Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-06-06
The Cronin Murder,
Woodruff COnfesses That He Was I'm
plicated.
The Original Plan Was 10 Sink the
Trunk in the Lake.

CHICAGO, May 26.-The most sensa-
tionel developments so far in the investi-
CATION OF the Crouin case we're Rnnounc-
ed late tonight in the shape Of the new
confession of Black alias Woodruff, in
which he tells the whole story of his con
nection with DR.. Cronin's murder. It
seems he wis not directly connected with
the murder itself, but simply acted as 8
driver Of the wagon which disposed OF
the dead mans body. Woodruff
has been taken by Capt Setback and
his men TO the scene OF the MURDER. to
the sewer where the body was found and
the place where the trunk was first seeu.
ne gave the driving directions aud in
every instance located the exact places.
According to his confession he was di-
rected by those Who had charge of that
part of the conspiracy, and whose names
Capt Setback reserves for reasons that
are palpable, TO 90 TO Deans livery sta
BILE, where he could obtain horse and
wagon. He was instructed 10 drive the
outfit 70 the neIghbOrhood of the Carlson
cottage, aud also knew for what purpose
he was TO 90 there. He arrived ar the
cottage about 20 minutes before DR..
Cc-L,u was driven up. Three q uarters
of an hour after Dr.. Cronin entered the
cottage, p man who is known as Williams
opened the front door of the cottage and
signalied Woodruff, who az once drove
up. Assisted by third man the trunk
was loaded Into the wagon and Woodruff
was directed to drive eastward to the lake
at q certain point which Woodruff
had designated to Captain Schaak.
The trunk and its contents would have
been deposited IN the lake had not an
interruption came in the shape OF the
approach OF a policeman. This caused a
change of plans, and immediately steps
we're taken to get out of the officers way.
A circuitous route finally brought them
again 70 the Evanston road, and as they
had now been driving for nearly an hour
with their ghastly load, one of the men
suggested the sewer. They stopped
at Fiftyninth street and the
top was taken off the man hole and
the trunk lifted from the wagon. 1t was
impossible to put the trunk into the mau
hole. As the key had been lost the TOP
was knocked in, the body put in the
sewer and the trunk again placed in the
wagon. They then started again for the
cottage, intending there to burn The
trunk, but on reaching the spot where
of wagon wheels, and, throwing the
trunk out of the wagon, drove rapidly
in another direction. At Fullerton
avenue Woodruff companions hade him
good night, and left HIM. The remand
er of the confession is devoted TO
Woodruff's wanderings in his attempt to
sell the horse and wagon. He also states
that there is nothing in the woman story
first told by him. The names of King
and Fairburn were those of two friends
which occurred to him al the time of his
frat story. They had nothing to do with
the case.
Before the grand jury today, the con
nectiOn of the ieeman, Sullivan, with
the Crouin mystery was made almost
absolute. Did man Carlson, owner of the
cottage, testified that the man who called
himself Frank Williams and rented the
cottage, went over TO see
Sullivan the ice man and talked
familisrly with him. As the 29th of
April approached and rent day was
coming near Carlson thought il strange
that the tenant did not occupy the prem
ises. He stepped over to Sui
Hvan's and spoke OF the tenants
that he felt somewhat anxious about the
rent. Sullivan told him Williams was all
right and would pay. Sullivan in his
previous statements TO the police denied
knowing Williams.
The grand jury has found indictments
against several persons in Chicago and
the coils are evidently tightening about
the murderers.