New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-05-15
CLEARING A M YSy1ERY.
Arrest ola Man Who Throws Light
Upon the Disappearance Of DR..
Cronin Of Chicago.

CHICAGO, May 10. The most startling in
formation in the mysterious case of the miss
ing Irish-American, DR.. p II. C,onin, came
out tonight. Frank G. Woodruff, the horse
thief arrested at Twelfth street, has made a
full confession. He sneaked horse and
wagon out OF Deans barn early Sunday
morning and met DR.. Cronin, William King
and Dick Fairburn. A trunk containing the
body OF a woman was placed IN the wagon.
Woodruff drove. liking and Fairburn rode
with him. CrOnin remained behind Wood
ruff left the body and his two companions in
Lincoln Park and then drove with the empty
trunk to the place on Evanston ave-
nue. where IL was found. From converse
tons between Cronln, King and Fairburn
(which Woodruff overheard he judged the
body was that of a woman killed by an
abortion, perhaps performed by DR.. Cronin
Thursday evening the Twelfth street officers
arrested q young inan who was trying to
sell white horse and a wagon in a livery
stable near the police station. The young
man offered to part with the ri- for $40 and
the suspicious of Foley, the livery stable
man, Were Immediately aroused He te1e-
phored to the station and the horse trader
was taken into custody He gave his
name at the station as John Brown, and after
answering the routine questions always adj
dressed to prisoners, his face blanched. his
hands rrembled and he fell in a dead faint.
The officers wondered at the time that their
prisoner should appear so much concerned,
but the reason was apparent next morning
when he sent for Capt O'Donnell and said
he had something to tell him. He was taken
into the captains office, and, in the presence
of several officers, voluntarily unfoded the
story of his connection with the trunk mys-
terry. To-day policemen investigated his
story and found it corroborated by many
circumstances tending to show it's truthful
ness. Brown said his real name was Frank
G. Woodruff, and that he was working for
Dean q Co.. livery stable keepers
THE PRISONERS STORY.
Wed nesday night week ago was in the Owl
saloon OF State street. and met man there that
had been very we'll acquainted with several
years before The man was Billy King. His
real name think, is William H King, although
when first met him he called himself Harry
BothWorth just before we separated he said
that he would call me from the sta BILE some
evening and tell me how we could make some
money Saturday evening he asked me if
could get a horse and wagon out of the stable
without any one knowing it. and told me he
would give me $25 if I would do it, told
him could and we agreed upon place of meet
ing. chose the white horse. because I knew it
was good roadster l found King waiting for
me at corner on State street. He got in with
me and we drove together TO a barn in the rear
alley between State and Dearborn streets to the
barn doors. AS we wheeled up in front of
the barn. the door was pushed open by some one
Fairburn. I know Dick quite well, and have
known him for number of years. The other
man, am sure, was Dr.. Cronin. Although it
was quite dark at the time had several OPP
portunitles to look closely at his face He had
q mustache and a little goatee, and answers
DR.. Cronin's description IN every way. l never
had seen DR.. Cronin to know that it was he. and
dld not hear any other men address him as
Cronin. They called him Doc" The three
men went into the barn together and
RETURNED WITH TRUNK
They lifted it into the wagon and then climbed
in. We drove straight through the alley to the
hrst cross street, turned Oh that and then went
up Dearborn TO the park. As soon as we reached
the park we turned into the Lake Shore drive
and started north kept the horse on the run
all the time. I heard several expressions in
their conversation which convinced me that
there was a body, in the trunk. I noticed
that the trunk smelled, as if there decay
ing flesh in it, and when the horse
got got ao Whit he saorted We drove nearly to
minute near some bushes King and Fairburn
We're with me. We left Cronin at the barn, and
eyes was black as If he had been hit with fist.
At the bushes we lifted the trunk out and held
the horse while it was opened then saw that
in the unH hey in
pieces. cannot say positively whether it was
the body OF man or woman except from one
we leave Allie Farburn ss and
If you had let Tom alone we would have had Doc
in here with her." Those remarks passed while
the they runE back oayng INTO the the buhe
noticed that each piece was carefully
wrapped up in cotton, or something that looked
like cotton. King lifted the trunk into the
wagon, Took ut his pocketbook and counted out
$25 from large roll. After left the boys I
drove on a run. Finally dumped out the trunk
and turned back broke it open as it fell. but
did not wait to see in what manner it lay or
just how the pieces were placed. I saw King on
Monday on Wabash avenue and talked with him
used feel sure that Cronin is in the city and
that King knows his whereabouts. and that if
King can be found he will tell where Cronin u.s.
POINTED OUT THE PLACE.
The prisoner was taken out of the station
with Capt O'Donnell Thursday night and
again to-day. He pointed out the place
where he left the Trunk, and fixed the identi-
cal spot where it was fonnd. He pointed
out the barn, which proved to be in the rear
Of 52S North State street The officers
entered it, but could find no evidence for or
against the story. Woodruff says he sus-
poets from the conversation he overheard
between Cronin, Fairburn and King that the
body in the trunk was that of woman
w
haps performed by DR. Cronin. He draws this
conclusion not only from the words he
overheard, but also from the anxiety ev.nced
by the doctor to get the body out of the way,
and from the fact that Cronin had apparently
been recently struck by some one. Wood,
ruff first read of Cronins disappearance in
Tuesdays paper, and also read the story re-
lating to the finding of the empty trunk He
was greatly frightened, and. thinking that
the officers were certainly on his track. took
means to get out of the city. He had some
money remaining from the sum given him by
King, but decided to obtain a little more.
The result was his arrest for attempting to
sell the horse which happened to be the
Identical animal he used on the memorable
night
FOUND "a CLUE
A pretty brunette named Allie or Alice
f Filavaso has been missing from the neigh
borhood near which is located the barn
where Woodruff is said To have mot n.