Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-21
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE b1spArcH. J


CHICAGO, September 2O.-There was a
great crush at the Cronin trial this after
noon. Every seat in the big courtroom was
occupied, and yet scores OF curiosity seekers
were refused admission. Many women were
in the audience. The examination of jurors
lasted four hours. During that time nearly
all of the 80 venire men of the twentieth
venire were excused because of the unalter-
able opinions they had formed as to the guilt
or innocence of the prisoners. Three men
were held for the night by the defense.
Attorney Forrest conducted the examina-
tion during the entire afternoon. He was
in fine humor, and made rapid progress i'll
disposing of the talesmen, nearly all of
whom were businessmen with deep-rooted
prejudices against the prisoners.
ONE INTERESTING INCIDENT.
The only interesting incident of the
dreary examination was ruling by Judge
Mcconnell, that members OF the United
Order of Deputies and of the Patriotic Sons
of America were not disqualified from act
ing as jurors in this case for the sole reason
that these two organizations were in meas
ure at war with the Roman Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church, Judge Mcconnell
said, was not on trial. If a member of
either of the organizations named could lay
aside all his prejudices and opinions and
try the case on the law and evidence he was,
in the opinion OF the Court, eminently quail
fed to sit as juror. no matter if some of
the prisoners were Roman Catholics. Hap
PLY for Attorney Forrest, the two men over
whom this interesting question arose gave
more satisfactory reasons for their disquali-
fcation by the Court.
THE CHALLENGES USED.
The defense tore great hole in its list of
peremptory challenges during the long
session, five veniremen having been dropped
in behalf of Kunz and O'Sullivan. The
number of peremptories now used by the
defense is 65 The State has cancelled As.
The prisoners were in good humor, At
tornev Forests searching, and at times
sarcastic, examination OF the two anti
Catholic veniremen atording them great
amusement
Lawyer John Beggs has changed his white
muslin necktie for black cravat which
covers nearly all of his shirt bosom. Burke
and O'Sullivan alone remained sullen. Big
Dan Coughlin cracked jokes with Beggs all
afternoon, and little Kunz saw something to
laugh at every time. When court ad-
journed the pale-faced, miserable looking
Woodruff, who has told so many stories
about the Cronin murder that nobody now
believes he had anything to do with the
tragedy, shuffled into the room under a
heavy guard of bailiffs. Attorney Browne,
with red face and an almost unintelligibIe
delivery. resumed his plea for the discharge
OF the prisoner The Court took the matter
under advisement, and will probably de-
liver his opinion tomorrow morning
ANOTHER BLOODY SURPRISE.
When it first became rumored that the
Carlson cottage bore bloody evidence that
DR. Cronin had been murdered in it. two
reporters were sent to get into the house,
and, it necessary, break in. Fearing that
the rumors might not materialize to furnish
a good story, the reporters, on their way to
the cottage, bought roll of cotton batting.
Then they went to butchers shop and
saturated it with blood. When they
reached the cottage they effected an entrance
to the basement, in which they put the
bloody cotton.
Having made sure of sufficient gore. they
came out and proceeded TO break in the
front door of the cottage. There they found
enough genuine evidences, and, as police
man hurriedly drove them out at the point
of a revolver, they came away without
thinking of the reserve evidence in the
basement. This was found by the police
and held as part of the evidence against the
prisoners.
1t is also said that the defense have some
of it; that they have had it analyzed; the
analysis showed that it was beef blood, and
that they are calculating to spring the tact
on the prosecution as surprise.