Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-22
A NEW CRONIN STORY.
The Driver of the Pale
Horse Identified.
DOUBTFUL TALE FROM OAKLAND.
RumOr Says it Was j. J. Heffernan
Who Drove the Victim to
His Death.
! Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD


ing Journal has an Oakland, CAL, special
which says: Chicago detectives are here
looking for J. J. Heffernan, who is said
to be the man who drove DR.. Cronin to
his death on the night of May 4th, Sus.
picion was first directed toward Heffer-
nan in July, while the Chicago police
were inquiring into Tom Desmond's con.
nection with the case.
Just before the Cronin murder Des-
mond went on from San Francisco to
Washington, stopping some time in Chi
cago. He was accompanied by man,
who, it has since been ascertained, was
Hefernan. The latter was introduced
under an assumed name as a Clan.na-
Gael member in good standing and Sem
ior Guardian of a camp in California; in
short. man to be trusted. Desmond,
after getting Heffernan well acquainted
with Chicagoans, went on to Washing
ton, and left his California friend in
Chicago. There Heffernan stayed till
few days after Cronin's murder, when he
quietly dropped out of sight.
When the Chicago police began to in
quire into Desmond's visit they learned
that he was accompanied by another
Irishman, who was mysteriously missed.
This man was Hefferman, but the police
did not know it. In their efforts to
find him the detectives were sent to
San Francisco, where they arrested
Morris Walsh, cook on the Panama
steamer Acapulco, but of course he
turned out to be the wrong man, and
they released him.
THE DRIVER OF THE WHITE HORSE.
About two weeks ago Chief Hubbard,
of the Chicago police, secured photo.
graph of Hefferman. 1t was shown to
Mrs. Conklin, the lady with whom DR..
Cronin boarded. She at once said,
"That's the man who came here with
the white horse after the DOCTOR"
This was pretty strong, but the police
wanted to be dead sure; so without say
ing anything about Mrs. Conklin's identi.
fication, they handed the photograph to
Frank Seaman, another intimate friend
of Cronin's, who came along just as the
latter was stepping into the buggy to an
swer a supposed call from o Sullivan,
the ice man. Scanlan stopped for mo-
ment to speak with the doctor, and thus
got q better look at the driver of the
white horse than Mrs. Conklin did.
Scanlan's Identification is thoroughly
satisfactory. He said: "That's the man,
sure"
Copies OF the photograph were then
made and sent out on police circular,
calling for Heffernan's arrest, and it was
through one of these that he was finally
spotted here.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SUSPECT.
Hefernsn is q young man about 80
years old, neat in dress, and very frank
and gentlemanly in demeanor. He stands
about FIVE feet seven and half inches in
his stockings, and is rather stout, with q
slight stoop to his shoulders, and has
light brown hair. His cheeks are plump,
with bright pink tint. He wears long,
flowing dark mustache, and has a clean
shaven chin, but is capable of growing q
thick, stubby beard very rapidly.
The man who drove DR.. Cronin away
from his home on the night of May Sd
answers the description of Heffernan
perfectly, except that he was poorly
dressed and had stubby beard. Both
of these features it would be an easy
thing for Heffernan to assume, especially
if he wished to disguise himself, as he
undoubtedly did.
STRONG EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM.
There is another strong point against
Heffernan, and one which he cannot
deny. The officers who are after him
say that while in Chicago Hefernsn
was almost always in company with Dan
Coughlin, and on the night of May Ord it
is alleged that both men were seen
leaving the house of leading suspect in
the case at a late hour
The Oakland dispatch is supple
mented by the Chicago end Of the story,
which is prac' "slly to the same effect.
1t says Heffernan If 'istered under an
assumed name while here. That his
identity was discovered by well-known
member of Camp No. 20, Clan-na. Gael,
who followed up all the clues; that a
requisition on the Governor of California
was secured from Governor Fifer, and
officers were dispatched to San Fran.
cisco last Tuesday.
THE STORY DENIED AT OAKLAND.
SAN FRANCISCO, September 21.-Chiel
of Police Tompkins and Captain Fletcher
of Oakland, were interviewed this after.
noon and denied any knowledge OF any
Chicago police or detectives being il
Oakland in search of J. j. Heffernan
who is said to be wanted in Chicago fol
completely in the Cronin case. No such
name as j. ]. Heffernau appears in the
Oakland directory, and the postoffice
authorities have received no letters ad
dressed to such person.
PROGRESS OF THE CRoNIN TRIAL.
CHICAGO, September 21.-Judge Nc
Cornell did not announce his decision
on the application of Frank Woodruff fol
discharge from custody, at the opening O.
the Criminal Court this morning, as il
was supposed he would do.
No additional jurors we're secured. Be
fore adjournment Attorney Donshue, OF
behalf of his client Kunze, renewed hi
motion that he be given information al
to the evidence against Kunze, saying
he knew no more now than when ap
pointed by the Court to defend the pris
oner. The matter was argued at length
and finally taken under advisement.
CAPTAIN LEES ExoNERATEs HEFFERNAN
SAN FRANCISCO September 21.-Cap
tain Lees, Chief of the detective force Q
this city, was interviewed this evening
in regard to the dispatch sent from Oak
land, stating that Chicago detec
tives were there looking TO
j. J. Heffernan. Captain Lees say
he does not know Of any Chi
cago detective being on this Coast fol
that purpose. But he states that tn