Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-11
THE CASE OF DR.. CRONIN.
Startling Developments in ChicagOs
Latest Mystery.

CHICAGO, May 10-The most startling
information in the mysterious case Of the
missing Irish-American, DIR. Cronin, came
out tonight. A bulletin from the City
Press association issued this evening reads
as follows:
Frank G. Woodruff, the horsethief ar
rested at Twelfth street, has made full
confession. He sneaked a horse and wagon
out of Deans barn, 406 Webster street,
early Sunday morning, and met DR.. Gro
min, William King and Dick Fairburn at a
barn in the rear of 526 North State street.
A trunk containing the body of a woman
was placed in the wagon. Woodruff drove,
and King and Fairburn rode with him. DR..
Cronin remained behind. Woodruff left the
body and his two companions in Lincoln
park and then drove with the empty trunk
to the place on Evanston avenue where it
was found. From conversations between
Cronin, King and Fairburn which Wood
ruff overheard he judged the body was
that of woman killed by an abortion,
probably performed by DR.. Cronin.
Thursday evnening the Twelfth stteet
Jail officers arrested a young man who
was trying to sell white horse and wagon
in livery stable near the police station.
The young man offered to part with the
of Farley, the livery stable man, were i'm
mediately aroused. He telephoned the
station and the horse trader was taken in
to custody. He gave his name as John
Brown and after answering the routine
questions always addressed to prisoners
his face blanched, his hands began to
tremble and he fell in dead faint. The
officers wondered at the time that the
prisoner should appear so much concerned,
but the reason was apparent next morning
when he sent for Captain O'Donnell and
said he had something TO tell him. He
was taken into the captains Office and in
the presence of several officers unfolded
the story of his connection
with the trunk mystery. Today
policeman investigated his story and
found it corroboratei by many circum-
stances tending to show its truthfulness
Brown said his real name was Frank q.
Woodruff; that he was working for Dean
d Co., livery stable keepers, at 404 and 406
Webster avenue, His story in his own
words is as follows:
"wednesday night of last week ] was
in Owl saloon on State street and met a
man there that had been very well ac-
quainted with several years before. The
man was Billy King. His real name, |
think, is William b. King, although when
] first met him he called himself Harry
Botsforth. We had a number of drinks
Madison street. We exchanged conf
dences and among other things
/ told him that / was out
of money. told him how had lost con-
siderable playing cards, a great deal
more than | could afford aud that l
wanted to get something to do that would
pay me better than working in a livery sta
bile. He said to me, can put you on the way
Of making some money aud that easy l
asked him what 1t was, but he said he
wouldn't tell me then, but would later.
Just before we separated he said he would
call me from the stable some evening and
tell me how we could make the stuff.
Saturday evening ut dusk was at the
front of the Stable when he walked past
and motioned to me. l went out and
walked down the street with him. He
asked ME if | could get a
horse and wagon out of the
stable without anyone knowing it, and
told me he would give me So for it. | told
him / could, and we agreed on place of
meeting at . o'clock. l went TO bed as
usual at IL o'clock in room over the
stable. but as soon rs the boys were asleep
/ got out of bed noiselessly as | could. and
walked down the stairway to the floor
where the horses were. carrying my shoes
all the way in my hands had taken the
precaution to leave the wagon out of doors
in the alley in the rear before going TO
bed, so all | had to do was TO get the
horse out of the rear door. chose the
white horse because knew it was good
roadster. l muffled its feet care
fully, and walked it over
the sSwdust, opened the rear
doors and had it in the alley without maxi
ing least noise. l found King waiting for
me at corner on State street. / think il
was the corner of Wabash avenue. He
got in and we drove to barn in the rear
of big house on State street. We drove
up the alley between State and Dearborn
streets TO the barn doors. King said very
little TO me while we were together in the
wagon, but remember he was smoking at
the time and seemed very anxious about
something. As we wheeled up in front of
the barn door it was pushed open by some
one inside and two men came out One
was Dick Fairburn. | knew Dick quite
well and have known him for a couple of
years. The other man | am sure was DR..
Cronin.
Although it was quite dark at the time
l had several opportunities TO look
closely at his face. He had a
mustache and a little goatee
and answers DR.. Cronin's description II
every other way. / never had seen DIR. l
Cronin TO know that il was he and did
not hear any one address him as Cronin.
They called him Doc The three men
went into the barn together and returned
with trunk. Ii seemed TO be an ordi-
nary travelling trunk with an imitation
leather or paper covering. The men lifted |
it into a wagon and then climbed in. We
drove straight through the alley to the
first cross street, turned on that and then |
went up Dearborn 10 the park. As soon