Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-10-31
THE CRONIN CASE.
Statement of What the State
Expects to Prove.
Attorneys for the Defense Take Eek.
ceptions to Longneckcr's Re-
marks.

The jury having been secured, the
trial commenced in Judge McConnell's |
court, Chicago, ut 10 o'clock, on the |
cath. States Attorney Longnecker Mt
once began his opening address to tho |
jury. lie reviewed briefly the long
continued sitting OF venircmen which
had resulted in the selection OF the
twelve before him. He then defined
the duties Of juryman, defined tho
meaning OF presumptlve OF evidence
MS applied TO the trial OF persons charg-
ed with crime; telling tho jury that
presumption of innocence was not
matter to be weighed against evidence.
1t was, he said, n mere negative which
stood in the way of conviction in tho
absence Of evidence but must not be
allowed TO weaken the force OF the ev
idence given. Longneckcr next took
up and defined the meaning Of n rea-
sonable doubt as applied to such cases.
On this he said: .When you stated
that you would not convict these men
except as they were proved guilty be-
You'd reasonable doubt IL simply
meant this: That II after hearing tho
evidence you are not satisfied MS men
OF truth Of the charge, II you are sat
isiied as jurymen sworn to do our duty
that the men on trial arc guilty, then
you have no right to go looking around
for you have no right TO hunt an ex-
cuse to refrain from doing that which
the law makes it your duty TO do;
reasonable doubt meant doubt that Is
reasonable" The states attorney then
proceeded to define the murder and set
forth what were material allegations In
the indictment which IL would be nee
essary for the state to prove in order to
justify conviction. They were that DIR.
Cronin was killed; that the killing was
done without adequate provocation; and
that these defendants did IL. Tho speak
err then defined direct and cirCumstan-
tial evidence. The speaker then spoke
OF the disappearance OF DR.. Cronin
and the finding of his body
eighteen days afterwards and said
that the state proposed TO prove IL II
murder rs the result OF conspiracy.
The states attorney then proceeded TO
speak OF the motive for the crime and
said that in order to show what that
motive was, IL became necessary to ex-
anime into the history In this country
OF the organization known AS the
| United Brotherhood, commonly called
| the Clan-na-Gael. Before dong this
he reminded the jury that they were
not trying tho Clan-na-Gael, but the
prisoners at the bar. Longnecker thon
proceeded TO sketch the history OF the
Clan-na-Gael. He said that the tri-
angle was supreme, that the oaths OF
the members made their commands
superior to the laws Of the Nation.
Forrest objected TO this line Of state
ment as inadmissable in advance Of
proof. Judge Mcconnell said he did
not know what would be proved, but
warned the states attorney that he was
making these statements at his own
peril. The states attorney said that
he would prove what he had said and
he accepted the responsibility. He
proceeded to say that when Sullivan,
Feeley and Boland got the control OF
the executive board they changed the
plan OF work Of organization and in
augurated dynamite policy and i'm
| planted in tho constitution "a clause
commanding perfect and unquestion-
ing obedience to the commands Of the
board. The defense again prayed for
an exception 10 this line OF argument.
The states attorney then went on to
| h,t l,. hap hin Iil L. Az
what constituted the triangle, 80 secret
was it, but, nevertheless, they obeyed
| its orders and were sent on various
missions in England. in the way OF
active work and under assumed names.
Notwithstanding this secrecy these
men were betrayed by the board to
the English authorities, and twenty Of
them, he said, are now in prison. This
was, he declared, to enable the board
to steal the funds, and when at last a
showing was made the board claimed
that the order owed them $4,000,
when there was 5000, 900 in tho treas
ury when they took charge
At this point the states attorney in
PRODUCED DR.. Croain in connection
with the order, and proceeded TO sketch
the history Of his fight against the
triangle. He told OF DR.. Cronin's eX-
pulsion; the subsequent cow entIon;
the trial OF Sullivan, Feeley and Boland
by secret committee, OF which DIR.
Cronin was member, in Buffalo n
year ago last August. The states at
torney went on to say that the com
mittee was in session three days, hear
ing evidence, which he stated would
be introduced during the trial.
The states attorney concluded his
address after the noon recess. In his
peroration he said that il after hear
ing the evidence the jury had the
slightest doubt OF the guilt OF the
prisoners they should give them their
freedom, but il on the other hand they
were satisfied that they were the muir
derers, then he should demand that
the highest penalty Of the law be in
flictcd. Counsel for tho defendants
waived their opening speeches and the
examination of the witnesses was COM
menced without delay.
| -----------
| HrCrHrr7U,Do r-ND CJIJ(S CNN