The Portland daily press., 1889-10-25
TRAITORS BY THE LAW Of TwoNATIoNs
unfaltnfuI to Their Trust and Be.
trayers of Their Followers.
Judge Longeneoker's Araignment
of the CIan-na-cael Triangle.
The First Step Taken In the Trial Of
the cronin Suspects.


hour for the convening OF the co urt in the
Cronin trial this morning hundreds of spec
tators were clamoring for admittance, and it
required small army of bailffs to keep at bay
the eager ones who demanded to be passed
in. Promptly at 10 o'clock the spectators as
sembled in Judge McConnell's court we're
raped to order, and, as the defendants filed
in and the attorneys took their seats, the
clerk called the roll of jurors. Every man
responded to his name and the Cronin trial
formally began. States Attorney Longeneck-
er at once began his opening address to the
jury.
After making preliminary remarks the
States Attorney said that in order to show
what the motive was for the crime, it was
necessary to examine into the history in this
country Of the United Brotherhood, COM
monty called tho Clan-na-Gael. He
fT@aeq fyns the the s GAEL SS but WsS he pr S.
oners at the bar. Judge Longenecker said
the Clan ma Gael in this country was made
up of patriotic Irishmen, Irishmen who
went into 1t for political effect, and Irish
men who went into it for money. Its OBJ
soon as favorable opportunity should offer.
He declared the Triangle to be. supreme.
The oaths of the members made their CON-
mands superior to the laws OF the nation.
Mr.. Forrest objected to this line Of state
ment as inadmissible in advance OF the
proofs.
Judge Mcconnell warned the States At
torney that he was making these statements
at his peril.
The States Attorney said he would prove
what he had said and that he accepted the
responsibility. He proceeded to say that that
they got control of the executive board, inau-
gurated dynamite policy and
Implanted in the constitution a
clause commanding perfect and
the board. The States Attorney spoke of
the adoption of the Triangle as the symbol
OF the executive board. The membership
did not know who constituted the Triangle
so secret was it. but they obeyed its orders
and were sent ON various special missions in
England. Notwithstanding this secrecy
these men were betrayed by the board to the
English authorities and 20 of them, he said,
were now in prison. This was, he declared,
to enable the board to steal the funds. When
their showing was made the board claimed
the order owed them 200.
At this point the States Attorney intr O.
duced DR.. Cronin in connection with the or
der and proceeded to sketch the history OF
his fight against the Triangle. He. told OF
Cronin's expulsion and the subsequent
ley and Boland by the secret committee, OF
which DR.. Cronin was member.
at Buffalo, last August. The
evidence of that committee will be introduced
here. Cronin took the evidence fully. The
States Attorney said that Cronin insisted
that all the evidence be sent out to all the
camps but up to the time of Cronin,s death,
the report had not been sent out. 1t would
have shown that they mad not only violated
the laws of the order and of this country but
those of England and had robbed the order
of its funds and men of their liberties. Only
day or two after Dr. Crcnin's death, a
report of that trial was sent out. Cronin's
part of it was rejected and that part sent out
which accused Cronin of being traitor,
He claimed that they would show that all
this denunciation of DR.. Cronin was sent out
over Alexander Sullivan's signature and
sent out after Cronin disappeared and In the
belief that his body would never be found
1t was not sufficient to make way with DR.
CrOnin but the same unseen hand that regu
lated this conspiracy from its inception had
to make it appear that Cronin was a traitor
For if Cronin published evidence against the
Triangle, as he was about to do, II would
have proved them traitors before the law
of two countries, traitors to the cause n
which these people had enlisted. 1t would
brand them as the worst men on earth
among the Irish people. That was its object
The States Attorney went on to show how
C0ughlin begun denounclng Cronln as spy
as far back as February and how Beggs, at
certain meeting of Camp No. 20 said thai
Cronin's denunciation of Sullivan and the
Triangle had to be stopped, III 1t tool
blood" Finally Beggs, as guardian OF Camp
No. 20, announced that the charges againsi
the Triangle would have to be Investigated
The next day the fiat at III Clark Street wa
rented, the trunk and furniture afterwards
moved to the Carlson cottage bought, ant
preparations begun for the murder The
States Attorney went over the whole story
of the conception and execution OF thi:
plot.
The States attorney said: "We propose
to prove in this case that Daniel Coughlin
Patrick Cooney, Martin Burke and Patrick
O'Sullivan, all belong to Camp 20. We will
prove that John +. Beggs was senior guar
dian of that camp" Some time in April
Cronin, by which, if he received one o.
O'Sullivan's cards, he (Cronin) was to accom-
pany the messenger in order to attend pro
fessionally upon any one OF OSulllvan''
men who might be hurt in handling ice. Th,
State 'sAttorney pointed out that this seemed
to be queer sort OF contract, 1or up 70 thi'
time there never had been an accident to ont
of O'Sullivan's men. and man,
doctors were nearer than Cronin
In concluding Judge Longnecker pointed
out more clearly the connection of the in
dicted persons with the conspiracy ant
promised to present as rapidly as possible
the witnesses to prove such connection. Th
counsel for the defence, one by one, waivet
their right to make an opening address tt
the jury and the taking of testimony wa
begun.
The first witness was ex-Captain Franci
Villiers Of the Lake View police. in who's
district the murder was committed. HI
testified that he knew Cr0nin and as tn
body was conveyed from the catch-basin t.
the morgue he had identified it as that of thu
dead doctor.
Half dozen other witnesses sw0re to tn
identity of the body, and were hardly cross
examined. The defence apparently. decides
4.40 court adjourned.