sec. 28). Afterwards, Mary gives her residence as Argentine Township, just south of Gaines. 1870 - Aug. 19 At the time of the US Census, four of the O’Brien children are living with other families in Michigan. There is no record of the parents or the fifth child. 1871 - Feb. 28 The Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad1 is complete to Grand Junction. Timothy O’Brien works for the C&MLS and runs a boarding house for railroad men at Sherman’s Mill2 (8 miles north). (same day) After drawing $40 in pay from the C&MLS office in Holland, O’Brien walks eleven miles to Richmond3, where he takes a room at a tavern4 and has dinner. After dark, he leaves with two men and is not seen again. Mar. 1 A shanty a few feet from the railroad tracks near Richmond is discovered smoldering at 4:00 AM. Human remains are found among the wreckage. Mar. 1-4 A deputy sheriff takes the remains to Sherman's Mill. A postmortem by Dr. Henry Stimson of Saugatuck fails to provide a cause of death. Gustavus Meyer, Manlius Township Justice of the Peace, conducts an inquest and has the body buried. O’Brien’s wife recognizes items found at the scene, including a knife with an odd break in its blade, confirming that the body is Timothy’s. The initial suspects are James Hogle, Charles Hayward, and Pat Hogan.5 Mar. 4 The first newspaper report appears in the Lake Shore Commercial.6 Mar. 24 Judge Charles Brown of Allegan County Circuit Court approves payment of $149.53 to Gustavus Meyer to cover the inquest and burial costs. Aug. 15 Timothy left no will. Judge George Gold of Genesee County Probate Court appoints Mary O’Brien to administer her late husband’s $1000 estate.

2025.42.01

A crime so sensational it was picked up for coverage as far away as the Daily Patriot newspaper in Washington, D.C.

True crimeTransporation: Rail - other than Interurban

Winthers, Sally

2025.42

Clark, Chris

Donation, unconditional

Digital documents emailed to Sally Winthers on 18 Oct 2025 by Chris Clark. Diane Geanuleas, , who assembled the research summary, is a descendant of Timothy's first wife's sister.

Digital data in CatalogIt

Stimson, Henry H. 1824-1916New Richmond/Richmond

10/19/2025

10/19/2025