Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-10
Judge Mcconnell is Determined to Secure
"a Jury If Possible,

CRoNIN CASE.
Judge Mcconnell is Determined to Secure
Jury if Possible.
CHICAGO, September 9th.-The hunt for
Jurors in the Cronin case was resumed this
morning. 1t had not proceeded far when
it became evident that Judge Mcconnell
had decided to draw more closely and
secure a jury if possible
During the session three talesmen, who
stated that they had formed opinions but
could give the accused an impartial trial,
were challenged by the defense. The Judge
took them in hand and after questioning
them closely, decided them competent. In
each case he entered an exception and ex-
cused them peremptorily.
At this rate the peremptery challenges
will soon be exhausted.
After the Court had overruled the chal-
lenges for carse in several other cases in
which the circumstances were similar and
the talesman had been peremptorily ex-
cused, Judge Mcconnell said Il want to
say word to the gentlemen on both sides
in reference to this line of challenge. AS
understand the law, and | think | have
taken il from very high authority, and
from rules of practice well established, in
the early impaneling of a jury in case
which has been very much discussed, and
very much published in newspapers, as
this case has, and concerning which the
Sheriffs summoning the officers have gone
to nearly all parts of the county, and sum-
moDed nearly all classes and conditions of
society, if it becomes apparent that an ideal
or perfect Jury cannot be secured, that is a
jury which has not formed any impressions
upon the matter, then the Court must take
the next best jury it can get, so long as it is
legal jury.
80, while great liberality will be per-
mitted, such as this Court has permitted
in this case in the early impaneliDg of the
jury, necessarily as the Court becomes con-
WINGED that i. cannot be so liberal that if
it were to continue the course no jury
could be impaDeled, that iberality must
be limited. So whatever might be the
ordinary rules of law which govern the
impaneling of a jury in an ordinary
case, they must bend TO the exigences of
the case of mere public concern Other
wise the result would necessarily follow
that in certain cases no jury could ever be
impaneled.
Now | mean to say by that, that where
l ind that these opinions are simply
founded on newspaper reading, and men
come here in whose intelligence and
character the Court is obliged to come TO
the conclusion that from what they say
they can fairly and impartially try the
case on law and evidence, l shall not be so
liberal as [ have been. We have already
consumed nine days in endeavoring to i'm
panel jury"
In all about twenty-five talesmen were
examined during the day and all of them
were excused, either for cause or per-
emptory challenge.
A new venire was ordered for to o-mor-
row.
PoLICEMAE's STORY.
1t seems that, although great deal of
matter has been published about the Cronin
murder the true story of the discovery of
the evidence at the Carlson cottage is now
told for the first time.
1t is also singular that the reporters who
were working on the case never discovered
that on the night of May 9TH the two men,
now supposed to have been Kunz and
Cooney, were arrested and taken to Lake
view Station and discharged in the morn
ing by Captain Wing.
A local paper stated recently there were
certain Irish officers upon the Lakeview
police force suspected of direct implication
in the case. Other similar statements were
subsequently printed, and an officer finally
determined to tell his story. Officer Isaac
Robinson has been on the Lakeview police
force several years and always had borne a
good reputation. He was not a member of
any Irish secret society. At different times,
before Robinson noticed men going in and
out of the Carlson cottage, and asked Carl
son about it. Carlson told him he had
rented the place to two men, who expected
to move in.
On the night of May 9Th Robinson saw
man crawling out of the basement of the
cottage, whom he believed to be Burke
In reply to the officers queries he said
he was one of the renters and had been
looking in the basement with a view of
storing furniture there
Robinson was not satisfied, but he had
no authority to arrest the man. That night
he came upon two men talking together in
front OF little real estate Office south of
the Carlson cottage. They had the door of
the office open and were talking about
hiding something under the floor. One of
them spoke in broken English with Ger
man accent They told the officer they
had lost their way and wanted to get to
town: that they we're painters and lived on
the West side. Robinson wanted to know
why they stood there talking il they were
anxious 10 get down town, and the other
man, who spoke with an Irish accent,
answered, evasivsly.
Robinson determined to arrest them. As
he started for the patrol box man ran
across from the direction of Sullivan's barn
and demanded to know what he was doing.
Robinson recognized this person as the
man ne bad seen prowliug from the base
ment of the Carlson cottage, and answered
sharply that if the stranger said much to
him he would take him along too. The
man said no more and Robinson TOOK his
prisoners TO the station, where they re-
peated the story told kim.
In the morning they were released by
Captain Wings orders, that officer saying
to Robinson. what is the use of sending
them to Bgidewell 10 cost the city 25 ceuis
a day. The two men were thus discharged.
Il is now believed by officer Robinson that
they were Kucz and Coorey.
Their description answers That OF the two
suspects very closely. At the time of their
arrest il was not generally believed that Dr.
Cronin had been murdered. Two nights
later Robinson says he saw one OF the men
he had arrested coming out OF the cottage
after midnight He did not acccst him be-
cause he considered himself rebuked by
Captain Wing when the prisoner was di-
charged.
Robinson talked with the neighbors
about these matters ard concluded there
must have been some crime committed in
the cottage.
He told Carlson and young Carlson went
into the cottage and found the bloodstsins.
The thought that Cronin probably had
been killed iu the place suggested itself TO
Robinson and he told Captain Wing of his
suspicious. The Captain listened to the
story but did thing. Three times in sue
cession the officer clsims TO have told
Wing of his belief that Cronin was killed
IN the cottage, but nothing was done until
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