Evening journal., 1889-10-31
An Important witness.

The most important witness of the day was
Capt. I. P. O'Connor. He said that he was
a member OF Camp 90 On Feb. S Andrew
Foy declared that things were in a bad shape
in the order Le Caron was testifying be-
fore the Parnel commission and there were
four British spies in America. Foy urged
that the clan should be dissolved and reor-
ganized under another name, and then every
one tainted with British affiliations could be
thrown out Replying to that said Capt.
O'Connor, ~ said had positive information
that the executive committee were thieves
and scoundrels; that they were betraying
the order, and that they had squandered the
funds Of the order to the amount of 100000,
and sent some of the bravest men into Brit
ish prisons ! said that l heard a verbal re
port and had seen closely written account
Of 400 pages containing the report of the
trial at Buffalo. and that it proved these
facts Instantly there was tumult, and a
number of brothers asked me where got my
information. l said that if the senior guar
dian demanded my source Of information l
would give it. There was more outbreak,
and l again appealed to the senior guardian.
Dan Coughlin's Motion.
"Then Dan Coughlin arose in his place and
moved that a committee of three be ap-
pointed to investigate my statement and find
out where l got my information There was
more talk and wrangle, and then the senior
guardian said: i will hear no more on this
subject. ! will appoint the committee.
"Who was the senior guardianP
''John F. Beggsn
Beggs Said TELL Everything"
The witness stated that one camp could
try a member of another, for he had known
it done. He had heard of the inner circle as
another name for the executive. He saw
Beggs at the time Of the inquest and Beggs
advised him to conceal nothing about the or
der, but to tell everything. Witness said he
attended the meeting at which some one
asked when the report Of the secret commit
tee would be made, and Senior Guardian
Beggs replied thnt the committee would re
port to him alone. That meeting was held
May 10, the Friday after the disappearance
of Dr. Cronin.
Cronin Was Considered q Spy.
Henry Owen O'Connor gave some sensa-
tional evidence He swore that Friday,
March /, at the first meeting after the re-
union meeting, and after Beggs, McGarry
and Powers had made speeches he met Dan
Coughlin. Dan took him aside and told
him that information had been received
from England that there was confederate
in the order in Chicago Coughlin then
said that the indications were that DR. Gro
min was the British spy referred to. This
was the first direct evidence that had been
brought to light to show that Dr. Cronir
was regarded as a spy by his fellow clans
men.
Patrick McGarry, senior guardian o.
Camp 50, took the stand and said that il
his speech on Feb. % he indorsed the wisl
that unity might prevail, but declared tina
| it could not be obtained so long as certain
members persisted in Safeguarding in Sc
cret the man referring to Cronin) that ha'
the courage to take corruption by the throa
and throttle it. Also that the man tAlex
ander Sullivan) who recommended lie Car
ON to membership in the Clan-na-Gael soci
ETY. was thousand times greater scoundre
than lie Caron.
| Who Murdered Cronin2
On the night following Dr. Cronin's dis
appearance, witness went TO Patrick O'Sul
livan's house and told O'Sullivan that hi
contract with the doctor was a suspicion
circumstance. O'S0llivan had asked hin
il he didn't think DR.. Cronin was murders
by the United Order Of Deputies Witncs
had said the doctor was murdered by som
persons nearer home.