News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-12-26
NO NECKS WILL STRETCH.
Life Sentence for Three OF CrOnin Trial
Prisoners.
The Fourth Sent to Prison For Three Years
The Fifth Aquitted-Verdict a Surprise.

One of the most memorable trials in the
criminal history of America closed when the
jury, impaneled in Chicago three months ago
rendered its verdict in the Cronin case.
The court convened at 2 p. NJ, Dec, 16, to
receive the verdict of the jury, and there was
u momentary silence as the vast audience
breathlessly awaited the first words of Judge
Mcconnell as he mounted the rOstrum.
A moment later the door leading from the
Jail opened and the five defendants marched
in to receive the announcement of their fate.
A moment later the twelve jurymen en-
tered the room, headed by Foreman Clarke.
Every prisoner simultaneously turned his
eyes upon the jurors, as if to read in their
impassive features the secret of their YER
dict.
With bow Foreman Clarke took from
his pocket huge envelope and handed it to
the Judge, who in turn gave it to the Clerk.
Instantly hush fell over the vast audi
ence, to be broken moment later by the
voice of the Clerk reading the verdict, which
is as follows:
We, the jury, find the defendant John E.
Beggs not guilty.
We, the jury, find the defendant John
KunZe guilty of manslaughter, as charged in
the Indictment, and fix his punishment at
imprisonment in the penitentiary for term
of three years.
We, the jury, find the defendants Dan
Coughlin. Patrick O'Sulivan and Martin
Burke guilty of murder in the manner and
form charged in the Indictment, and fix the
penalty at imprisonment in the penitentiary
for the term of their natural lives.
Simultaneous with the announcement of
the verdict, Coughlin, O'Sulivan and Burke
turned deadly pale.
Begg's face was luminous with joy, and
Immediately after the polling of the jury he
walked over to the jury box, and, during the
breathless hull that followed, shook Foreman
Clarke's hand heartily and said: "Gentlemen,
l thank you. l trust that the future may
confirm YOUR Judgment upon me. and that
you will never regret that you found me not
guilty of this terrible charge"
As he shook hands with the jurors, each
man bowed his head in acknowledgment of
the grateful words of the liberated man.
The only sound that broke the stiffness was
the deep sobs of little German Kunze. He
burst out with, ''God knows | am innocent.
1 never was in Lake View that night. Oh,
God knows am innocent, gentlemen"
O'Sullivan was the only one of the other
three prisoners who found refuge in tears,
but minute later his black eyes flashed with
defiance, and dashing his hand across his
brow, be braced up in his seat and cast long
glance around the court room. The only
evidence of terror to be perceived in Cough
lin was the increased pallor that overspread
his face, and his lips twitched nervously dur
ing the collOquy that followed between the
attorneys and the Court relative to the mo-
ton for a new trial. Martin Burke was IN
questionably the least affected of all the
prisoners. His usually ford face took on a
slight pallor as the verdict was announced,
but moment later his jaws again began the
methodical masticatiOn of gum as regularly
as at any previous time during the trial.
Juror Culver, who has been voting for ac-
quittal for all the defendants since the jury
went out, consented to compromise. The
other jurors were for hanging Burke, Cough
H., hi ha Nx-aa fp1
them all off. Culver finally agreed to life
sentence for the three. The jury was prac-
tically unanimous on the subject of Beggs's
acquittal, and but little time was needed to
fix Kunze's term of imprisonment.
1t is stated on what is called good authority
that but for the fear of Juror Culver going
mad in the jury room the other eleven would
have stood out indefinitely for hanging
COughlin, Burke and O'Sullivan, 81 years i'm
prisonment for Beggs and II years for
KunZe.
After considerable discussion the judge
fixed January 13 as the day on which the
motion for a new trial should be argued, and
the prisoners were taken back to Jail.