Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-30
He is Strongly Suspected of Aiding the
Murderers of DR.. CrOnin.
His Stories do Not Hitch and He is
Placed Under Arrest.
Examination of the Cottage Gives Evi.
dence of a Terrible Struggle.

for "fr1end," but denies all conn ectIOn
with the affair.
Capt. Schaak this morning said that he
knsw the Monday following DR.. Cronin's
disappearance that Detective Coughlin
had hired a rig at Dinan's stable for q
"friend" on the fatal night, and that the
horse was white. He also said that he
had investigated the matter and he did
not believe there was anything in it. He
had taken the horse to Mrs. Conklin and
she said it was not the stranger who came
after Oronin drove.
Mrs. Conklin fatty contradicts Capt.
Schaack's statement that she told him the
horse was not the one used by the man
who took DR.. Cronin away. What she
did tell him was that it did resemble the
horse and rig, but that the animal had
been driven so hard and was so beat out
that she GOULD not positively identify it.
And Danan, the liveryman, bears cor
robOrat1ve testimony. He declares that
the horse has been driven almost to death
and has never been the same animal
since.
But the strangest part of the whole Rf-
fair is the part taken by Capt. Setback
and his detectives, Nhalen and Coughlin.
Capt. Setback detailed Whalen and
Coughlin to find the man who drove the
rig from Dinan's. The two sleuths went
out and found the man. They did not
bring bin to the station, but came back
and reported that he was all right, and
there the matter dropped.
Now this highly important parsonage
IN the tragedy has disappeared. Cough
lin says he has gone to New Mexico.
Sup't of Police Hubbard said this even
ing that the explain alton which Detective
CoughliD gave IL connection with his
hiring horse on the day on which DR..
CrOnin disappeared was substantially as
follows:
A few days before May 4, man called
at the East Chicago Avenue police station
and introduced himself as Thomas Smith,
of Hancock, Mich, and a friend of Cough
Inns brother, whc keeps livery stable in
that town. Smith claimed to be on his
way TO New Mexico. Detective CoughIin
showed Smith points of interest about
the city, and Saturday, May 5, Smith said
he would like TO take buggy ride that
evening, but was afraid the livery stable
keepers would not trust a stranger with
horse. CoHghljn told him he would fix
the matter with Livery man Oman Smith
got the white horse and rig, and Coughlin
did not see him again for a .4eek or more
when he met him and asked Smith why
ne had not paid for the use of the rig.
Smith gave Coughlin three dol
lars and said he would give him
for the last time one day last week, and
Smith said ne would start for New Mexico
next day.
DIR. CrOnin's friends met this afternoon
and completed arrangements for the
funeral. 1t IS thought at least 1000 men
will march in the procession and that
probably 10000 people will GO to the
cemetery.
It is denied that DR.. Cronin's clothes
were found in CarlsOn's cottage as stated
yesterday.
An evening paper says the letter which
was turned over TO the police as coming
from one of the mysterious tenants of
the blood-stained cottage, is considered
of great Importance. 1t is post marked
Hammond, Ind, and was received May
goth. Enclosed were found $12 for an
other months rent, and the writer at
tempted to explain their hasty exit and
the paint daubed on the parIor floor. He
said the floor was painted to save his
sister the trouble of scrubbing the floor.
He neglected to say anything about the
footprints or the blood stains.
A free examination OF the interior of
the cottage where the murder was COM
mitted was allowed today by the police.
Evidences of terrible struggle are seen.
On the south wall of the parlor are great
splotches of blood. These are besides
those on the floor. A portion of the leg
of the We sh stand and dressing case had
been broken off, and the arm rest on the
rocking chair was also broken and the
pieces were scattered on the floor.
There is every indication that DR..
Cronin was not killed or sven rendered
helpless by the first blow he had received,
but that he probably made desperate
struggle for his life.
Events we're brought to light this evening
showing that arrangements for the Gro
min tragedy were apparently begun as
early as February l. At that date per-
SOD corresponding to the description of
the man who subsequently rented Carl
sons cottage opened negotiations for a
room directly across the street of Cto-
Minis Office down town in the Opera house
block, The room sought for was the one
which afforded the best possible view
from that direction into CIonin's Office
windows. In order to get the room it
was necessary to rent the whole floor,
the agents for the building refusing TO
deal for single apartment. The whole
floor was rented. In the room was placed
furniture similar to that found in the
cottage.
The furniture was removed about
March 20, just the date when the furni-
ture was first brought to the cottage. This
furniture, 1t has become well known, was
purchased of H Revell il Co., but lntil
this evening it was not learned that the
bill of goods bought of Revell included
the identical trunk which has since cut
such a figure in the case. The purchaser
insisted on having an extra heavy strap
GO with the trunk, and when the unusual
ly thick strap was furnished, he after
ward returned and got in the place of the
original strap, ole made to order. The
man volunteeed the information that the
heavy strap furnished first would not be
sufficient to hold what he proposed to
place in the trunk.
This afternoon Mayor Cregier had a
two hours conference with the superin-
tendent of police and corporation coun-
sci. He said emphatically that extraor-
binary efforts must be made to bring the
perpetrators of the crime to Justice, and
that the officers must be over jealous
rather than not active enough. Where
there is doubt as TO whether
severe action should be taken, take ad-
vantage of the doubt and act. The
mayor said that he would rather be in the
doubt nineteen times in a ease of i'm port
snce like this than TO give the murderers
chance to escape. Detective Coughlip
was brought before the mayor this after
noon and the superinte ndeut of police