New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-17
THE CRUNIN VERDICT

The Cronin trial has ended. Flippant crit
icism of the verdict would be out Of place. but
it is proper to say that it will disappolnt most
of those who have followed the testimony with
impartial care There is much satisfaction In
the thought that the issue of this protracted
labor is not a mistrial; and looked at from
that point of view, the general feeling may
be. or may come in time to be, that the jury
on the whole have done a great public service
Their decision in respect to Beggs is, at any
rate, entirely rational, and, after the Judges
charge. any other verdict in his case was scarce
" to be expected. But most persons, we think,
will reason that if Coughlin, Burke and O'Sul-
Ivan deserved a sentence of life Imprisonment
they deserved to be executed, and that if Kunze
has earned three years in jail he has earned
longer term than three years.
There have been celebrated trials in this
country which have lasted longer than this,
and there has been at least one which more
profoundly interested a greater number of in
telligent persons, but perhaps there was never
another criminal case so full of complications,
so Astounding in dramatic disclosures and so
fundamentally significant. 1t began in mys-
tery and it is common belief that only a small
part of its mysterious ramifcations have yet
been discovered The trial has proceeded
under the natural difficulties which invest Il
prosecution for conspiracy, and, if 1.-THE OF
all the reports which have filed the air can be
trusted, artificial obstacles have been raised
which only unsleepng vigilance could have
avoided.
The mystery began with the disappearance
of Dr. Cronn, a conspicuous Irish American
citizen but it was many days before the fact
of his murder was established, and even then
the Identification was at first strenuously de-
MED. lie was known to have enemies in the
ranks of the Clan na-Gael Society; it was
known that he was determined to assert, and
it was believed that he was able to prove that
the society had been plundered by some of its
officials. On this basis the theory of con-
spiracy to put him and his evidence out of the
way was built up, and the issue has confirmed
the diagnosis. Into this simple fsbric of fact
and hypothesis there has been woven, together
with the evidence by which at last the main
truth has been proved. an altogether marvel
lous and unprecedented succession of plots and
counterplots, of legends, romances and sub
conSpiracies, so that more than once ii has
seemed almost impossible that the authentic
features of the truth saould ever be disclosed
And when finally they had appeared to the
eyes of most observers, the jury evidently found
great difficulty in recognizing them.
The necessity of avenging the horrid death
of an amiabe and estimable man long ago
ceased to be the strongest incentive to an un-
finching prosecution of this case. The ques-
ton of prime significance to the country was
whether or not there did exist secret organ
ization whose inner circles assumed, and in
reality exercised. authority over the lives OF
persons obnoxious tc them. Around that cen
trail point, whatever convictions have fastened
upon the popular mind, there is still more
obscurity than light; and this is not the time
to grow weary and consider the affair happily
ended. 1t has been reported among the count
less rumorS to which this trial has given birth,
that startling revelations would certainly fol-
low a verdict cOnyictng the defendants. The
prospect of Imprisonment for life may be so
much less terrifying than sentence of death
as to falsify this prediction If this chance
fails some other may offer. 1t will be uniyer-
sal misfortune if, from this starting point, the
whole truth is not traced, wherever it may lead.