Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-22
COUCHLlN BREAKING DOWN.
The Bx-Detective Thought to Be On
the Verge of Confession.
SHOWS SYMPTOMS OF INSANITY.
Tho Doubt aud Anxiety of His Pre-"
cartons Position Proving Too
Much For Evcn HIS
Nerve


CHICAGO, August ell Especial Telegram
to THE BEE. There is considerable ground
FOR the boiief that Dan Coughlin, who has
all along been regarded as the man with the
most backbone among the Cronin suspects,
is on the verge of confession. In addition
to the fact that the Imprisonment has told so
severely on Coughn that he is duly losing
flesh, tho mental strain upon the man has be.
came so obvious that those who have daily
intercourse with him believe that he is bor-
derng on insanity. He Is nightly the victim
oil terrible dreams that cause him to start up
from his sleep with oaths and sometimes
with shrieks upon his lips In the daytime
he is moody and taciturh, and spends most of
the time alone in his CELL But even more
important and significant than this is ;he fact
that on no less than three occasions did
he suddenly call his warden to his
cell door and tell him to inform States At
terney Longcnecker that he wanted to see
him On all these occasions, however,
Coughliu changed his mind and counter
manded his order before the warder had
time to convey il to Mr. Longcnecker.
There is no doubt that Coughin is on the
point OF making clean breast of everything
and throwing himself upon the mercy of the
state" said a gentleman who has been prom
inontly identified with the prosecution.
Tine doubt aud anxiety of his precarious
condition is proving too much Tor him, aud
the attitude of tho states attorney, who has
left him alone ever since his Imprisonment,
and of whose plans neither he nor his coun-
sci have been able to learn anything has put
him in condition of almost uubearablc ap
preh ension.h
But there is a more potent influence than
the sweat box, or solitude, or mental agony
or even than fear of the scaffold at work
upon Coughlins iron nerve and stony heart,
and that is the influence OF his wife. 1t is
stated upon excellent authority that Mrs.
Coughlin has for some time been pleading
with her husband TO make u full confession
go upon the stand as n witness for the state
and thus save his neck from the moose. It's
said that the woman mas told Coughliu that
1T is necessary in order to save her life, as
well as his that he should take this course,
ana this, more tnau anything else, has con.
trlbuted to break down the clansman's nerve
and bring him WITHIN measurable distance
of confession. Whether the states
attorney told Mrs Cough!in to use
her influence with her husband,
under promise that IL she succeeded he
would be given immunity, could not be as
certained to-day, for Mr.. Longcnecltr refused
to speak i'll regard to this point
II is still believed that when the case is
called by the state on Monday next the de-
Tense will appeal for postponemeut until
next term on the ground of insufficient prepa-
ration. 1t is also said that efforts are beng
made to secure the services of prominent
eastern lawyers IN behalf of some of the ac-
cused men. Among those mentioned in this
connection are General Ben Butler, Senator
Brady, of New York, W. Howe, of Howe &
Hummell, ex-Judge Fullerton and ex-Judge
Curtis, all of New York. Should any of these
practitioners De induced to accept retainer
in the case at this late day, the appeal for q
postponemeut would be based on valid
grounds, and would probably be granted.
The authorities are making every effort to
ascertain to what point Martin Burke
shipped the tin box which he had sealed two
days after Conin's murder. Herman Kla
hore, tho tin smith, has positively identified
Burke as the man who brought him the box.