Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-01
ESPECIAL rzInenAx TO THE DISPATCH,

ESPECIAL TELEeRAM TO THE DIsPArcE.i
CHICAGO, October 31.-Senior Warden
Beggs, who, it is claimed by the State, ap.
pointed the secret committee which virtu-
ally sealed the doom OF DR.. Cronin, was
again attacked by the prosecution to-day
but not in such a way as to prove anything
criminal against him. The testimony came
from William O'Keefe and Cornelius
Finn, who were in the Cronin faction oil
the Clan-na-Gael. 1t merely proved that
which Mr.. Foster, the attorney fol-
Beggs, does not attempt to deny and
that is that the Senior Warden was an
ardent admirer of Alexander Sullivan, and
an opponent of the dead doctor, for the
reason that the latter was waging war
against the triangle composed of Sullivan,
Feeley and Boland. The State has made a
desperate attempt to accumulate evidence
to show that Beggs was bitter and merci-
less enemy of DR.. Cronin, that he de-
nounced him in and out of the CAMP and
that when the storm of February burst in
the den in the Northside Turner Hall he
was heart and hand in the motion to in
vestigate the doctor for alleged reasonable
conduct.
MUST HAVE STRONGER EVIDENCE.
Thus far, however, there has been no
testimony introduced that could possibly
be construed as duplicating the Senior
Warden in a conspiracy. Coughlin, Burke
and O'Sullivan, whose mysterious conduct
before and after the disappearance of DR..
Cronin is fortunately not concealed BY iron
clad oath and evasive answers of the Clan
na-Gael, are being more intimately associ-
ated with the plot as the State proceeds with
its terrible recital of the case.
The testimony against CoughIin to-day
did not all come from the better element Of
society, but it went far to prove that the
detective, while drawing salary from the
| city, spent much of his time in saloons and
In preaching against DR.. Cronin. One
night in March OF this year Coughlin, in
harangue over the approaching municipal
election, declared that if certain Catholic
on the Northside did not stop talking so
much he would get the worst of it.
he was then speaking to O'Sullivan in q
saloon on East Chicago avenue. Bartender
George Riley and James Quinn heard the
threat. Mr.. Forrest, in his cross examina-
tiOn of these witnesses, tried to wipe out the
IMPORTANCE OF THIS TESTIMONY
by drawing from the witnesses admissions
that Catholicity played prominent part in
the municipal election, and that Coughlin's
remarks on that night related solely to the
political situation, and not to the affairs of
the Clan-na-Gael The State maintains
that the prominent Northside Catholic who
was talking so much about that time was
DR.. Cronin, and that Coughlin's threat,
whether made in the course of political or
Clan-na-Gael discu ssion, showed the Tio-
lent hatred the detective had for the doctor.
Another broadside of testimony against
the big detective, the effect of which
on the jury was merely speculative,
came from major" John W. Sampson
self-confessed criminal and gam
bier, who swore thsttwo years ago Coughlin
approached him at La Sale avenue and
Erie street with proposition to lay in am
buscade near the Windsor Theater and slug
DR.. Cronin as he returned home at night.
Sampson thought the contemplated crime
too dangerous, but Coughlin being desirous
the work should be done, and done we'll,
suggested that his comrade get another man
to assist him in the slugglng. During this
interview William Lynn, a friend of
"Major" Sampson stood upon a corner on
the opposite side of the street. Lynn testi-
fed to the meeting of Coughlin and Samp-
SON.
THE DEFENSE AT WORK.
Both witnesses were subjected to a merci-
less cross-e1amiuation by Mr. Forrest
Sampson was forced to admit having a most
extraordinary criminal career, and possess
ing no visible means of support. he had
been shell worker, and was sfrequently
arrested BY Coughlin on charges of robbery
and vagrancy. The witness denied, how
ever, that he had been convicted on these
charges, and declared, with much evidence
of passion, that Coughlin's pursuit of him
was in nature of persecution. The young
man was intensely nervous, but he sue
ceeded in rattling the cross-examiner for the
prisoners, and provoking an outburst of
applause, when in reply to declaration
by Mr.. Forrest that shell playing was
felony, heexclaimed that it was not murder,
anyhow.
Patrick McGarry, who occupied the chair
at the time of the adjournment last night,
was the first witness. Mr.. Donahue, OF
counsel for the defense, moved to strike out
all that part of McGarry's evidence given
yesterday, in which McGarrv described his
visit to the house of Defendant O'Sullivan
after lDr. Cronin's murder, and at which
time he questioned O'SulliVan closely about
his contract with Cronin. A long argument
followed, and it was finally decided to post
pone decision on the point till afternoon,
in order to allow counsel time to present
authorities.
THE JURY EXCLUDED.
When the court resumed its session the
jury was excluded, and the matter of
striking out Witness McGarry's evidence
as to what was said during his visit to
O'Sullivan's house on the Sunday following
the murder, was taken up. The Court
finally decided to exclude all of the evidence
in the regard to a former attack on DR..
Cronin. This was not satisfactory to the de-
fense, and another flow of eloquence was the
result. Finally the cross-examination of
McCarry was resumed.
Joseph c. O'Keefe, DR.. Cronin's tailor,
said he attended a meeting of Camp 20 in
September, 1888. After the meeting he had
a conversation with defendant Beggs about
DR.. Cronin and Alexander Sullivan; said
the witness:
"We were speaking first in reference to
the union of the two rival factions of the
order. and John F. Beggs said he did not
have much confidence in the new executive
that was elected. Then the trial committee
came under discussion, and he said that DR..
Cronin was
NOT THE PROPER MAN
to put on the Trial Committee to try Alex
ander Sullivan. said DIR. Cronin did not
have as unsavory a record as James Rogers