The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-10-31


CHICAGO, October 3O.-At the opening
o the court in the Cronin trial this after
noon, the States attorney Longcnecker
asked for an attachment for Edward
Spelman, of Peoria, ILL.,, district officer
of the Clan~na-Gael. Longenecker said
that Spelman had been served with
subpoena, and had agreed to come when
called for. Two telegrams had been sent
to him, but he had not responded. The
attachment was ordered issued.
The first witness sworn was Dennis
O'Connor He testified that he was
member of Camp 20, Clan-na-Gael. At
meeting of the Camp, February Sth, last,
the witness said he heard Thos. O'Con-
nor state that he had heard read IN DR..
Cronin's Camp the minority report ot
the committee to try the executive body
of the order. The names OF the members
of the executive body were not mentioned
and the witness said he never knew who
composed the triangle. Then it was
voted to appoint a committee to go up
to the Cronin Camp and investigate the
matter of the minority report which
Cronin had read. His sCross-eNamlnation
elected nothing new.
Stephen Colleran, who was on the
stand at the time of the adjournment OF
the court last evening, was recalled, and
after answering a few unimportant qucs-
tons from the State, was turned over to
the defense for crOss-examination. 1t
developed nothing of interest.
Patrick Nolan, financial secretary OF
Camp 20, produced his record book, and
from it testified as to the members borne
by Coughlin, Cooney, O'Sulivan, Beggs
.aCd Burke, all of whom, except Cooney,
are pow on trial. The witness further
testified that he was present at the meet
ing of the Camp on the night of May 3,
ti!c day preceding DR.. Cronins death;
that Beggs presided; that there was
call for the report Ofthe secret committee
Appointed on February s; and that
BegsG replied that the committee was to
report u him alone. The witness said
that on the Sunday following CrOnin's
disappearance he met Burke and Cooney
about O'Clock in the afternoon in q
saloon, This was before the witness
knew of Cronin's disappearance. They
went to another saloon and played cards
tor couple of hours.
The next witness was Capt. ThoS. F..
OConnor, the man who created the eX-
citement in Camp coon the night of Feb
rurary g, by saving that he had heard
read in Cronin's Camp the report Of the
committee that tried the triangle.
O'Connor said that Andrew Foy was
the first man TO speak that night. Foy
arose in his place in the camp and ad-
dressed the senior guardian, and stated
that tle arose under a terrible strain; ;
that after the disclosures of LeCaron in
London, lile organization as an organl-
zation was no more; that there were tour
British spies i'll the organization and that
it should be reorganized, and every one
that was in the organization who had
the slightest taint or suspicion attached
to him, should be expelled. When he got
through arose to my feet and stated
that was not at all surprised at hearing
the gentleman talk as he had done; that
knew by positive information that the
organization was run by parcel OF
ropues, known as our executive body
that they had squandered ourfunds, even
to the extent of 100000, and not only
that, but that they sent our best men
across to England to have them put be-
hind the bars. And now | state posi-
lively that LeCaron was an agent OF our
EXECUTIVE board, and received pay from
them,
At that moment was interrupted by
Two or three brothers with demand to
tell where got my information. | did
not like the first brother who spoke to
nc and said "You demand nothing.
Thet there were two or three other
brothers that demanded to know where
got nv infoTmation, and there was a
general uproar at the time. So turned
around to the senior guardian and said
20 iIim:
'Iftise senior guardian demands OF me
where got my information Will tell
him."
He did not say anything. Then there
was some more uproar, ! turned sec
ond time and third time and said, if the
senior guardian would demand OF me
where I got my information would tel
him. Then stated had heard terri
BILE report of ting entire trial committee
IT. Buffalo, atd that had also seen 6
written report, 300 pages of close writ
tes long hand about the trial, and that
was positive of my statement.
At that instant Daniel COughln,
member of tile camp, arose to his tee
and said:
"Mr. Guardian moYe you that a sc
cret committee of three he appointed t.
find cut the source of Captain D'Eonnor'
information
These were his words. Then ther
was some one else on his feet, and tn
senior guardian raped the camp to or
der as It was such a tumultuous time
ssch turmoil, and somebody spoke an
he said, 81 will hear no more on this sui
iect and will appoint the committee.
QUESTION: Who was the senior guar
dian at this time"
ANSWER John Beggs.
On cross examination. Capt. O'Conno
said that he did not say in his speech o
February 8 that DR.. Cronin read tn
report Of the trial of the triangle, nor dl
he saw in what camp it was read. ii
said that after he was subpoenaed, to al
prar before the coroner's jury, he me
Beggs and asked him if he should disclos
the secrets of the organization. BegG
told him to go ahead, as they were a
ready public property. Witness said tina
they had heard of "the inner circle 9
applied to the executive body, but nevt
in connection with individual camp
CAPT. O'Connor said he had been at wor
on the Cronin case without pay up t
September 26, when he was appointed
Il policeman.
IN a redirect examination, the fat
was brought out that there were five {
s;x members in Camp 20 present whe
the witness made his speech of FebruaI
3 who were in the other camp wht
the tn report in regard to the triang
trial was given. and were thereto
co,ynizant of the facts as to Il
camn in which it was given at
who gave it. He explained that att it was vas
verbal, not written report. There we
s;xteen or twenty members of Camp
in the other camp when the report WI
made. That report, he said, was ma.
by the late DR.. Gronin in his tCroniin'
camp. Subsequently, Cronin showed W