Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-30
THE CRONIN MURDER TRIAL.

After several months of detective, po- lice and sweat work the Chicago court authorities have begun the trial of the men charged with the murder of Dr Cronin. The trial, once it shall have passed the preliminary stage, is certain to attract vast deal of attention from Irishmen and people generally through out the country and on the other side of the water. On its outcome is likely to depend very largely the future of the Clan-na-Gaeli in this country and through out the world.
 The DEMOCRAT has already taken the ground that the men now on trial should not be condemned until after they have been found guilty, that accusation is not conviction, and that they are entitled to a suspension of judgment until they have spoken in their own defence. Many of our esteemed contemporaries have as- stunned that the men are guilty and ill all their comments on the Cronin case have proceeded from that assumption. We must maintain, however, that little has yet been made public which can be re- garded as of value to fasten on them the responsibility for the murdered mans death. -thnl,5h tho Cl,innen pnlica hnuA spent much time and money in the eff fort to trace it to them. The fact that the grand jury found a true bill against six men must not be taken as sign that conclusive evidence of their guilt has been found. The testimony taken be- fore a grand jury is on the side of the commonwealth only, and at the time the jury sat in this case public clamor demanded decisive action, and public clamor has often more to do with the decisions of juries than any outside influence should exert. Every one of the indicted men declares his innocence of the crime charged. It has been hinted that Martin Burke, who was arrested at Winnipeg and extradited, would turn states evidence and condemn the others. It has also been asserted that Frank Woodruff, the picturesque liar whose romantic confessions aroused a most widespread admiration for his fer tile imagination, would go on the wit ness stand and give evidence that would tend to convict the other men. What truth there may be to these reports is not clear at this time, but it is quite probable that unless some one of the men should turn states evidence it will be impossible to convict any of the prisoners. Alex ander Sullivan, who during the weeks following the finding of Dr Cronin' s body was held up as the most guilty conspirator in the case, it now begins to appear is much injured and abused man. Indeed, there is every reason to believe that the zeal to smirch Mir Sulli- van was greater, on the part of those who were ostensibly seeking to avenge Dr Cronin, than the zeal to bring the real murderers to justice. It is beginning to dawn on the public mind that the conspiracy against the good name of MT Sullivan was greater and more ramified than the alledged conspiracy for the re- moval of Dr Cronin.
 The public will watch with much in- terest the outcome of the trial that IS now in progress. There is no sympathy anywhere with the assassination of Dr Cronin, and if it shall be proved that the man now on trial actually caused or perpetrated the murder public approval will go with the authorities in making their punishment sharp and decisive. But the man should have a free, full and fair trial, and it should be made absolutely clear that as red-handed murderers they were acting as agents of the Clan-na-Gael before this great or ganization is held up to censure and cri- ticism.
 Give the accused man and the Clan. na-Gael fair show.
 GRAND ARMY POLITICS.