From the March 16, 2010 Daily Herald.
The last public hanging in Lake County, Illinois, where I lived for 18 years, occurred Feb. 27, 1874. Christopher Rafferty of Cook County (Chicago) had killed Chicago police officer Patrick O'Meara.
On August 4, 1872, Rafferty was in a saloon on South Halstead in Chicago when he was approached by two cops and told they had a warrant for arrest for a breach of peace charge for making improper noise and disturbing. Rafferty said he's shoot id they laid hands on him.
He turned to leave when O'Meara blocked the door and Rafferty drew a pistol and shot him. he also fired two shots at Officer Scanlon, but missed. Rafferty got away, but was captured the next day.
At trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to hang. Rafferty's attorney appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court because the fact that Rafferty was drunk at the time of the shooting had not been allowed into testimony. The court rules in his favor.
A second trial was held in Waukegan. The defense attorney tried to say the warrant was invalid as the police magistrate left blank warrants on his desk that officers could fill out.
Witnesses said that O'Meara had it in for Rafferty.
There ended up being a third trial where Rafferty was found guilty despite much evidence and many witnesses to the contrary and the man met his death at the gallows.
A Case of Blind Justice? --DaCoot
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