The Red Cloud chief., 1889-12-27
CRONIN'S SLAYERS.
The Great Trial Ends In a Compro-
mise Verdict.
O'Sullivan. CouGhlin and Burke Sentenced
For Life. Kun.e Gets Three Years and
Begxs Acquitted-Scenes In the
Court Room

For Life, Kun,e Gets Three Years and
Begxs Acquitted-scenes In the
! Court Room.
CHICAGO, Dec. 17.-One of the most
memorable trials in the criminal his
tory Of America closed yesterday after
noon when the jury, impaneled three
months ago, rendered its verdict in the
CrOnin case. That the return of this
jury is a verdict and not q disagree
ment is the source of much congratulate
ton in the public mind, and, although
there is naturally much division of SEN
timent on the question of approval of
the verdict, the sense of relief which is
experienced at the final elimination of
the case is unanimous
Hardly a breath was heard Is every
eye in the vast audience turned to John
F. Beggs. who led the procession of the
five prisoners. The face of the senior
warden of camp % was pale with
anxiety, but his eye was full of conf
denoe, as it boldly faced the stare of
the audience.
Dan COughlin affected his usual in
difference, but his restless, furtive eye
betOkened the terrible mental suspense
the ex-detective experienced rs he
awaited the dread announcement of
the penalty to be melted ont to him by
the law.
Hardly a person in the vast court
room succeeded in catching the eye of
Patrick O'Sullivan. The piercing black
eyes of the ice man sought the floor,
and whatever emotion he felt at this
moment was invisible save in the gray
ish pallor that O%verspread his features.
Martin Burke flushed for a moment
as he approached his seat, but a mo-
meRt later his features regained their
natural appearance, and with affected
nOnchalance he resumed the chewing
Of gum As has been his wont during the
course of the trial.
The elated air of John Kunze was
absent, and for the first time since his
arrest the little German now seemed
to fully appreciate the gravity of his
situation as he awaited the verdict of
the jury.
The jury soon filed into the room
amid a profound silence.
After the usual fOrmalities the fore
man of the jury handed in the follow
ing verdict:
I'VE the jury, find the defendant,
John F. Beggs, not guilty.
I'VE, the jury. find the defendant,
John KImze, guilty of manslaughter,
as charged in the indictment, and fix
his punishment at Imprisonment in the
penitentiary for a term of three years.
I'VE, the jury, find the defendants,
Daniel COughlin, Patrick O'Sullivan
and Martin Burke, guilty of murder in
the manner and form as charged in the
indictment, and fix the penalty at i'm
~prisOnment in the p%enitentiary for the
term of their natural lives"
Mr.. Forrest of the defense at once
requested that the jury be polled and
this was ordered by the court.
To each of the jurors the question
was put by the clerk of the court:
WAS this, and is this now. your YER
dict2" Foreman Clarke was the first
mar to rise and answer firmly in the
Affirmative. The eleven men followed
in turn and gave the same answer.
Simultaneous with the announce
ment of the verdict COughlin, O'Sulli-
van and Burke turned deathly pale,
while Kunze started suddenly from his
seat, and a moment later dropped his
head upon his breast and burst into
tears.
Beggs' face was luminous with joy,
and crossing to the jury he thanked
them and shook hands with them.
As he shook hands with the jurors
each man bowed his head in acknOwl-
edgment of the grateful words of the
liberated man. The only sound that |
broke the Stiffness was the deep sObs of
the little German, Kunze. He burst
out with:
II am innocent. God knows I am
innocent. God knows that l neve- was
out to l-Ikeview that night. LOnge-
necker bought two witnesses. 1 am sure
of that, they went out and bought
farms with the money. Him and
did it,"
OSulliVan was the only one OF the
other three prisoners who found refuge
in tears. For a moment they trickled
down his cheeks, but a moment later
his black eyes flashed with defiance or
of courage, and dashing his
hand across his brow he braced up and
cast u long glance around the court
room. The only evidence of terror to
be perceived in Coughlin was
the increased pallOr that over
his face as he fully
realized the significance of a sentence
to life Imprisonment, and his lips
twitched nervOusly during the cOllOquy
that followed between the attorneys
and the court relative to the motion
for new trial.
Martin Burke was unquestionably
the least affected of all the prisoners.
1t vas not until the afternoon that
The jury finally came to a verdict, and
then it was that the juror Culver, who
had been voting for acquittal for all
The defendants since the jury went
put, consented to a compromise. The
S~,~-. o-~ e.. hu---- D,,-1Io