Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-19
THE CRONIN TRAGEDY
Alexander Sullivan'S Secrets Are to
Be Given to the Grand Jury.
PRIVATE TElEGRAMS EXAMINED.
A Host Of Witnesses Are Called Upon to
Give Their Evidence.
FATHER DORNER PLACED In TIE BOX


the Western Union Telegraph Company, tc
obey an order of the jury to produce mes
sages passing between Alexander Sullivan
Dan COughlin, P. O'Sullivan, John J.
Maroney and G. W. Melville. Mr.. Bell
maintained that it was against the rules oi
the company to produce such messages, and
that the statutes of the State of Illinois i'm.
posed fine of $1,000 upon a telegraph
company for disclosing the contents of any
personal or business message passing over
its lines.
After all attempts to induce the witness
to obey had tailed, the jury, headed by
States Attorney Longenecker, repaired to
Judge Sheppard's room, and appealed to
His Honor to issue an order directing the
witness to answer under pain OF contempt
and commitment Charles S. Holt, attor-
ney for the Western Union, appeared in
behalf of the witness, and stated that while
the company desired in every way to assist
the ends of justice, it did not desire to vol
UNFAIRLY violate the statutes of the State
and disclose the messages otits patrons upon
the mere request of grand jury.
THEY WOULD SUBMIT.
If the Court thought fit to issue an order
directing the witness under pain of con-
tempt to produce the messages the company
would then consider this a bar to any possi-
bic civil prosecution by patrons and the
witness would obey the order. He thought,
though, the Jury should more explicitly de-
scribe the messages wanted, their present
request being more in the nature of a gen.
eral drag net States Attorney Longenecker
held that the jury could not definitely de-
scribe the contents of messages sent
What the Jury wanted was the right to
examine all and any messages that might
have passed between any of the suspected
parties since March 1. The jury alone
could be the judge of their relevancy to the
case. Mr.. Holt objected somewhat to an or
der of such sweeping nature, but the Judge
fully sustained the States Attorney and an
order was spread upon the record directing
the witness under pain of contempt and
commitment to Jail to produce any and all
messages, cablegrams, or copies thereof in
the Chicago Office passing between Alexan-
der Sullivan, Dan Coughlin, 2. O'Sulli-
van, John j. Maroney, G. W. Melville and
Charles Mcdonald, either under their true
name or any alias, or between either of these
men and any other person or persons, since
the first of March last.
AFTER THE MESSAGES
The officers of tie Western Union stated
that five men had been employed two days
searching among the records for originals or
copies of the messages desired, and that
they would now be promptly spread before
the jury. Maurice Norris, friend of DR..
Cronin, was before the jury this morning
and told how the doctor had frequently stated
that he had incurred the enmity OF certain
persons high in authority in Irish societies
and that he had fears for his life
William Mulcahy, the suspect about |
whom SO much has been written, was
closeted with the jury for nearly an hour |
and those who heard his story became con-
WINGED that he had no connection with the |
crime. He showed that ne had not gone to
work for O'Sullivan until several days after
the date of the murder, and, from his evil
dence, did not appear to know much about
O'Sullivan or his associates. He was asked |
particularly about the movements of O'Sul-
livan during the days following the murder,
but stated that they were in no wise sus-
picious and that O'Sullivan seemed to be |
devoting more time to the ice business than
any other outside affair.
He stated that he had never, to his knowl-
edge, seen OSulliyan and Coughlin together
during those times, but that he might posi-
bly, be mistaken on that point, as he was not
well acquainted with Coughlin. Altogether
Mr.. Mulcahy was very improbable wit
ness, and the jury obtained nc information
of consequence from his cross-examination.
NOT MUCH IMPORTATION.
Fifteen or 20 witnesses were before the
grand jury this afternoon, but by far the
greater number were singularly devoid of
Information. Robert Boyington, Pat Bren-
nan and James Minehan, all employees of
Iceman OSullivan, testified to the habits
and demeanor OF their employer about the
time and previous to the murder, and were
particularly questioned as to his relations
with Coughlin and Woodruff. They knew
nothing of O'Sullivan's intimacy with
Coughlin, and all testified that they had
never seen Woodruff, either at the icehouse
or any place else.
Maloney, the saloon keeper, told about
the row in his place between ex-Oficer
Roach on one side and Coughlin and O'Sul-
livan on the other; and Roach was called
and corroborated this story, and otherwise
testified to the intimacy between Coughlin
and the ice man.
The Carisons were again called to testify
as to certain incidents in connection with the
renting and occupancy of the cottage and
were given another chance to identity in the
picture of Martin Burke, the man Williams
who rented the cottage. They did not appear
any more certain of his identity than yester-
lay, and the jury was 10th to return an
Indictment against Burke without addi-
ional evidence. In this the jurors failed to
Igree with Chief Hubbard, who appeared
,etore the jury and urged the prompt indict-
nent of Burke.
sULLIvAN's FRIENDS.
Henry Stoltenberg, Alexander Sullivan's
Jerk, was questioned at length regarding
he alleged intimacy between the Irish
eader and Dan Coughiin, but failed to
ulfll the expectations of the jury. He
new nothing of Coughlin's calls at the
awyer's Office, but admitted that the
ormer might have entered Sullivan's
private room without being observed
" the rest Of the firm.
Mrs. Rich, who lives on Ashland avenue,
iagonally across from the Carlson cottage.
vas called upon to describe the people
Fhom she observed at different times enter p
ng the cottage and lettering around the ice Il
ouse, but she failed to describe any one p
Tho bore accurate resemblance to Burke. i:
nd was unable to identify his photograph Il
S that Of any one she had ever seen. f
Thomas Given. an employe of the depart t
lent, testified that he knew Burke during
ne latter's recent residence in the city, but 7
ad no knowledge of his intimacy with
Sullivan, Coughlin or any other of the
lspected persons. 7. j. Conway told the
Iry that he was intimately acquainted
ith DIR. Cronin during his life time, and
lat the latter had frequently expressed the
,nviction that his life was in danger and
lat he was liable to be murdered at any
me by emissaries of prominent Irish
aders.