The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-12-20
GOT OFF WITHLIFE.
No Gallows Needed for the
Cronin Suspects.
JOHN F. BEGGs sNUFFS FREE AIR.
Little Kunze Will Do Time in the
Penitentiary for Three Years
and the Others for Life.

Seventy Hours Consumed I'm Reaching u
Notwithstanding of the Prisoners When
Their Doom Was Read-kunze Breaks
Down In Tears and sobs Ont Protest
of Innocence, O'suliivan weeps a Little
and Coughlin Turns white-Bourk In
different and Beggs Naturally Exult-
ant-A New Trial Asl<ed--Opinions OF
the Verdict.
CHICAGO, Dec 1.-THE end has come in
the Cronin murder trial at last. 1t did not
come early enoughfor The Times to beso sure
yesterday morning, nor did it come accord
ing to the programme laid down in that pa
per- 1t was not till 3 o'clock yesterday after
noon that Judge Mcconnell received an in
animation that the jury had agreed upon a
verdict. For seventy hours they had been
locked up i'm their room with absolutely no
communication between themselves and the
outside world If there is any value in an
oath, for the bailiffs were sworn to permit
no intercourse. All this time public clamor
had been knocking at the door, as it were,
demanding that the proceedings in the jury
room be made known, and to satisfy said
clamor the ingenious reporter drew on his
imagination and the wild rumors that, with
out source or authority, few around the
court building and fixed up some pretty
stories.
The Jury Comes into Court.
Upon receiving the information that a
verdict was ready Judge Mcconnell opened
the court and directed that the twelve men be
brought in; also the prisoners. 1t was evil
dent that the authorities had some fear of a
rescue or some other wild enterprise on the
part of the prisoners friends, as no one was
permitted in court except the court officials,
the reporters and about fifty policemen in
plain clothes, a strong squad of whom took
up their position close to the prisoners
chairs. The defendants filed in strongly
guarded by policemen and took their places,
and a moment later the door leading to the
jury room opened and the long expected
jurymen walked in and were seated. The
prisoners counsel were present excepting
Donahue This was $3.50 p. m.
Reading of the Verdict.
When quiet was obtained the clerk said:
Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed
upon your verdictT
1--WE have" answered the foreman, and at
once handed over the verdi ct, which is as
follows in full:
We the jury find the defendant John F. Beggs
not guilty.
We the Jury find the defendant John Kunze
guilty of manslaughter as charged in the in
dictment and fix his punishment at imprison-
ment in the penitentiary for a term of three
years.
We the jury find the defendants Dan Cough
lin, Patrick O'Sullivan and Martin Bourk
guilty of murder in the manner and form as
charged in the indictment and fix the penalty
at Imprisonment in the penitentiary for the
term Of their natural lives.
How the Prisoners Took Their Fate.
The proverbial pin could have been heard
drop as the clerk read these Hateful sentences
As the last words fell from the clerks lips
all eyes were turned to the prisoners. Beggs
was exultant, Coughlin and O'Sullivan were
white with despair; Bourk was stolid as
ever, while Kunze was plunged into unutter-
able woe. Tears streamed down his cheeks
and between his sobs he he protested that he
was unjustly convicted; that he was per-
fectly innocent of any completely in the
crime. OSullivan also wept, but not so pro-
fusely as Kunze, and he soon dashed the tears
away and looked his fate in the face Beggs
sprang from his seat, and striding over to the
jury shook hands with them and thanked
them from the bottom of his heart, trusting
that they might never have reason to regret
the decision they had made in his case.
Motion for New Trial.
The jury having been polled and declared
that they each had agreed to the verdict,
were discharged and Forrest was at once
upon his feet and made motion for new
trial After some legal sparring between
counsel the judge fixed Jan. 10 as the day
for argument on the motion, the court was
adjourned the prisoners marched back to
their cells and in few moments all was
quiet and the court room deserted. Before
the court was adjourned Judge Mcconnell
made an order for the discharge of Beggs
and sent it over to the Jail.
BEGCS a FREE MAN AGAIN