Evening journal., 1889-11-05
SPELMAN ON THE STAND
And the Beggs-Spelman Let
ters in Court.
THEY THINK BURKE CONFESSED.

The Prosecution win Bring Barke's Fell
low Prisoners from winnipeg-one Tells
n Straight story-O'suliivan's sanguin-
airy Words TO One Of His Ice Customers.
CHICAGO, Nov. Edward Spelman, of
Peoria, Ills, was called IN the cronin trial
and testified that he had belonged to the
Clan-na-Gael twenty years. He knew Beggs,
Kunze and Coughlin. The witness was asked
by Judge Longenecker whether he did not
tell the grand jury that in a conversation
Coughlin had said that DIR. Cronin was a
- , and ought TO be killed. Spelman
admitted making the first half Of the state
ment, but said that after going home and
thinking of the matter, and talking with two
men who heard the conversation, he had
come to the conclusion that he was mistaken.
He also said that he had sent his lawyer to
Judge Longenecker and also came to Chicago
10 personally ask that he be allowed TO cor
rect his testimony, but was not allowed to
do So Judge Wing here said that the con-
duct OF the states attorney had been most
reprehensible, and wanted the testimony
stricken out Witness admitted that he had
visited Alexander Sullivan before going to
the states attorney, but said he did so be-
cause he had heard that Sullivan had talked
harshly about him. This line of testimony
was ruled out The famous Beggs-Spelman
letters were then introduced.
The Beggs-spelman Letters.
Under the date of Feb. l6 Beggs wrote
EpaInaap that ha xvac diractad - oali l,io At
tion to the fact that the senior guardian of
the Columbus club at a recent meeting had
read to the assembled members the proceed
ings of the trial committee aud also that GER
tain camps had elected and initiated MEM
bers before their names had been submitted
TO other camps Good discipline, Beggs add
ed, called for an investigation of these mat
ters. Spelman, who simply signed I'D. O..
16,7 replied in a lengthy letter, the gist of it
being a request that Beggs would refer him
to the section Of the law under which he was
empowered to infict penalty on a senior
guardian for disclosing the proceedings of a
trial committee. Spelman concluded as fol-
lows:
MY term of office will expire at the close
of the month and God knows am glad.
am disguested with men who think they
should lead the Irish people, but I think it is
dangerous in decent men to associate with
such scamps Thank God proxies no longer
prevail
Not the Friends of Ireland.
On Feb. IS Beggs replied that he did moi
have the constitution, could not point out
that the action complained Of was viola.
ton Of any written law, but thought such
conduct was unwise and preiudicial TO the
order
Why he asked, ''if men are sincere
are they always opening old soresa Th'
majority of our men believe the partie
charged referring to the trianglel are limo
cent Of wrongdoing and the man or mer
who continue to bring the charges are nof
the friends of Ireland Begg's letter con
cluded with this significant paragraph
personally think it better not to motto,
such things but / am only one. The men
who are in power will in time realize tn,
motives of those who are continually breed
ing disorder in their ranks, and a day OF
punishment will come"
spelman's Contribution.
Cross-examined by Foster, Spelman sale
be had contributed $500 for the prosecution
of the murderers and was liable for Si0l
more. He had only paid in 800.
Beggs had never preferred any charge.
against Cronin. Witness went ON to say that
Cronin was an agitator and fond Of making
charges. So far as he knew Kunze hac
nothing to do with the Irish business wher
he was in Peoria with Coughlin.
O'SulIivan's Bitter Words.
Annie Farrar, a widow and a former
| patron of 0Sullivan, the ice dealer, testified
that OSullivan called at her house in May
to see about taking ice. The widow spok,
TO the iceman about the finding Of Cronin'
body and said: ut is something fearful t.
decoy a man away and murder him likt
that To this O'Sullivan replied: ''Thel
say he is a British spy and has given awal
the secrets of a certain order, and if he die
that he ought to be killed; he got no wors,
than he deserved
An onicer who Talked with the Trio.
Several policemen then testified to seeing
a horse and wagon containing a trunk OF
box and three men on Fullerton street OF
the night of May 4. One of them said tn,
horse was bay or dark colored animal
| John Way, a special officer of Edgewater
then testified to having seen on the eventfu
night, about o'clock, the same rig standing
within two blocks Of the lake shore in Edge
water. The driver, the only one in til.
wagon, said he was looking for the lax,
shore drive. Witness told him he was of
the track. just then two other men came
up from the lake, the driver shouting t
them as soon as he heard them: "This watch
man says that drive is not this way Wit
ness gave the necessary direction and they
drove off. The box was in the wagon.
/ They Think Burke Really Confessed.
Assistant States Attorney Baker, who re
turned from Winnipeg, says he has a grea
deal Of confidence in Gillette's story, OF
Burke's confession, the substance Of which
has been published. ''Gillette's manner il
telling the story and the fact that he told o.
things he could not possibly know unles
Burke had told him. said Mr.. Baker, ''lead
me to believe that Burke made a confidan
of him, and If it were possible that he coulC
be brought here as a witness he would be
valuable onen Mr.. Baker said he had ar
ranged for Officer McKinnon to come ant
also for Mills and Heffer, to whom Burk
made damaging statements, to come whei
wanted. He did not think Chief McRa
would come, as he had not been paid his bill
Of S340 for his expense and trouble in arrest
ing Burke.
L
President Corbin's Tour.