Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-17
A COMPROMISES VERDICT.
Lawyer Forests Practical Victory In
the Cronin Case.

the Cronin Case.
THE AcQuIrrAL OF BEaos RULES OUT THE CUES
TON OF A CONSPIRACY AND LAYS FOUNDATION
FOR AN APPEAL THAT MAY YET AcoUIr osuIr
LIvAN AND ooUaHLIN.
There was remarkable scene in Judge Nc
Connell's court yesterday afternoon when the
verdict was rendered in the Cronin case. Not
q word was uttered from the time the prisoners
shuffied through the doorway until they took
their seats Lawyer Forrest whispered some
words of cheer to Burke, who bowed approx
| ingly The Jurors were next to enter. They
caused as much interest as the coming Of the
prisoners Bald-headed Foreman Clarke was
in the lead Juror Culver was close behind
him, with his overcoat resting upon his arm.
The twelve men took their old seats without
looking at the prisoners, who were watching
them with terrible interest. Then came three
startling raps on an empty desk as Clerk Lee
announced the formal opening Of court. Each
| juror responded to the call of his name as it
| was shouted by the clerk. Then Foreman
! Clarke walked briskly to the bench and passed
a sheet OF white paper to Judge Mcconnell.
This was the verdict.
The sheet of paper was passed by the court
to Clerk Lee to be read The crowd pressed
the prisoners. Every face in the room ex-
pressed the most violent agitation. Burke sat
with hls mouth agape.. Coughlin sprawled his
legs out and scowled desperately at the clerk
O'Sullivan and Beggs betrayed no emotion
hunZes face assumed a sickly pallor and his
hand tugged nervously at his little mustache.
Clerk Lee read the verdict in a loud voice.
Beggs entwined his legs about his chair, and
although his lawyers were there to congratu-
late him, the ex-senior warden's pale blue eyes
laft oil until ha had inta had raa6-
ing.
kunze was found guilty Of manslaughter and
| awarded three years in the penitentiary. The
lite painter, who it is claimed by the state
drove Cronin to the house on Ashland ave-
nue. in which he was killed, did not betray any
emotion for a moment or more. He looked like
a man in profound reverie.
The bass-voiced clerk, continuing his read
ing, announced that it was the vote of the jury
that COughlin, OSullivan and Burke should
spend the rest of their lives in prison. MUIR
muir of surprise swept around the room. The
| three men who SO narrowly escaped the rope
never finched. With faces almost painful in
their rigidity and palor Coughlin, O'Sulivan,
and Burke glanced at one another without
uttering q word.
ANEW TRIAL.
Then came the voice of Lawyer Forrest
pleading for a new trial for his clients, Cough
lin, Burke and O'Sullivan, and Kunze in behalf
| ing this plea a wall escaped from the line of
prisoners and little Kunze, convulsed with
| grief. began to protest his innocence. Tears
| streamed down his face as he shouted IN
| broken English God knew he had never been
| out to Lake View. Then, choking with emo
| ton, the little German accused the states at
| torney with having bought testimony to con-
vict him. Judge Longenecker's back was turned
4 to the sobbing prisoner, who was surrounded
by baillffs. Words of sympathy from the of
| fcers only served to intensity KunZe's grief,
which broke out afresh from time to time.
Beggs arose from his chair, and. with his hat
in his hand, strolled over to the deserted Jury
box and sat down. He told the reporters that
he had never appointed a secret committee to
try Dr. Cronin, and that he had never heard of
an inner circle in the Clan-na-Gael. He said
he was surprised that the jurors had agreed SO
quickly, as he had not expected verdict for
at least three weeks
Burke, OSullivan and Coughlin took no in
terest i'll the weeping German or the smiling
ex-senior warden, who was twirllng his hat be-
tween his legs. COughlin and Burke main
tanned their great nerve to the last but O'Sul-
Ivan was plainly weakening during the last
moments of court. Still blinking and scowling
at some object directly in front of him. the
happy man would from time to time involun-
tarily bring his hands together with a sigh.
Once his eyes filled with tears. and it looked
as though he would break down completely.
But the great nerve which has bolstered him
up during his terri ble ordeal of the past six
months came to his rescue. and in a moment
the slender, sallow face had assumed its old
time stolid and Indifferent expression. AT one
time when Lawyer Foster sought to console
Coughlin. the big detective smiled grimly and
shook his head.
Judge Mcconnell, after listening to Lawyer
Forests motion for a new trial, set January ID
as the day when arguments might be made.
Then the prisoners arose, and wa king between
file of officers. recrossed the Bridge of Signs
to the jail. kunZe still weeping the
court room door closed behind him, but Burke
Coughlin and O'Sullivan marched along as de-
family as ever.
JUROR CULVER ALMOST MoBBED.
People waiting in Dearborn avenue and
Michigan street heard the verdict almost as
quickly as the prisoners themselves. As soon
as Clerk Lee finished reading the important
document a dozen messenger boys bounded out
of the court room. and leaping down the steps
without regard to life or limb, began shouting
| the verdict at the top their voices. A ire
| mendous crowd soon filled the streets and when
Juror Culver started from the court room to
the Commercial hotel he was quickly sur
rounded by hundreds of angry men and boys
| who began to boot at him. From Michigan
street to Kinzie street the mob steadily grew in
| number and turbulency and for several mill
utes it looked as though unpopular j JUROR Culver
would be assaulted.
| Capt. Schuettler summoned detail Of Off
| GERS and marching at their head made a dash
| into the mob. which broke and ran. When the
| officers reached the Dearborn avenue bridge
| they formed q platoon across the roadway and
prevented the bowling and enraged men from
continuing their chase. Other officers gathered
around Culver and escorted him to his hotel
| without further incident, although there were
shouts of dersion from open windows along
| the street. Later in the day the juror returned
| to his home. The rest of the jurors left for
| their homes as quickly as possible.
Comment on the verdict il greatly mixed.
\ Some of the more violent enemies OF the
| Triangle" are disappointed because the death
| penalty was not inflicted. This is also true of
| the anarchists, who believe the testimony
| against the n-na-Gael's was far more con-
| elusive as to guilt than that which sent their
| leaders to the galiows. Conservative men,
have been returned, because with three men
| serving life sentences il is certain that the
| conspirators yet unknown will live in constant
| fear of confession from one of the prisoners
Juror Allison was seen by correspondent
| last night. He said:
| I'VE took thirty-seven ballots in all and
reached our verdict about noon today. There
was no trouble in the jury room. We worked
| together harmoniously and weighed every par
4 ticle of evidence Culver worked as indus
| triously as the rest of US. He toiled all day
Sunday notwithstanding his religious scruples,
| and began work again at o'clock this morn
| ing. On the first ballot were all at sea, and
| it was not until we had voted q dozen times
/ hat haoan IN draw topethern