Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-11-07
THE CRoNIN CASE.
Testimony OF Several Witnesses for
The state.

wife Of Patrick Oman, the llvorvman
who owns the famous white horse,
took the stand as witness. She tcs.
tilted to facts about tho horse being
taken and driven north on the night OF
May A, and his return at half past nine
o'clock streaming with PRECIPITATION as
II he had been driven hard.
John L, O'Connor, u momber OF the
famous camp 20 Of the Clan-na-Gael
OF which Beggs, Burke, Coughlin and
other dofcndants were members, was
next placed on the stand O'Connor
was recording secretary OF the camp
whom Beggs was senior guardian.
After numerous details as to their
meetings and methods Of transacting
business, witness testified that on Feb.
s last Thomas +. OConnor. Mt u meet
ing Of the camp, asked II tho report OF
the trial committee that tried what Is
now known rs tho triangle had ever
been heard. Beggs said II had not.
UConnor then said that II was strange
this camp never got the report, When
nc heard II read In another camp In
tho city the name OF the man who read
IL In the other cnmp was understood by
O'Connor MS DIR. Cronin,
Attic afternoon session Andrew Toy
a member Of Camp 20, was put on the
stand MS u witness, lie was worry non
committal and with tho greatest peril
nacliy avoided giving positive answers
even to the most innocent questions.
Finally he was brought TO admit
that he made u speech at u meeting
OF Camp 20 whom the report OF the tri-
angle trial committee came up. Ho
made several attempts 10 explain the
circumstances under which he made
tho speech, and got badly tangled
up. Finally he snid: $50 far ma
can remember, Capt 0Conuor made
u statement that LoCaron was the paid
agent OF tho executive body OF tho Irish
organizations In this country. lie said,
think there were $2S, 900 Of tho funds
OF this organization gone 10 LoCaron
for some object In England or Ireland, "
Toy also said O'Conner spoke OF hav-
ing heard the report Of the trial com
miltce received In another camp.
This caused much excitement and was
the 6ause OF the witness speech. lie
was excited, he said, by tho thought
that LeCaron got any OF tho clnn's
funds for any purpose; and ALEC TO learn
that the report OF the trial committee
had been given out Ia other camps
sooner than in camp 20.
Michael j. Kelly, junior guardian OF
Camp 20, told OF the proceedings,
though his memory was deficient as to
the details. He said that the demand
or the report OF tho trial committee
grew out OF O'Connors statement TO
| the effect that he had heard tho report
| OF the committee read In the camp OF
| which Cronin was member, by Cron-
In himself. (fhis statement, by the
way, Is in contradiction OF the evidence
on this subject heretofore given and OF
all the published statements which
have agreed, saying that O'Connor did
not mention Cronin's nnmo } The
REORGANIZATION OF Kelly brought
out the fact that, although he knew OF
the trial OF the triangle, no did not
know who constituted that body until
their names were published In the
newspapers. Two other witnesses,
members OF Camp 20, were examined,
and testified In regard TO the proceed
ings OF the Camp.
Patrick Nolan, financial secretary Of
camp 20, produced his record book,
and from IL testified us TO the numbers
borne by Coughlin, Cooncy, O'Suiivan,
Beggs and Burke, all OF whom, except
Cooucy, are now on trial. Tho witness
/ further testified that he was present at
the meeting OF the camp on tho night
OF May ., the day preceding DR.. Cron-
ms death; that Bcggs presided; that
there was call for the report OF the
secret committee appointed February
$. and that BeGgs replied that the
committee was TO report TO him alone.
Witness said that on the Sunday fol.
lowing DR.. Cronin's disappearance he
met Burke and Cooney about 8 o'clock
In the afternoon in q saloon.
The next witness was Capt. Thomas
| i. O'Connor, the man who created the
excitement in Camp 20 on the night OF
February 3, by saying that he had
heard read in DR.. Cronin's camp the
report OF the committee that tried tho
triangle. Capt O'Connor said that
Andrew Fey was the FIRST man to speak
that night. Fey arose In his place In
the camp and addressed tho senior
guardian, and stated that he arose un-
der "a terrible strain; that after the dis
closures OF LeCaron in London the or
| ganization as nm organization was no
more; that there were four British spies
in the organization, and that every
one that was in the organization who
had the slightest faint Of suspicion at
tached to lin should be expelled. The
remaining portion OF his testimony was
TO the effect that tho Clan.na- Gael or
ganization was run by rogucs who
squandcred the funds.
When court resumed its session Oct.
list the jury was excluded while the
matter OF striking out Mct;arry's evil
dencc was discussed. Tho court finally
regard TO the former attack on Cronin.
This was not satisfactory 10 the de-
Tense, but after some talk the trial
! was resumed.
| John w. Samson testified that about
two years ago Coughlin tried TO hire
him to .'slug" DIR. Cronin. On cross
examination Sampson admitted Cough
| lin had arrested him three or four
times, once for robbery; that no had
been convicted OF passing counterfeit
| money; that he Is q gambler by FRO
| fession, and was given to ''playing dc
SHE'LL" which is u variation OF three
card monte.
Joseph G. O'Keafc. Cronin's tailor,
said he attended the meeting OF Camp
20, in September, 1883, and after 1t
had conversation with Beggs about
Crcniu and Alexander Sullivan. Bcggs
had displayed an aversion TO Cronin,
and said the latter was not the proper
man to put on the trial committee to
try Alexander Sullivan He objected
TO Cronin particularly because the doc
tor was an enemy OF Sullivan's
Edward Throckmorton, Aaron Gold
man and James NJ. Marshall, connect
ed with the real estate Office, testified
regarding 10 the renting OF tho fat at
! III Clark street to ~. Is. Simonds."
The first witness in the Cronin trial
n. "a