Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-17
How Ii Happened.
That the Cronin Murderer q
Cheated the Gallows.
THAT Observation-Disclosures

Seventy Hours Consumed In Reaching
Misunderstanding of the Prisoners When
Their Doom Was Resd-kunxe breaks
Down In Tears and sobs Out n Protest
of Innocence, O'suIiivsn Wecps n Little
and Coughiin Turns white-Bourk In
different aud Beggs Naturally Exult-
ant--A New Trial Asked-Opinions of
the Verdict.
CHICAGO. Dec. l7--The end has come in
the Cronin murder trial AT last 1t did not
some early enoughfor The Times to be So sure
yesterday morning, nor did it come accord
ing to the programme laid down in that pa
per. II was not till o'clock yesterday after
noon that Judge Mcdonnell received an in
timation that the jury had agreed upon a
verdict For seventy hours they had been
locked up In their room with absolutely no
communication between themselves and the
outside world, il there is any value ia an
oath, for the hailiffs were sworn TO permit
no intercourse. All this time public clamor
had been knocking at the door, rs il were,
demanding that the proceedings in the jury
clamor the ingenious reporter drew on his
Imagination and the wild rumors that, with
out source or authority, flew around the
court building, and fixed up some pretty
stories
The Jury Comes into Court.
Upon receiving the information that a
verdict was ready Judge Mcconnell opened
the court aud directed that the twelve men he
brought in; also the prisoners. II was evil
dent that the authorities had some fear of
rescue or some other wild enterprise on the
part OF the prisoners friends, as no one was
permitted IN court except the court officials
the reporters and about fifty policemen in
plain clothes, IA strong squad of whom took
up their position close to the prisoners
chairs. The defendants filed in strongly
guarded by policemen and took their places,
and IA moment later the door leading 10 the
jury room opened and the long expected
iurymen walked in and were seated The
prisoners counsel were present excepting
Donahue. This was ESQ p. IN
Reading of the Verdict.
When quiet was obtained the clerk said:
Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed
upon your verdictr
We have" answered. the foreman. and at
once handed over the verdi ct. which is rs
follows in fun:
We the iury lind the defendant John F. Beggs
not gui ".
We the jury nud the defendant John Kunze
guilty Of manslaughter a. charged in the in-
dictInent and fix his punishment at imprison-
ment in the penitentisry for Il term OF three
years.
We the jury find the defendants Dan Cough
lin. Patrick O'Sullivan and Martin BOurk
guilty Of murder In the manner and form a.
charged In the indictment and fix the penalty
nj Imprisonment ia the penitentiary for the
term of their natural lives.
How the Prisoners Took Their Fate.
The proverbial pin could have been heard
drop a. the clerk read these Hateful sentences.
As the last words fell from the clerks lips
all eyes were turned To the prisoners Beggs
was exultant, Coughlin and O'Sullivan were
white with despair; Bourk WAS stolid as
ever while Kunze was plunged into unutter-
able woe. Tears streaned down his cheeks,
and between his sols he he protested that he
was uniustly convicted; that he was per
fectly innocent Of any completely in the
crime O'Sullivan also wept, but not So pro
fus-ly as kunzs, and he soon dashed thu tears
away and looked his fate in the face. Beggs
sprang from his seat and striding over to the
jury shook hands with them and thanked
them from the bottom Of his heart, trusting
that they might never have reason to regret
the decision they had made in his case
Motion for "a New Trial.
The jury having been polled and declared
that they each had agreed 10 the verdict,
were discharged and Forrest was at once
upon his feet aud made "A motion for new
trial After some legal sparring between
counsel the judge fixed Jan. 10 n the day
for argument ON the motion, the court was
adjourned, the prisoners marched hack TO
their cells and In "a few moments all was
quiet and the court room deserted Before
the court was adjourned Judge Mcconnell
made AN order for the discharge of Beggs
and sent il over to the jail