New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-11
NEW LIGHT ON CRONIN CASE
MANY THINGS EXPLAINED BY A HORSE
TITIEF's CONFESSION.
ALLEGING THAT THE BLooD-sTAIYED TRUNK
HELD THE Wy OF wOMAN-wAs SHE
THE yICTl OF MALPRACTICEI


Chicago, May lO--The Cronn mystery is a mys-
terry no longer, and his friends and adherents, who
have been shouting plot and assassination
for the past six days, are dumbfounded at to-
nights developments. From the confession OF
Frank l. Woodruff, an arrested horse-thicf, there
appears 10 be little doubt that DR.. Cronn has left
the city to avoid the consequences OF his con-
nection with case OF malpractice which resulted
in the death Of the unfortunate woman, whose
body WAS conveyed 10 a secret place OF burial
IN the bloody trunk found in Lakegiew on Sunday
night and which friends Of Cronin believed had
contained his mnnged body.
On Thursday evening the Twelfth-st police ar
rested young man who was trying TO sell white
horse and wagon in livery stable near the
police station. The young man offered TO part
with the rig for the sum OF $40 and the suspicious
Of Foley, the livery stable man, were Immediately
aroused lie telephoncd the station, and the orse-
trader was taken into custody lie gave his name
at the station as John Brown, and, after answer
ing the routine questions, his face blanChed, his
hands began 10 tremble, and he fell in q faint
The police wondered at the time that their prisoner
should appear so much concerned, but the reason
was apparent next morning when he sent for Cap
tain ODonncll and said he had something TO tell
him. lie was taken into the Captains Office and
ia the presence OF several officers voluntarily un-
folded the story OF his connection with the trunk
mystery. To-day policemen investigated his story
and found IL OorrobOratcd by many circumstances
tending TO show its truthfulncss. Brown said his
re al name was Frank q. Woodruff, and that he was
working for Dean & Co., livery stable keepers at
Nos, 4O4 and 4G6 Wcbstcr-avc. His story, told in
his own words is rs follows:
Wednesday night, week ago, l was in the Owl
Ealg a.. .k.vT haA
been very well acquainted With several years before
The Billy kng-hls real name, think, Is
william H. King, although when l first met him, ho
called himself Harry EoswOriA. We had humber
Of drinks IN the saloon and then started together
toward MadsOn-st Wo exchanged condolences and
among othor things told him that was out Of
money / told him how had lost considerable money
playing cards, a great deal moro than could afford
and that wanted to secure something that would
pay better than working In Deans livery stable
lie sad to
a can put you on tho way Of making some money
and that easily, too.H
askrd him what Il was, but he said no would not
tell me then, but would later Just before We
separated he said that he would call frOm the
stable somo evening and tell me how VIC could make
the stun. ssturiay evening at dusk In the front
part Of the stable when hc Ealkpd past and motoned
20 Inc. went ont and walked down tho street with
him. Tie asked mo II could get 4 horse and wagon
out Of the stable without any ones knowing IT, and
told mo ne would give mo SIS II would do H. | told
him could, and agreed upon plan OF meeting
Al 9 O'Clock / went TO bed As usual, about IL
o'clock, In tho room the stable, but as soon -
tho boys vcro Asleep got out OF bed Hotselessy
a. / could and Valkrd down the stairway TO The door
whaTs tho horses we're, carrying my shoes all tho
way In my hAnf~ ! had taken the precautiun
leave tho wagon out doors In the alloy in tho roar
before gong 20 bed, 50 all had TO do was 10 get
The horse out Of tho rear door. chose the white
horse, because knew Il was good roadster
/ muricd Ia frct carefully and wAlkod It over
the savdusi. opAnod tho door and had IL In
tho alley without making the least noise found
KIag waiting for ne At a corner StSio-st. think
Il was the corner OF Webster ave. lie got In with
ne and drove together "a a barp In the rear OF
Dig house on staie,st. We drove up the alley
between state and Dearborn sts 10 tho barn doon
AlnE said very lulo to while we woro
to,other In tho wagon, bul I remember hc
was smoking at the time and seemed very anxious
about something. A. wheeled up I'm front OF tho
la.u tho door vas pushed open by sOmc ono inside,
and tvU mon came out. ono was Dick Falrburn
8 know Dick quIas veil and haze known him for a
ux-pnsr Of year, The other man. I am suro, was
~ .ruuln. Although II was quito dark at tho time
had sryeral oppurtuncr 20 look closely at hts face
" hAd . muiAShc and ltue goatoe, and aeswcrs
uT ruulu, description IN every other way. 1 never
had seen Ur. CrcuIn IN know that It was he and
/ I'D not hear any other address him Cronin
They called him Doe
Tho mroo mon went into tho barn
together and returned with trunk u
seemed to BE- ordinary travelling trunk,
with an Initiation leather Or paper covering Ihey
lftsd It into thc wagon and then climbed In. We
drove straight through the alley to the first cross
street turned on that and then went up Dearborn
10 the park As soon reached the park We
turned into tho Lake Shore drive and started north.
( kept the horse on a run all the time
heard several expressions In the conversation
between tho mon which convinced me there was
body ip tho trunk In the tst place, noticed
that Croniu was very anxious for US TO hurry
Two or three times he said Get out Of hero, boys,
got out Of hero quick and each time DICK answered,
That's an right that's all right, Doc. I'll
hurry up when We get started l noticed that
the trunk smel!od II there was decayng flesh with
in Il, and when the horse got whih he snortel.
Wo drove nearly to the north end OF nc park' & SnHn
stopped minute near some bushes. King ana falr
burn were with me- We left Croyn a. the barn, and
remember as looked At him that one one OF his his eySI
the bushes we lifted the trunk out, and held the
horse while II vas Opcned
THERE WAS BODY IN TIE TRUNK.
then saw that my suspiclons were correct and that
there was a body IN the trunk. Thoy lifted II our In
several pieces. cannot say po,luvey
whether was ,,,n IhG One cIyryps cTry 0nce h"ari
K,ry sac. - Here's where we leave ALL" Fair
bnr6 answered =" Yes and II you had let Tom alone,
we would have had Doo In horo win h1r.' @Lhese @
remarks passed while they were carrying he contents
~ The trunk back into tho bushes. l noticed that
each piece was carefully wrapped up In cotton or
sSmetaing tiat looked like cotton. King lited the
,Wnk mo the wagon, took out his pocket book aud
counted out Sa5 from large roll He passed me
ts money wa and told mo 10 drive and get rid OF the
trunk ana got The horse back In tho barn. Att"r |
isft them began TO feel rather shaky, and whipped
ibs horse into a gallop. Tho whole trip from the
harm We had seen but man and
he y.s I'm buggy. At the time pulled out
~ the track into tic bushes and permitted him n pass
don't think he saw vs.. After left the boys, drove
ON a run as said but had gone not a block out
M the rark before somC eylled at me. did not
answer but instead urged the horse tD 90 faster.
don't think | over fifteen minutes on tho run.
Finally | dumped out tho trunk and turned back. IL
rnko omen as IL fell, but did not walt In what
manner It lay, or just how the pieces were placed.
returned 10 The barn.
where did you first meet King2' was asked
NJ WoodruG