Iron County register., 1889-12-19

torney for the de- B Ts5I3*EX
fense makes >W2H w +
statement of the Judge Loagenecher.
story or grounds of the defense o1
| the accused. The statement is made
! either just after the opening of the
State or at the close of the testimony
for the State and before the beginning
OF the testimony on behalf of de.
| tense. This was not done in
this case. From the time this
case was opened until the last days,
when one of the learned counsel for the
defense made three-day's speech, did
| you as jurors know what the theory OF
the defense was? Why, that there was a
| gigantic conspiracy on the part of the
State to hang these defendants. And
the attorney for this defense thought so
much of this line of argument for his
clients that he used it as a thread
through his whole speech. Why, he
charged me. your States attorney, and
the people of this great State, with con-
spring to murder, to hang innoc ent
| men. Do you believe it? Do you be-
lieve that l would consent to trump up
charges against these men, to lead them
to the gallows, knowing they were false
charges Why, if 1 should do that
1 ought to be dragged out by
the citizens and hanged to lamp post,
without court or jury. They claim that
back of the prosecution stands the op-
posing faction of the Clan-na-Gael urg-
ing the conviction of these men. Why,
gentlemen, the very men who belonged
to the camp which DR.. Cronin organized
were against the prosecution and all the
Clan-na-Gael witnesses were from
the camp from which come these
prisoners. Do you think I would put on
witness whose story did not believe?
Do you believe would fix up story to
hang these men? Gentlemen, before
God I had rather have my arms torn
from my body than to engage in such
villainy."
Il believe it." said a juror (soto
voce). Eyes, you must believe it, :"
cried the States attorney. Because
it's Gods truth
''Do you believe that this big-hearted
Irishman," pointing to Mr.. Hynes,
whose voice and whose hand has al
ways been ready to help the down-trod
den, would be guilty of such deviltry?"
Referring to Mr.. Fosters statement
that Mr.. Ingham was too honest to
charge Beggs with completely in this
crime, the States Attorney said Mr..
Foster made a day and a half speech,
but in all of it he did not say one word
in reference to the case against John f.
Beggs. He talked about the smoke
stacks, and mills, and looms of Ireland
having been idle for centuries, but moth
r. o1.
Fosters remarks" said the States At
torney, ''were an indirect charge Of
dishonesty against myself and the
other counsel engaged to assist me. Mr..
Fosters speech was mainly Mr.. Foster
and not much Mr.. Beggs. We are not
trying these men as Irishmen nor as
Clan-na-Gaels We are trying them as
men indicted for murder. Mr.. Foster
said that DIR. Cronin was not an angel
while he was alive at least; the other is
not questioned-and he said that this
big-hearted Irishman, Mr.. Hynes,
was dynamiter. That is not
true. This big Irishman. like DR..
Cronin, has always protested against
the use of dynamite. Cronin was not a
dynamiter. and he was condemned only
by the dynamite faction of the Clan-na-
Gael. The theory of the State is, and
always has been, that the murder of DR..
Cronin was caused by conspiracy which
originated in Camp 20. There has not
been particle of evidence here to con-
tradict this theory. It is claimed by the
learned counsel that no proof had been
shown that committee had been ap-
pointed in Camp 20 to investigate DR..
Cronin. But Beggs had said that the
committee should report to him alone as
senior guardian.
Mr.. Longenecker then referred to the
testimony regarding the meeting of
Camp 20, February s. There was no one
else outside of the Clan-na-Gael who
had an enmity toward DR.. Cronin. He
was making trouble for the Triangle;
he was making trouble for the men
who were robbins the organization.
DR.. Cronin was called spy; the Clan
na-Gael men had hatred of spies;
they believed they had a right to kill
spies, and they thought that any man
who was traitor to the cause should be
killed. 1t was easy for the Triangle to
convince their dupes-if these men are
dupes-that Cronin was spy; but even
then it became necessary that some pro-
ceedings should be taken in the camp to
Justify further commands to remove DR..
Cronin.
If Beggs is an educated man and no
mans dupe, as Mr.. Foster said, then he
is awful guilty. He started the machin-
cry of this conspiracy in motion, and did
his share just the same as Martin Burke.
The letters between Beggs and Spell
man were commented on by the States
Attorney, who said that the letters re-
i-rred plainly and admittedly to DR..
Cronin as one who was constantly open
ing old sores and to whom punishment
must eume eventually.
Judge Longenecker referred briefly
to the complaints of the defense about |
his employing valuable assistance, say
ing that he saw no reason why the State
of Illinois should not have the aid of |
valuable counsel as we'll as the prison |
ers, and then took up the case of Beggs. |
For man against whom there was no |
case. as Attorney Foster claimed, it was |
singular shat a day and |
one-haif should be required to defend |
him. But the case was strong in the |
States attorneys mind. The birth of |
the great conspiracy was IN it, by the |
of the secret committee. |
The claim that no committee was |
appointed was absurd, in view of |
the declaration OF the senior |