, 1889-10-17
n A Villainous Plot Discovered to
Bribe the Jurors for an
Aoquittal.
The States Attorney Says the
Plot Is.Dangerous to Our
Institutions.
Five Thousand Dollars Apiece Of
cred to Jurors to Fix"
Them.
Many Business Men and Officers
of the Court Being Arrested
and Indicted.
Innocent Women Being Dragged
Into the Plot-The Grand
Jury in Session.

Into the Plot-The Grand
Jury in Session.
CHICAGO, Oct. 12.-Judgo Mcconnell
convened his court at the appointed
time this afternoon to proceed with the
Cronin trial, but Immediately adjourned
until Monday. He announced that the
states attorney had declared that the
case could not proceed to-day without
injury to public interests.
Judge Horton has issued a vcnire for q
SPECIAL GRAND JURY
10 investigate All attempt to ix the Jury
In connection with the Cronin trial, and
the Jurors summoned are now Assem-.
bling in the courtroom. Ex.Mayor
Roche is among the grand jurymcn and
will be foreman of the body. Al Hankins
and Mark Solomon, criminal bailitfs,
are under arrest, charged with attempt
to pack the jury. The first suspicion Of
the fact was the failure of the men to re-
port for duty this morning. Then it was
learned they were in States Attorney
Longeneckers office yesterday and had
not been seen since. Their absence is
due to the fact that they were taken to
NORTH Side hotel by several detectives
and have been kept there.
UNDER CLOSE SURVEILLANCE.
Two men have been discovered in an
attempt to corrupt the veniremen sum-
moned to Judge McConnells court and
instruct those favorable to the prisoner
how TO answer questions to the state S
attorneys in order to be retained as
Jurors. The bailiifs in custody have not
been at any time engaged in summon
Ing jurors for the trial and il was not
known they had any connection with
the defense. Neither is an Irishman.
but they have been active as agents Tor
Ihe defense is almost certain.
THE PLOT.
States Attorney Longnecker this after
noon authorized one of his colleagues to
give a brief outline of one of the boldest
conspiracies ever unearthed in this city.
1t has for the past forty hours taken up
the attention of the states attorney and
caused much excitement Last Thurs
day, said the attorney, "a wealthy and
prominent business man in this city
came to me and said he wished in the
name of justice to inform the state of
one OF the biggest plots to defeat Justice
ever heard of. The plot was this Men
were to be bribed and sworn under oath
they would stick out for an acquittal
when the Jury in the Cronin case went
out to find verdict.
FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
was offered to any man TO do this,
Upon investigation IL was found that
the plot was widespread and included
many. well-known men. One of the
bailiifs who conducted the business for
ithe defense has made confession which
not only involves himself but many
more.
ADDITIONAL ARRESTS
will follow to-day and tonight. IL is
one of the most damnable outrages and
Gudacious conspiracies ever brought to
the knowledge of Chief Hubbard,
Sheriff Matson, or any of the law
yers in the case, said the states attor-
ney, 'and we will conduct and punish
all who are implicated in the dastardly
plot" The name of one of the venire
men attempted to be bribed is George s.
T. Tschapett, foreman for +. p. Page II
Co., oil merchats.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE PLOT.
One of the boldest, most corrupt and
infamous plots ever brought to the no.
tice of the public was outlined by State S
Attorney .Eongpecker's right-hand man,
Mills, this afternoon. The conspiracy
not only includes county officials but
outsiders of nigh standing Several ar.
rests have already been made and more
will follow before sunset. Not content
with the bribery of men an attempt has
been made to drag even
INNOCENT WOMEN
into the plot and thus gain the end for
which the friends of the defense have
been working for the last five months.
States Attorney Longenecker desires
me to say" said Mr.. Mills, who was
commissioned by the states attorney to
talk to reporters, that this plot has not
been disclosed because it would have de-
feated justice had the information we
possessed been made public. we can
not now give any names or details, but
the outline Of this conspiracy can now
ut will be remembered" continued
the attorney, "that on last Wednesday
afternoon an honest young man who, IS
employed as foreman in u large estab-
lishment nes in in this CITY vas examined and
though not stated by Attorney Mills,
that the name of the venireman at
tempted TO be bribed is George S.
Tacbappart. foreman for 4. V. Page q
Co., oil merchants, this city. "Thurs-
day afternoon" said Mills, Ia very
PROMINENT CITIZEN OF CHICAGO
entered the courtroom and privately
communicated to counsel for the state
that his foreman before being called 10
the jury box had been approached by
the bafiiff of the court with an offer
of ,,,;, 1900 to s.e.rTon,. vote for q. tn the
sITHa.iis THSs Is not "a story S and a
bring it before you in the interest of
public justice. He then went away and
next morning one OF the counsel for the
state went down to the firm of tho man
whose foreman had been offered the
bribe, and the moment that hc saw tho
foreman he recognized him as the man
whose honesty and independence had
impressed itself upon the counsel for the
ytate while he was sitting in tho jury
box"
was requested by counsel for the state to
come to the states attorneys Office and
repeathis statement In full The man with
lears in his eyes said: "lt involves
friend, but II II involved myself would
uphold law and order"
The gist of his statement to counsel,
Btate's attorney, is as follows: In obe-
aience 10 summons came to the court
house Tuesday; sat In the anteroom,
but was not called; came again Wedncs-
day morning; stayed in anteroom and
at l0:30 o'clock man came from the
courtroom into the antcroom who was
an old friend of the venircman. The
fact also appears that tho wives OF the
two men were friends before they were
married.
A man who came to the courtroom to
the venireman suggested that they go
out and have cigar, and said do
you want to make money! The ycnre,
man innocently answered, Certainly !
do" Very well, you get on the jury and 1,,