Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-14
OF DOUBTFUL ISSUE.
The Result of the Cronin AS
sassination Trial.
JUDGMENT HALTs WITH THE JURY.

Seven Hours OF Confederation aud No
ConcIusion-The Arbiters Of the sus-
poets Pate Locked Up ON short Rations
Judge McConnell's Charge-A Train
Hand. DisboIicai Crime-He Strangies
Another Mans wife-kukIuxi-m and
Other wickedness.
CHICAGO, Dec 4-The great Cronin muir
der trial has ut last ended. and at 4:07 p. IN.
yesterday the fate OF the five defendants was
put into the hands OF the jury. The morn.
ing ana early part Of the afternoon were oc.
,une1 by Judge Longenecker, state prose
tutor. In summing up for the state, he hav
ing that duty devclved upon him 10y reason
of the illness of Luther Latin Mills. Mr.
LongenrcAer's argument was largely Il repe.
t.tiun Of his opening speech, but he took oc-
"a ion 20 Indignantly denomce the imputa-
ton conveyed IN the closing speech for the
4 fense by Mr.. Forrest that the state had
cooked up the case by manufactured testi-
mony, and was the real conspirator He in.
sisted that Beggs was guilty with the other
suspects. and had large amount Of the tes-
tiinony read TO the jury in support of his re-
marks Judge LOngenecker concluded as
follows: Gentlemen, you are not here 10
scquit guilty men, nor 20 convict innocent
men. But any sane man must, by carefully
weighing the evidence OF this trial. believe
these five men guilty. The states attorney
then sat down, and the great case was ended.
Judge McConnell's Charge.
Judge Mcconnell Immediately began the
reading OF the charge 10 the jury. II the
ttrFa
all Of them were 10 be punished by death,
Imprisonment for life or for any term of
FEARS not less than fourteen. The charge
was very elaborate and fair TO both sides.
Among other things he told the Jury that
they were not 10 assume anything ON proba.
bility; that any act Of the defendants proved
in the trial which could reasonably be con
strued on the hypothesis Of innocence must
b. 50 construed. For instance. the opinions
Of witnesses as to the popularity of O'Sulli.
vans contract with Cronin were not to he
considered They must he satisfied from
the evidence that conspiracy existed,
aud that each defendant was a conspirator
sach defendants acts must stand alone as 10
his own guilt or innocence and not be used
u convict another defendant-that is, al
though the jury believed that the horse
COughlin hired conveyed Crouin to his
death still his hiring the horse does not
prove Cdughlin guilty unless it be proven that
the act Of hiring was done wilfully and with
intent to he part of the conspiracy. II
was not necessary in proving a conspiracy to
prove that the parties thereto came together
and entered into "A formal agreement 10
commit the crime; the combination, or
common design or object may be regarded
as proved, IL tho jury believe from the evil
dence, beyond IA reasonable doubt, that the
parties were knowingly, wilfully, and
actually pursuing in concert the unlawful
object stated In the indictment, whether
acting separately or together, by common or
different means
Must Fast Until They Agree.
The prisoners listened to the reading with
intense interest At the conclusion OF the
charge the exhibits that hal been introduced
in evidence were given 10 tho jury Five
baiiifs were sworn To take the jurymen 10
the grand jury room. there to keep them
without meat or drink, except water, until a
verdict was rendered. A recess was then
taken until O'Clock in the evening
The suspects In Suspense.
Upon leaving the court room the prisoners
wore az once taken 10 their cells in the jail
Snpprr was served them about $50 O'Clock
Nobody save the Off cials Of the Jail was per
mittod 10 see them. and their attorneys did
MT call. The strain upon these men must
hive tssii awful The trial was over. They
were fnc- In face With their fate. and must
sit alone and hr!plc>, while the decision
which INFANT life or death To- them was hcing
made The very uncertainty of the Situa-
ton aud its awful Responsibilities TRY mems
s'r'> ~ perhaps nothing else oan. Indeed IS
cy 'tv human hope hung upon thread when
"a o. sr, waiting for the verdict
Locked Up fnF the Slight.
The jury reported 20 iha court at : 70 that
It wa, not vet prepare .p return verdict
AMI r1,yS- until DO O'clock was ordered.
Thousands vt people were hn,ieging the court
building. and ths entire reserve police force
of the city WIS cHlle,i out 20 Preserve order.
A. luo'clock the court again convened. and
r'mainci In session until u I, IA. at which
time the jury had not agreed upon a YER
dict, and Judge Mcconnell adjourned court
until 10 O'Clock to-day.
Up to $50 o'clock this afternoon the
jury was still In secret cOnclave, and
are at considerable variance
AS TO what is causing the delay at reach>
ing a verdict. The court room has been
besieged all morning with an anxious
crowd eager to hear the least bit OF In
telhgence that might be vouchsafed.