The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-10-30
THE CRONIN TRIAL.
O'CONNER, THE RECORDING
SECRETARY, TESTIFIES.

He Does NOt seem Disposed TO
Tell what He Knows About the
Trial Of the Trian&Ic-Anlrew
FOy Also NOt Disposed to Talk
CHICAGO, October 29.-John G. O'Con-
ncr, member Of the famous camp twenty
of the Clan-na-Gael, of which Beggs,
Burke, Coughlin and other defendants
were members, was next placed on the
stand. O'Conner was recording Secre-
tary of the camp when Bcggs was senior
guardian After numerous details as to
the meetings and methods OF transactlng
business, the witness testified that rep
ruarv 8, last, at meeting OF the camp,
Thomas F. Corner asked ii we had ever
heard the report of the committee that
tried what is known as the Triangle
Beggs said he had not. OConner said II
was strange that our camp had never
got the report when he heard 1t read III
another camp in the city that he hearn
a man read ii and would state the name
of the camp and man vino read II II we
demanded it. Somebody asked VINO
it was. 81 did not hear who he SAID
read it, but there was some member
there who did hear and | asked hnn,
What did you say and understood
him to say DR.. Cronin.'
The States attorney was evidently OF
the opinion that the witness was an un-
willing one, and sought to have him de-
tail at greater length the proceedings
nf the camp that time, but without sue
cess. The witness said he had no recHl-
lection that the man named Fov had
made a speech i'll which he said the caml
had better investigate the Triangle, De
cause he had heard a report charging Its
members OF wasting the tunds OF th'
order. After n long wrangle between thI
LAWYERS the court admitted the record o
the proceedings of camp twenty, on
February 8, made by the witness at the
time, and he proceeded to read 1t, sub
iect to many Interruptions lii the way 0
questions and objections. Generally II
referring to individual members OF th'
camp, numbers instead of names wert
used. and III one case in when 1t wa
noted that certain members were appoint
ed a committee to investigate the quail
fcations of an applicant for membership
The States attorney said he proposet
to show that one of them was membe
Coming down to the matter OF the cam
action on supposed allegations ngains
DR.. Cronin's connection with the trial @
the Triangle i'll Buffalo, the witness rca
as follows:
Moved and seconded that an lmpera
tive demand be made upon the eXecutlv
committee at once tor immediate lhlol
nation of the trial committee. 1t wa
amended that the senior guardian notil
the district members of the report that
going around regarding the report OF tn
trial committee right i'll one OF the camp
90 in this CITY. The motion was carriet
A motion was made and seconded tina
a select committee of three be appolnte
by the senior guardian to investigat
rumors ahoat regarding the trial OF IN
executive body. The motion carried.
The senior guardian mentioned, tt
witness said, was John F. Bcggs, one
the men now on trial. An effort wa
made to show by the witness that thci
was a consultation between himself an
Michael |. Kelly, A. ]. Ford and p. /
Nolan about the adyisability otdestro.
ing the books of the camp, but the d
fcnse objected, and the court SuStmne
the objection.
The cross-eXamination of the Witness
was then begun. The witness turth
testified that when Captain O'Conn
,nOved for the appointment OF a cor
mittee to investigate the report that Il
report of the trial committee had pee
read in another camp, senior guardlt
Beggs said that the camp had no pow
to investigate another camp, and tn
The proper thing to do was to refer
matter to the district officer.
The witness had no knowledge as
whether or not the committee to lnv'
tipate the other camp was ever q
pointed.
Oucstion-"Did you hear CAPITA
DConnor i'll any statement he made
Camp 20 meetings, mention Er"ni
name that night ~
Auswer-"l did not hear him pronour
1t, but as said before -
The witness was interrupted at u
point by a tilt between the counsel,
The conclusion OF which, he answerd III
he did not hear 1t.
At the opening OF the afternoon sessi
Andrew Foy, a memberoi Camp ~,
put on the stand as Il witness. roy
a very non-committal witness and w
The greatest pertinacity avoided SiVlni
uositiye answer to the most innoc'
question IL suppose so. II guess 81
II can't say," were Inc tavorte forms
renlv with him. Finally he was brou:
TO admit that he made q speech at
meeting of Camp 20 when the matter
the report of the triangle came up. Al
making several attempts to explain
circumstances under which he made
speech, and getting the narrative mi
M with statements as to himself SO
il was impossible to understand what
was all about, he said: "As far as |
member, Capt. O'Connor made cert
statement that this LeCaron, who W;
witness. it seemed, before the Par
commission at the time, was the
agent of the executive body OF an Ii
organization in this country. 8.
"What also did he say about
fund ?" ,
Answer-"He said, think | remen
very strong when ! heard it, that Il
was SOS. 900. | am not positive whel
there was $4,000 or $4,000. II
was SOS. 900 of funds of this organ
tion gone to LeCaron for some oDJec
England or Ireland. He did not spe
where it was spent III England.
Ouestion-"Did he speak then OF ha.
heard the report of the trial comm
read in another camp!
Answer-"Yes." e.,
This speech, the witness said' ca
much excitement in the camp, and
The cause of the speech which wit
made. After it he went down STAIRS
took a drink. What made witness al
I"hot" as he expressed it, was
thought that LeCaron got any, o
clans funds for any purpose wha'
and It also made him hot" to learn