New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-17
WOODRUFFS LATEST TALE.
ANOTHER CONFESSION IN THE CRoNIN
CASE.

ING THAT TT Is THE PRISONERS
FIRST ACCOUNT OF THE CRIME
tBr IELEGRArH TO 1HI TkIBUSEI
Chicago June l6.-As IL there were not enough
genuine sensations in the Cronin case, The Chi
cago Tines in an extra edition this morning print
ed an alleged confession from Woodruff, which is
pronounced on all hands E" fake in every essen
tial particular. The Times quoting Woodruff,
says:
This is the first and only statement have
made since my arrest by the West Twelfth-st
police officers"
In brief, the alleged interview quotes Woodruff
saying he came 10 Chicago n total stranger on
March &c. He drfted into O'Sullivan's place and
Immediately made up his mind that O'Sullivan
was Fenian. lie met Dam Coughlin, whom
he had known by reputation as fence About
April Melville came to Chicago. lie had known
Melville in California, and met him and Coughln
drinking together in saloon kept by the notorious
y" soT Van Praag. Melville gave him small sum
OF money, and said he never need be broke as
long as he tMelville) was in town. Woodruff then
went to work at Deans stable, and worked con-
tinuousIy up to the night OF the murder. Soon
after getting the job ut Deans stable he met Nc
Dougall, or Williams as he called himself, in COM
pany with Coughln Williams broadly hinted
that he was fool for working. and told him 10 go
and see Alexander Sullivan. Woodruff did so
but did not get much satisfaction, as Sullivan was
suspicious He and Williams together aftcrward
met Sullivan Williams and Sullivan had long
talk, and Sullivan gave Williams some money.
He saw Coughlin on Memorial Day, and the de-
trctive gave him n note TO Sullivan written in
Fenian cipher, the principle being the employment
Of every seventh letter from the one intended.
lie WAS familiar with the cipher and read the note.
1t ram
Going up TO = O'Sullivan's.'
Coughlin then asked him II he could get
light rig that night. lie answered yrs. That
night, about . 80 he blanketcd the hoor and led
out the celebrated grny mare, hitched her TO
light wa gon and in AShlandaYe. picked up TWO
men. One OF then WAS O'Shca. alias Mike NC
Dougal, whom he had known in Wichita. The
other was Melville. At o'clock in the morning
they reached the Carlson cottage. The two men
went in and soon came Oui with i. y SuInNah'
oll hclrinC 10 carry the celebrated trunk After
the return from throwing the body IN the CATCH
BAN, Woodruff Is made TO say that Williams
n him 10 20 10 Alexander Sullivan when he
wanted money, but 10 strike easy rs there were
a los Of men in the deal" The next night he had
taken the gray mare from the barn and was ar
IL. Woodruff is quoted further rs saying that
the attorney Theodore q. Case, had been extreme
" sohci,ous TO defend him gratuitously. and had
insisted that he should keep his mouth shut
Case told him the same legnl minds working LOT
sullivan were also working for him, ana hat
Fernando Jones had promised TO pay all the oosh'
A number Of the hgitesi reporters in Chicago,
who have done more and better directive work
in tie case than the whole policc force pronounce
he whole artich a practical fake It's sppar.
f,lst il shO y u
whole II is practically rehnsh OF everything the
papers have contained on the subject. IL does
not contain n solitary statement from oeGlnhlhS
10 end thnt any intelligent liar could not have
told u he had kept up with the newspaper 90
counts Of the case. ,
In detail, the alleged onfcsson makes much
poorer showing WomruG says hr came 10 Chi
caCo u strungrr on Mach % lie WAS working
pract ically ali OF the time from then up TO the
numbers names and directions with glihnrss
startling TO an old resident. No one thinks that
Woodruff j. over thirty years old. OSulllNnn Is
certainly not over thirty.two. They met Tor thr
Ncst time in the Fcnan raids in Canada. These
raids occurred IN 1866. Imagine the agony OF
terror with which these warriors OF seven ana
nine years filled the hearts OF Her MnIesty's SUB
joct> The alleged sensation abounds with such
anachronisms. IN" most harefaced lie OF all Is
the statement that this WAS his first and only con-
fesSlOn since his arrest.
y" The IImcs' tomorrow will publish rs corrob-
orative Of Woodruns story a statement from
Me- Faulty IL stloonkcrp"r mentioned in the con-
from Woodruff for So The salOonkccrr further
says that he has been in the pay Of the police for
the last two weeks 10 aid IN the search Tor the MUIR
dercrs Paully says: m
My sister told me to-day Tint Woodruff came
in one day when WAS out. lie had not hrrn
hero but moment when man came 70 tne .noUr aoOr
monry, shr thinks. She says she Is satisfied iAat
she knows who the man WAS
" Who WAS il ~
Alexander sullivan
pnully's sister WAS not at home and could not
bc seen by The Times" man who wished 20 get
hcr statement WoodruI'> story and that OF
Jh,nIlv do not hitch exactly Woodruff had IL
that after lcavin@ Paulys he and Williams. on
the WAY TO u Strcet-car. met sullivan not thht
sullivan called Woodruff out Of the saloon. 40
cordin" 10 Woodruff also. II was 10 Williams not
Woodruff, thnt the money was paid Inc
Ihull.s have il that Alexander Sullivan paid
money TO Woodruff.