The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-11-05
AN UNWILLING WITNESS.
EDWARD SPELLMAN, OF H.
LIMOS, TE5TIFIHGS.
He Seems to Have Made One state
menI Before the Grand jury and
Another Yesterday, But the For
mer One bothered Him.

He Seems to Have Made One state
menT Before the Grand jury and
Another Yesterday, But the For
mer One Bothered Kim.
CHICAGO, November 1.-The first wit
ness in the Cronn case this morning was
Edward Spelman, of Peoria, ILL.,, who
was examined on behalf of the prosecu-
ton BY the States attorney He testified
that he was treasurer OF the Great East
ern Distiling Company. /
"Are you member of the Clan-na-CacI
or United Brotherhood ?" lie was asked.
81 am a member of the United Brother
hood" he replied. ,.,,
Commonly called the Clan-na-Gael?"
81 do not know anything about that
| do not know what you call 1t.
"Well, you have heard it called that
81 have heard good deal said aboutlt
in that way since the trial began.
"You have heard OF the Clan-na-Gael
Guards?'
Yes"
"And in order to be Il member OF the
Clan-na-Gael Guards you must bea mem
Der of the United Brotherhood :"
IL do not know anything about that.
Witness then went on to testify that he
was a district officer of district No. is,
embracing Illinois and Michigan. He
said he was the highest officer i'll the dis
trict, and that his duties were laid down
bv the constitution. The Executives
is a body in itself and its duties are also
provided by the constitutions.
DO you know who constitutes that
body now"
Mr.. Forrest-We would like to have
the record shown on behalf OF our clients.
| present an objection to all this testi
mony respecting the cX-board and
officers.
The court-Of course you can make
your objection and may take an eXcep-
ton.
Spellman then proceeded to answer the
question, and said he knew the names ot
n few of them. Mortimer SCanlau was
one of them, Lawrence Buckley another,
Romavnc, of New York, another.
Witness then identified certain cores
pondcnce which passed between him and
Bcggs in regard to the business ot the
order. ."
AS the examination proceedcdit became
evident that he was an unwilling wit
ness, and that his testimony was different
from that given the grand jury and from
what the prosecution expected. ltesald nc
met Bcggs April 20, and he SAID that the
matter referred to i'll their correspondence
viz, that the proceedings OF the tria
committee had been read in a certain
camp in violation of the rules-had been
,amicably settled.
did YOU not tell me Beggs said the
matter had been attended to ~ asked the
States attorney.
no" answered the witness, 81 have
no recollection of it."
Spelman then testified that lie knew
Dan Coughlin, who, with man named
Kunze, had visited Peoria a year ago anC
presented letter of introduction. H'
had no conversation with Coughlin about
DR.. Cronin.
This was in direct contradiction o
Spellman's previous testimony; and III
was asked by Longenccker il he had no
sworn that Coughlin spoke to him abou
Cronin.
There was long wrangle over thi
question, which was finally allowed.
"Did YOU not" asked the States attor
ney, SAY before the grand jury unde
oath that Coughlin said 'Gronin was "a s.
ofab-, and ought to be killed, and tha
he so stated to you when in Peoria Dit
YOU not so testify -
81 did not say that to the grand Jur
as the district attorney puts 1t to me-
simply said"
The witness was here interrupted, bu
finally went on.
II said before the grand jury that i'll
conversation with Coughlin at Peoria h
tDS a
Election and on consultation with til
other two men present, sent my attor
ney to Chicago to notify the district a
tornev that was mistaken. My alto
ney was unable to find Judge Long
nccker. SO came myself specially to Oh
cago and notified Judge Lonsencckcr an
other counsel if they asked me that que
ton | should have to deny 1t III ORDER |
do Justice to my own self and TO the TACT
After left the grand jury room and wei
home and slept, | felt annoyed and tro
bled. felt that | had possibly done
wrong to Coughlin, and went imnn
diatelv to Falons and Downs, and to
them what had sworn to before Il
grand jury, and that was bothert
about it. They said; 'Spelman, yc
have made mistake. No such conVe
sation took place. w
The witness said, in reply to aqucstIo
that he had seen Alexander Sullivan /
fore going to the State attorneys otht
but that he went there because
had been informed that Sullivan was tai
ing very harshly against him, and hat
visit was not i'll connection with t
case.
The correspondence between Beggs al
Spellman was then read. February l
Beggs wrote:
WHY in Gods name. it men are since
will they insist upon opening old sor'
The majority of our men believe the p;
ties charged to be innocent ofany crimir
wrong, and to have charges made &C
tinuaIlv that they are guilty creates b
terness and ilteeling, and man or m
who continue to bring charges are II
friends of Irish unity. The rank a
file are sincere. They want peace,
the time is not far distant when they
have it, even fit has to come to WI
Men who are in power will iE time re
ize the motives of those who are cont
ually breeding disorder in their ran
and the day of punishment will come.
After the reading of the corresponds
of which extracts only are given abo
a long cross-examination was conduc
by Forrest.
MONTANA REPUBLICAN.