Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-24
BROOKS NOT RELIABLE.
No Truth Apparently In the Story Of the
New Witness In the Cronin Case.

George Brooks, the news agent who claims
to have seen three men carrying trunk from
the Carlston cottage, and afterward witnessed
the trio dump the contents of the trunk into
sewer, is not apparently being supported in his
statements According to the Tribune, Brooks
said he was on Thirty-seventh street in Lake.
view when he met the men, but there is no
such thoroughfare in Lakeview.
The driver Of the mysterious wagon convey
ing the trunk was masked. SO saws Brooks
story as published A sudden Jolt displaced
the mask just in time to enable Brooks and his
lady companion to obtain q good view Of the
drivers face. None OF the other persons who
met the wagon and the three men that night
have ever made any mention of mask. Brooks
declares that picture of Michael Cooney is an
exact representation Of one of the three men.
Mrs. Jennie E. Fletcher, of Fort Wayne, whom
Brooks describes as a cousin Of his, is named by
him as the lady who with him saw the supposed
murderers of Cronin. The Tribune prints a
special from Fort Wayne which says:
Mrs. Jennie Z. Fletcher, a middle-aged mar
ried lady, who has resided in this city for many
years, emphatically denies the Brooks story
and Is indignant that her name is coupled with
such a matter. She SAYS George Brooks step
mother is her niece. She has not seen Brooks
for years. She has not been in Chicago for
twelve years. Luke Dillon denies emphati-
cally the statement that States Attorney Long
checker had complained that Dillon was only
hampering the Cronin investigation and that
his (Dillon's) return to Philadelphia was desir-
able.
CAPT. coNDos's VIEWS.
Capt. Edward O'Meagher Condor, who is now
in Chicago as one of the executive committee
of the Gamma Gael, has been interviewed and
said:
I'VE are alive to the fact that, owing to the
misconceptions of our movement which have
crept into some sections OF the press, there is
some necessity for defense on our part. These
misconceptions have been partly due to we'll
meaning friends who have said and written
more than they were justified in doing, mainly,
L believe, from a desire of conducting to the
ends of justice, and partly to people actuated
by different motives The result of it all is
that the organization has been held response.
bic for this crime. and the Irish race, it would
seem, are to be made to suffer. My position is
that neither the organization nor any section
nor faction of it is responsible in any way for
this crime and should not be held accountable
for it. There is no desire to make any unnec-
essary statements, but al this particular
time 1t Is better, perhaps. to say something.
Il don't know anything about the local quar-
rels here, but confess there are good grounds
for the belief that the organization in Chicago
has been abused. 1t must however be borne
in mind that there are black sheep in every
flock; that bad men and scoundrels are liable
to get into every organization, no matter what
its character may be, but that cannot be used
10 the condemnation OF the body as whole.
With the character of the local camps here we
have nothing to do and we will have nothing to
say. Wen have a word to say only in regard
to the general onslaught on the society and
deal with such utterances as those attributed to
Theodore Roosevelt, who undertakes to crlti-
else US as bands OF assassins and 80 forth"
The present executive of the Clan-na-Gael is
composed Of a majority of friends of AIexan-
der Sullivan and minority of his enemies
The names of the members of the executive
are: John j. Bradley, Philad6 lphia, chief ex-
ecutive; Thomas h. Ronayne, New York; JAS
Tierney. New York; Patrick Egan, Nebraska;
John NJ. Leonard, Fall River. Mass. Luke Dill
lon. Philadelphia; Edward OMeagher Condor.
New York; Lawrence Buckley, Chicago, and
Mortimer Seaman, Chicago. OF this board
there are five supporters of Sullivan, namely:
Egan, Buckley. Bradley, Ronayne, and Leon
ard. the remaining four being Cronintes. 1t
remains to be seen whether the reorganiz alton
will be influenced by the peculiar constitution
OF the executive as it at present stands.