The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-09-10
CRONIN'S MURDER
True Story of ths Discovery Of the
Crime as Told by Police
man Richardson.
Suspects kunz and CooneY Once in
Custody. But Released by
Order OF Capt. Wing,
Judge Mcconnell Determined TO Secure a
Jury to Try the Case without
Unnecessary Delay.

CHICAGO. Sept At seems although !
great deal OF matter has been published
shout the Cronin murder, the true story Of
the discovery Of the evidence at the Carlson
cottage is now told for the first time. IL is
also singular that the reporters working
en- the case did not discover that on the
night of May 10 two men, now supposed to
have been Kunze and COOney. were ar.
rested and taken to LaKeview station and
discharged in the morning by Capt Wing.
A local paper stated recently that 1t was
certain an Irish officer upon the Laksview
force is suspected OF direct implication IN
the case. Other similar statements were
subsequently printed and the officer finally
determined 70 tell his story.
Oficer Isaac Robinson has been on the
Lakeview force for several years, and has
always borne good reputation. He was
not a member OF suY Irish secret society.
At different times before the murder Rob
insOn noticed men going iD Rnd out of the
Carlson cottage. Carlson told him he had
rented the place to two men, who expected
10 move in ON the night Of May g. Robin
son saw a man crawling cut OF the base
ment of the cottage, whom he now be
lieves to have been Burke. In reply 10 the
ofiiceT's query he said he was one Of the
renters aud had been looking in the base
ment with q view 70 storing furniture
Robinson was not satisfied, but had
no authority 10 arrest the man. The next
night he came upon two men talking To-
gether in front OF a little real estate 0ffce
south Of the Carlson cottage. They had
the door of the office opened and were
talking about hiding something under the
floor. One OF them spoke In broken Eng
iish. with q German accent, and told the
officer they had lost their way and wanted
70 get down town. He said they were
painters and lived on the west side. Rob
Inson wanted 10 know why they stood
there talking II anxious 10 get down town,
and the other man, who spoke with an
Iush accent, answered evasiVely Robin
son determined TO arrest them, and rs he
started for the patrol box a man ran across
from the direction Of O'Snllivanis barn
and demanded TO know what he was do
ing Robinson recognised this person as
the man he had seen crawling from the
basement of the Carlson cottage and an
swered him sharply. saying If he said
much he would take him along too. The
man said no more, and Robinson took his
prisoners to the station, where they re-
peated the story told him.
In the morning they were released BY
Captain Wings orders, that officer saying
to Robinson; 'fWhzt is the use OF sending
them TO the Bridewell to cost the city %
cents day 20
The two men thus discharged. It is now
believed by Officer Robinson, were Kunz
and CoOney. Their description answers to
that of the two suspects very closely. At
the time of their arrest it was not generally
believed that DR.. Cronin had been muT-
dsred.
Two nights later Robinson says he saw
one OF the men he had arr sted coming out
of ths cottage after midnight. He did DOT
Rccost him, because he considered he had
been rebuked by Captain Wing when the
prisoners were discharged Robinson
talked With neIghbOrs about the matter,
and concluded there must have been a
crime committed in the cottage. DE told
Carlson anu n- auO young Carlson weatin-
to the cottage and found the blOOdstains. 1t
was thought that CrOnin had probably been
killed, and this place suggested itself %
Robinson, and he told Captain Wing of his
suspicious. The captain listened 70 the
story but did nothing. Three times in
succession the Officer claims to have told
Wing Of his belief that Cronin was killed
in the cottage, bat nothing was done till q
week after CrOnin's body had been found. |
When Lieut. Schgtter, who was sent fIOm
down town to Lakeview, heard of Robin !
sons suspicious, he investigated the mat |
ter and the cottage story was made public. |