The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-10-29
DROVE CRONIN AWAY TO HIS DEATH.
Mrs. ConkIin Describes the Man Who
Brought O'SuIivan's Card.
The Ice Dealers Peculiar Agreement
With the Physician.
conklin Begins the Story Of the
Search for the Missing Man.

CHICAGO, October 2S-At the opening Of
the Cronin trial this morning the State called
for the brother of DR.. Cronin, but that gen.
tleman was not present, and Napier More
land, an employe of Patrick Dinan, the
liveryman, was called instead. He testified
as to the facts of the hiring of the white
horse on the evening Of the 4th of May,
when DR.. Cronin was killed. His evidence
did not differ materially from that given by
Dinan on Saturday. either as to the
taking out of the horse or his description of
the man.
Mrs. Cnnklin, at whose house DIR. CroDin
last lived, was the next witness. After
numerous questions as to the location Of the
rooms in the fiat, Mrs. Conklin proceeded to
tell the story of how the doctor was called
away from her house on the night OF May A.
She said that at 7.30 p. m. stranger, who
seemed nervous and excited, rang the door
bell. and when she opened the door, inquired
for DIR. Cronin. He seemed very reluctant
to enter, but finally did so, when told the
doctor was engaged with patients. The
stranger then took seat in the waiting
room. When Dr. Cronin came out OF his
office the man advanced and said: Doctor
has been hurt at O'Sullivan's ice office" The
doctor made remark which did not hear.
At that moment the man drew card from
his pocket and presented 1t to the doctor.
DIR. Cronin took the card and said: "Oh,
yes; what is the nature OF the accident?"
He said: "a man has been run over by a
wagon" The doctor said: u will be with
you soon." or something to that effect. DIR.
Cronin then ran to his private room and
gathered together some bandages and cotton
batting He brought it out with his surgical
case and case of splints. Then drawing
on his coat as quickly as possible, he left,
running out carrying these things and the
case In his arms. The two went hurriedly
out of the house, as fast, as they, could, and
did not even shut the door. heard them
running down the stairs.
DR.. Cronin got into the buggy, with the
white horse attached, and was driven north
ward. Witnesses description OF the man who
came for the doctor Tailed very closely with
the description given by former witnesses of
the man who hired the white horse from
Dinan. The day following Cr0nin's dis
appearance, she and her husband discovered
the card which the man brought. 1t was
that of O'Sullivan, the ice man. That after
noon Pinkerton detective brought O'Sulli-
van to Conklin's fiat. Mrs. Conklin told o.
Sullivan she thought it very strange that
man who employed only three men who
never had an accident should employ ply
sician to be ready on call, in case Of such
happenings. ltwas strange that he should
pass by hundreds of competent physicians,
who lived near by to go seven miles to arrange
with Cronin and strangest of all that very
soon thereafter man should appear with
O'Sullivan's card and take the doctor away,
presumably to his death.
Mrs. Conklin's cross-examination brought
out the fact that within few days after the
disappearance of Cronin, Police Captain
Setback brought Dinan's white horse and
the buggy to her for Identification and she
failed at that time to identify the animal as
the one which had hauled the doctor away to
the Carlson cottage. On May 25th, when the
animal was brought by a reporter, she iden-
titled it. Mrs. Conklin accounted for this by
saying the circumstances of the weather and
light, and the angle at which she viewed the
horse when brought by the captain were diff
when the man called for sCronin. Further
more, when Setback brought the horse, 1t
was raining aud the rain changed the horses
color. The horse was driven beyond her
house so that the buggy was between her and
the animal. The cross-examination lasted
until late In the afternoon. Her statements
on direct examination were not materially
shaken. .
Miss Sarah McNeerny was in Cronin's
reception room when the man came for him.
She described the individual as appearing
very nervous. { Her description accorded
closely with that given by Mrs. Conklin.
I. I. Conklin, the saloon keeper, with
whom Cronin resided, was called by the
State. He testified to starting out imme-
diately after breakfast the first morning of
Cronin's absence to search for the doctor.
that any Of his men were hurt Conklin
went to Police Captain Setback, who
thought evening time enough for alarm.
| C0nklin went lat once to the Pinkertons,
The saloon keeper was on the stand when
court adjourned until tomorrow.