The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-10-31
CR0NIN TRIAL.
THE BALL FINALLY OPENED WITH
PRELIMINARY SPEECHES TO
THE JURY.
The States Attorneys Address and What
the Prosecution Expect to Prove
Circumstantial Evidence.


hour for the converting of corrt in A.
Cronin trial this morning hundreds O
spectators were clamoring for admittanct
ana 1t required small army of ba:liffs tc
keep at bay the eager ones who
demanded admittance Promptly at Il
O'Clock tine spectators assembled were
wrapped to order, and as the defendant,
MED in and the attorneys took their seat.
the clerk called the roll of jurors. Every
man responded to his name and the Cronin
trial formally began. States attorney.
Longenecker at once began his opening ad.
dress to the jury.
He very briefly alluded to the long, con-
tlnued sitting of venire men which had re-
suited in the selection of the twelve men
before him. He then defined the duties of
the Jurymen and the meaning of pre-
sumption of innocence as applying to per
sons charged with crime, telling the iury
that presumption of innocence was mat
ter to be weighed against evidence. 1t was.
he said, mere negative at best, and stood
In the way of conviction in the absence of
evidence, but must not be allowed to
weaken the force ofthe evidence given.
MIR. Longenecker next took the jury and
defined the meaning of reasonable doubt
as applied in such cases as this. He said:
when yon stated that you would not con-
Wet these men except they were proven
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and it
simply meant this that if, after hearing
the evidence, you are satisfied as to the
truth of the charges; if you are satisfied, as
jurymen sworn TO do your duty, that the
men on trial are guilty, then you have no
right to go looking around for doubts.
You have no ight to hunt around for an
excuse to refrain from doing that which
the law makes it your duty to do.
Mr.. Forrest of counsel for the defense,
the speaker at this point,
that the definition of reasonable
doubt had no place i'll an opening address,
and should be used only in closing ad-
dress.
The court overruled the point and Mr..
Forrest noted an exception.
The states attorney then proceeded to
lefne murder, and to set forth what were
he material allegations in the indictment
which it would be necessary for, the state to
prove in order to Justify a conviction.
These we're that DIR. Cronin was killed, that
he killing was done iE this state; that it
"a thot theso defendants d;d II Tho
Inv rna tho on0s Sofnnd decentralization, ~t ar;
lence, which he illustrated by saying that
nan might see another pointing pistol at
thlru person az nisni, hear ld Ie dt o a tha
',,liat str;ta IL man II would he only cir
,ullet sutiSG eme dra, ~ NO. Sho1in OJ Tho
S eSruG Il of th t,d of
Peaf ;r o onSn t fNf 6OdinS of 5ie bodw ten
- Diin amu Co ,id SaiT tha stato nronoSed
,ayS ar.el !; w",uo ,rdo T os The reSnt Of The
y piooee ~ an mG d" uo cod theso mon
, Tsui oh 20 rood q With 6avine murdered Dr.
Ii ; Inc eVioene1 we 9t &c n,nrder nr
VIII pc 10 SNOW d conspiracy " i'''i 0'i ~
Ir Thn sto+e,s attorney then proceeded to
Inc S!4 th fcr t ime nrme and said
sPeah VI Ci eh lUV ,6ot that motive was #
m orei 70 snom to 90 into the history in
H. no,,nt.,, Of tIe orSonization known as