Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-29
Daniel Coughlin, Patrick O'suiIivan a
Black Indicted

and Frank j. Black. alias Woodruff, were
indicted by the Grand Jury this evening for
the murder of Cronin. This result was
reached after an investigation which began
at noon and lasted seven hours, during
which two dozen witnesses were examined
and mass of evidence was considered.
The three prisoners were included in one
indictment, in which there were three
counts one charging them with killing
Cronln with blunt instrument. Second,
alleging the use of sharp instrument, and
third, using instruments and means un-
known. No evidence was introduced to
prove conspiracy, and DR.. Cronin's pri-
yate papers were not placed before fthe
Grand Jury.
TIGHTENING THE COILS.
The witnesses who were called were
those whose stories have been told in the
press. District Attorney Longenecker
thought it advisable to tighten the coils
into which the three prisoners had already
been drawn and fasten them with indict-
ments. This is probably TO prevent any
attempt to secure release of one or more
of them on bail. The Grand Jury took
only one vote after hearing the witnesses,
and that was unanimous for indicting all
| three of the prisoners.
District Attorney Lougenecker said to-
night that no mention of the Clan-na- Gael
affairs had been made in the jury-room.
The charge of conspiracy and DR.. Cronin's
papers will be taken up later, probably be-
fore another Grand Jury.
THE JURY VISIT THE COTTAGE.
The Coroner's jury went to Lake View
this morning and inspected the blood
stained cottage. They returned this after
noon, and will take evidence. P. 0. Sulli-
van, the ice man, was arraigned to-day.
The case was continued, and he was held
without bail. The Grand Jury began an
investigation into the case to-day. 1t is
expected indictments will be returned this
afternoon. Rumors of all sorts, in regard
to the alleged arrests, are flying about, but
cannot be verified.
DETECTIVES STORY
The Daily Ne,0S has the following: De-
tective Robert Bruce, who has been con-
Quoting q private agency in this CITY.
walked into Lieutenant Elliott's office this
morning, and said that several months ago
Alderman Mccormick offered him 81 100
to kill DIR. Cronin. Bruce, who had Just
returned from a three months STAY in
Texas, says Mccormick paid him s10O in
advance, and agreed to pay the remaining
81 600 when the job was done. Bruce de-
clares that Mccormick told him to feign
sickness in his office, and then send for DR..
Cronin and kill him. Bruce says he took
the 500, spent it for liquor, and never
| made move toward carrying out the con-
tract. Bruce bears rather unsavory char
acter, and the police do not place any reli-
| ance in the world in his story. He has
been in numerous scrapes in this city.
The ice man, Sullivan, and the police
officials declare that the statement pub
lished this morning to the effect that he
had made a confession laying bare the en-
| tire details of the plot for the murder of
DR.. Cronin is false.
An afternoon paper processes to have in
formation to the effect that nothing like a
| sweeping confession was secured from him.
| An admission, it is said, was obtained
that one of the men who hired the Carlson
| cottage had sought work from him and
would be frequently about his place. That
he told this young man of the terms of his
contract with Cronin, and that the young
man could have secured one of his cards if
| he so desired. 1t will be remembered that
one of Sullivan's cards was used to lure DR..
Cronln from his home. The Coroner's
| Jury, after viewing the blood-stained cot
| tage at Lakeview and the place where the
body was found, adjourned the inquest un-
| til tomorrow.
| CRoNIN's CLOTHING FOUND.
| Mrs. Hamburgher, a widow, living at
| 1912 Diversy street, has turned over to the
| police some articles of clothing which may
| have belonged to DR.. Cronin. Her two
boys, aged and 11iyears, while playing in
the wood Sunday about mile from where
| Cronin's body was found, discovered in the
! bushes woolen undershirt, pair of draw
ers aud vest. Nothing was found in the
| pockets of the vest to aid in the identified.
| ton, and from the fact that the clothing
was scattered about, it is supposed that it
had previously been overhauled. The boys
| did not tell their mother of the discovery
until that night On hearing of il she sent
them back to get the clothing and notified
| the police. Captain Schaack's men, it is
claimed cautioned her and the boys not to
say word about the find to any one, and
1t leaked out by accident. A reporter
| called on Mrs. Hamburger tonight. but
| she said that she had been instructed not
to talk. The police officials were equally
| mute.
Captain Wing says he has witness not
yet known that will be able to identity the
men who rented the Carlson Cottage.
The two warrants for Daniel Coughlin
and Patrick O'Sullivan are the only ones
that have been issued in the case Eight
| other warrants were placed in the hands
of the detectives to-day, and taken to
different parts of this city and Lakeview.
| Detectives Immediately began to shadow
eight different suspects. The warrants are
not intended for use save in such an emer-
gency as would arise from an attempt
of any of the men to leave the city.
The Mayor and Chief of Police are
greatly incensed at the way informa-
tion gathered at the investigation has
been allowed to leak out. The Mayor
learned to-day that I. T. Conklin, the
saloon keeper with whom Cronin resided.
has been paying regular visits to a news
paper Office. Conklin has been taken into
almost the full confidence of the police,
who relied on his discretion, owing to his
! great and constant clamor for avenging his
| friends death. Nobody is any longer dis
cussing the possibility of prisoner Cough
| lin squealing. The ex-detective has plainly
defined his platform. Upon being urged to
tell all he knew, he replied in these words:
am innocent and know nothing: but
if l were guilty and did know anything, l
| would die before l would tell it."
STARTLING CONFESSION.
The most sensational development so far
| in the investigation of the Cronin case was
| announced late tonight, in the shape of
| new confession by Black, alias Woodruff.
| in which he tells the whole story of his
connection with Cronin's murder 1t seems
he was not directly connected with the
murder itself, but simply acted as driver of
the wagon which disposed of the dead
mans body. Woodruff has been taken by
| Captain Setback to the scene of the MUIR
| der, to the sewer where the body was
| found, and to the place where the
trunk was first seen. He gave the
driving directions 10 the detectives,
and in every instance located the
exact places. According to his confession
he was directed, and those who had charge
of that part of the conspiracy land whose
names Captain Setback reserves for rea-
sons that are palpable), to go to Deans
| livery stable, where he would obtain a
| horse and wagon. He was instructed to
drive the outfit to the neighborhood of the
| Carlson cottage, and also knew for what
purpose he was to go there. He arrived at
the cottage about
| TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE Dr. cRoNIN
Was driven up. Three quarters of an hour
| after DR.. Cronin entered the cottage, the
man who is known as Williams opened
the front door of the cottage and signaled
Woodruff, who at once drove up, and as
sisted by the third man the trunk was
loaded into the wagon and Woodruff di-
rected to drive eastward to the Lake, at a
| certain point which Woodruff has desig-
- tAI$ - v. 49, Il II