The Iola register., 1889-06-07
WEAVING THE WEB.

Parties Indicted.
CHICAGO, May 29.-Frank Woodruff,
alias Frank Black, has confessed to Cap
tain Setback the whole story of his con-
nection with DR.. Cronin's murder. Ac-
cording to the statements Woodruff has
made to the Captain, he was not directly
connected with the murder itself, but
simply acted as the driver Of the wagon
which disposed of the dead mans body in
the catch basin where it was found.
Woodruff has been taken to the scene Of
Cronin's murder and also to the sewer
where the body was found and the place
where the trunk was first seen. He him.
self gave the driving directions to the de.
tectives who managed the reins, and in
every instance located the exact places
where the chief acts in the tragedy oc-
Cured.
According to his confession. Woodruff
was directed by those who had charge of
that part of the conspiracy. and whose
names Captain Setback reserves for rea-
sons that are palpable, to go to Dinan's
livery stable, where he would obtain .
horse and wagon. He had already sbeen
instructed to drive the outfit to the neigh.
borhood Of the Carlson cottage. and he
also knew for what purpose he was to 20
there.
Woodruff arrived at the cottage about
twenty minutes before DR.. Cronin was
driven up and placed his horse and wagon
at a point near the cottage, where he
could keep his eyes on the front steps. He
saw the white horse rig containing DR..
Cronin and his conductor arrive and
three quarters of an hour thereafter the
man who was known as Williams opened
the front door of the cottage and gave the
signal by stamping his foot on the wooden
porch. Woodruff at once drove up and
assisted by the third man the trunk was
loaded into the wagon.
The two men followed the trunk and di-
rected Woodruff, who continued as the
driver, to drive eastward to the lake to a
certain point, which Woodruff has desig.
mated to Captain Setback. The wagon
was headed for the lake and in its depths
the trunk and its contents would have
been deposited had not the interrup.
tion come from the Lakeview ponce.
man. This destroyed the original plans,
and immediate steps were taken to
get out of the officials way. This was
done by taking a circutous route which
again brought them to the Evanston road.
They had now been driving for nearly an
hour with their CHASTITY load and one Of
the men suggested the sewer. A stop
was made at the Fifty ninth street inter.
section Of the Evanston road. The top
was taken of the manhole on the southeast
corner and the trunk lifted from the
wagon. 1t was then new and unexpected
difficulty presented itself. While it was
possible 10 drop the trunk with the body
into the lake. it became . physical impos.
sibility to thus dispose of the load in the
manhole. 1t was resolved to take the
body out Of the trunk, drop the body in
the catch basin and return the trunk to
the cottage and burn 1t.
But when the trunk was to be unlocked
it was found that the key had been lost
Williams said there was no moro time to
be lost and he kicked in the lid of the
trunk. The three lifted the body out and
deposited it in the sewer as it was found.
The trunk was again placed on the wag-
on. 1t was intended to go south for dis
tance and then to drive north to the cot.
tage and there deposit the trunk.
'.Right here" said Woodruff to Captain
Setback, pointing to the exact spot where
the trunk was found, I'VE heard the noise
of wagon wheels from the south and two
men, one Of whom had been setting on the
trunk, picked it up and threw it out of the
wagon. l was urged to whip up the horse
and drive west When we reached Fuller.
ton avenue both men said good night to
me and left the wagon"
BEFORE THE GRAND JURY.
CHICAGO. May 29.-Detective Daniel
Coughlin, Patrick o. Sullivan. the iceman.
and Frank ]. Black, alias Woodruff, were
indicted by the grand jury last evening
for the murder of DR.. Cronir. This result
was reached after an investigation which
had begun at noon and lasted seven
hours, during which two dozen wit.
nesses were examined and q mass of evi.
dence considered
The three prisoners were included in one
Indictment. to which there were three
charging them with killing
DR.. Cronin with blunt instrument; the
second, alleging the use of sharp instru-
ment and the third, instruments and
means unknown.
No evidence was introduced to prove
conspiracy and DR.. Cronin's private pa
pers were not placed before the grand
jury.
The witnesses who were called were
those whose stories have been told in gen.
eral outline il not in detail in the press
judge Longenecker thought it advisable
to tighten the coils into which the three
prisoners had already been drawn and
fasten them with indictments. probably
to prevent any effort to secure the release
of one or more of them on bail
The grand jury took only one vote after
bearing the witnesses and that was unan.
imous for indicting all three prisoners.
States Attorney Longenecker said that
no mention of Clan-na-Gael affairs had
been made in the jury room. 1.-The cbarge
Of conspiracy was not investigated" he
added, ''and Mr.. Cronin's papers were
not brought in. Those matters vii; come
later. probably before another grand
jury"
The two warrants for Daniel Coughlin
and P. q. Sullivan are not the only ones
that have been issued in the case. Eight
other warrants were placed in the hands
of detectives and taken to different parts
Of the city and Lakeview. The detectives
began to shadow eight diff
ferent suspects The warrants are not
intended for use save in such emergency
as would arise from an attempt of any Of
the men to leave the city.
Nobody is any longer discussing the
possibility of the prisoner Coughlin
The ex-detective has
plainly defined his platform. Upon being
urged to tell all he knew ne replied in
these words: Il am innocent and know
nothing. But if / were guilty and did
know anv thing, l would die before I
would tell it"
Fatal Collision.
BRIDGEPORT. Conn.,, May 29-Two
freight trains going in opposite directions
,oilided at Bull Station al 4:3 O'Clock yes
erday morning Both engines were