Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-13
Chicago Court Officers Attempt to Bri
,Jurymen in the Cronin Case,

ever brought to the notice of the public
was outlined by States Attorney Long
necker's right-hsnd man Mills this after
noon. The conspiracy not only includes
county officials, but outsiders of high
standing.
Several arrests have already been made,
but more will follow before the sun sets
this evening.
Not content with the bribery of men, an
attempt has been made to drag even inno-
cent women into the plot and thus gain
the end which the friends of the defense
have been working on the last month.
States Attorney Longnecker desires me
to say" said Mr.. Mills, who was commits.
stoned by the States Attorney to talk to
the reporters, that this plot has not been
disclosed because it would have defeated
the ends of justice had the information we
possess been made public. We cannot now
give any names or details, but the outline
of this conspiracy can now be given to the
public.
at will be remembered" continued the
attorney, that on last Wednesday after
noon an honest young man who is en-
ployed as a foreman in large establish
ment in this city was examined and ex-
cused for cause. 1t is understood, though
not stated by attorney Mills, that the name
VI luc NcllIcLHdl dilCluplC0 " UC pllUCu 10
George S. Tappett. He is the foreman OF
E. N. Page & Co, oil merchants of this
cityl Thursday afternoon a very prom
inent citizen of Chicago entered the Court
room and privately communicated to coun-
sci for the State that the foreman. the
venireman in question, before being
called to the iury-box had been approached
by the Bailiff of the Court with an offer OF
81 600 to vote for an acquital of the defend
ants. He said: This is not cock and
bull story, and bring it before the Court in
the interest of public justice
He then went away, and next morning
one of the counsel for the State went down
to the factory of the man whose foreman
had been offered bride, and the moment
he saw the foreman he recognized him as
man whose honesty and independence
had impressed itself upon the counsel for
the State while he was sitting in the jury
box. The man made a full statement, and
was requested by the counsel for the State
to come to the States Attorneys Office and
repeat his statement in full. The man,
with tears in his eyes, said: 1t involves a
friend, but if it involved myself l would
uphold law and order
The gist of his statement to the counsel,
which he subsequently gave to the States
Attorney, is as follows: lniobedience to q
summons he came to the Courthouse
Tuesday afternoon and sat in the ante
room, but was not called. He came again
Wednesday morning and stayed in the
ante-Ioom again, and about half. past ten
o'clock man came from the Court room
into the ante-room who was an old friend
OF the venireman. The fact also appears
that the wives of the two men were friends
before they were married.
The man who came from the Court room
approached the yenireman and suggested
that they go out and have cigar. While
there, the man from the Court room said
to the venireman Do you want to
make some money!
The venireman innocently answered,
Certainly / do" Every well; you get
on the jury and stick for acquittal. and YOU
will have 1000. The contract and arrange
ment can be carried out with your wife
1t can be arranged so that she shall wear q
certain colored dress if the money is to be
paid her on certain day. If the money
is not to be paid her on that day she is to
wear different colored dress, and the con-
tract is to be off "
The venireman turned reproachfully to
his friend and said I'm not that kind
of man." whereupon, the bailiff replied {:
l am working for the Court He then
pointed to buggy standing outside, and
remarked: That is my horse and buggy"
At the noon adjournment the venireman
went back to his place of business, and
subsequently returned to the Court house
at o'clock, after which he was de-
tanned, and returned to the jury-box.
where he remained until half-past CLOCK,
when he was excused for cause.
He went to the Court house, intending to
return to his place of business, ard on leav-
ing the Courthouse was met on the steps
leading to the sidewalk by the man who had
attempted to bribe him.
The man turned to him and said
Where were you this noontime? looked
everywhere for you. They said, we will
make it five thousand, and, damn him,
make him do it,"
1t was too late, however, for the venire-
man then, for he had been excused for
cause, but he at once returned to his place
of business, having reproached the man for
putting such 3 low estimate upon him, and
reported to his employer, prominent citi-
zen, what had taken place, who the follow
ing day reported it 10 the prosecution.
Pursuant to the appointment, the venire-
man attended the State Attorneys office,
and having made full statement of every
thing that took place, was requested to
AuiO tiS allC'IpOllis Tue Ddlllu was
summoned. He proved to be one of the
bailiffs of the Criminal Court, who during
the trial, or attempt to procure Jury, has
been in charge of one of the five prisoners.
Coughlin, the bailiff, was questioned
closely by the States Attorney and his
associates, bat protested profound ignor-
ance until the venireman was called from
the ante-room. The venireman was re-
quested to repeat the statement he had
made, which be did, whereupon the bailiff
made a complete confession, in which he
implicated several prominent persons and
also another bailif.
The attorneys for the prosecution, to-
gether with Chief Hubbard and others. at
once went to work on the case, and have
disclosed one of the most deliberate at
tempts to corrupt jury and to defeat the
law of Illinois, which has yet come to the
public's attention.
I'VE have had confessions here this very
day, said Mills, at subsequent interview
late this afternoon. These confessions
are from six to ten in number They are
absolute, giving us the whole miserable
conspiracy. They reveal most damnable
organization against the law of the land
and conspiracy against the jurisprudence
of this country that will startle, the CONT
nent when it is thoroughly known;
conspiracy of ramitications, of audacity,
and a conspiracy involving men whose
names will be a surprise to the country.
1T is no exaggeration when ] say that
you cannot magnify the damnable outrage
of this conspiracy. In taking off DIR. Gro
min and the manner in which il was done,
the whole world was startled. This second
conspiracy will alike startle the whole
world. 1t is an assault on the very integ-
riiy of our institutions"
SPECIAL GRAND JURY.
CHICAGO, October 12th.-Judge Horton
has issued venire for special Grand
Jury to investigate the attempts of Jury
fixing in connection with the Cronin trisl.
and the jurors summoned are now assem-.
bling in the Courtroom. Ex-Mayor Roche
is among the Grand Jurymen, and will be
foreman of that body.
The special Grand Jury, after being in
session short time, summoned seven wit
nesses and among the seven were two ve-
niremen who had been possible Cronin iur-
ors, though not yet examined in Court. Ii
Is reported these two men were approached,
among others, by the two bailiffs now un-
der arrest. The latter have been doing
duty as guards to Kunze and 0Sullivan.
the Cronin suspects, sitting directly behind
the prisoners every day in Court since the
of the trial.
INDICTMENTS FOUND.
CHICAGO, October 18th LAT 7 O'Clock this
evening the Grand Jury bad agreed TO re-