The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-05
THE CRONIN INQUEST.
Another Story from Woodruff in Which He
Seeks to Implicate Alexander Sullivan.

CHICAGO, June 4.-The many contra
dictory confessions" of the imprisoned
horse-thief Woodruff. alias Black, regard
ing the Cronin mystery, were capped
this afternoon by brand-new nara
tive from him regarding the affair. During
the inquest, Police Captain Setback. who
was ON the witness-stand, had testified as
to the investigations which followed the
arrest of Woodruff for horse-stealing, and
retold the whole of Woodruff7s varied
stories about the men whom he claimed
were named King and Fairburn. and the
carrying off of a woman's body in the
trunk. The Captain was asked if he had
had any recent conversations with Wood
ruff, and secured the consent of States
Attorney LOngenecker before replying.
''Yes," he said, Woodruff sent for me the
day the grand jury was in session on this
case, and we went together into the private
room of the jail Woodruff went on to say
that there were good many things he had
not told about the case. He continued by
saying that he was in saloon on Division
street, near Franklin, one afternoon with
King and Fairburn when a strange man
entered and took King aside. Woodruff
said the man had big roll of money. and
that he gave some to King and more to
Fairburn They went out together, and the
stranger left them at the door, After he
it was, and King said, That is the great
lawyer, Alexander Sullivan"
Capt. Schaak added, in reply to jurors
question, that the next day after w Woodruff
had been indicted for horse-stealing he
sent word that he would not talk any more.
ruff this morning declared: Il amt to get
the worst of it, although there are people
trying to give it to me. / amt an Irish
Catholic, and l suppose the Irish will try
to give me the worst of it. but they had
better look out. If find they are trying
to do that I'll make some of them think
hades is not more than five minutes dis
tant."
The inquest to-day, aside from Captain
Schaack's testimony, developed little that
taken up in listening to the evidence of
the policemen who saw the wagon which
carried the trunk containing DR.. Cronin's
body on the night of the tragedy, and TO
that of the physician who made the autOp-
sy. Captain Schaack was on the stand
over an hour. and went over the livery
stable transactions of Coughlin and simi-
lar events, as told in the newspapers.
The Captain testified to taking the white
horse rig to Mrs. Conklin, and that she
could not identify it, Woodruff. the Cap
tain said, had in his latest confession, de-
clared that detective COughlin was the
man who hired him to drive to the Carlson
cottage.
Maj" Sampson, the gambler, was the
next witness and repeated his story that
Coughlin once tried to hire him to ''slugr
Cronin.
The day closed with testimony tending to
corroborate sampson by ono of the latter 8
associates, "BillyD Lynn.
Captain Schaack was suspended from
duty tonight by Chief Hubbard for alleged
neglect of duty in the Cronin case. The
action was taken after Captain Shaack's
examination before the coroner's jury, and
is announced to be based upon Shaack's
neglect to summon persons other than Mrs.
Conklin to identity the famous white-horse
rig, and Tor not inqulring into the where
abouts of detectives Coughlin and Whalen
on the night of May 4.
Chief Hubbard, tonight, in an interview
after the suspension. charged that Captain
due to the fact that in the efforts which had
been made by Schaack's enemies to oust
him from Office, Setback had found pow
erful friend in Alexander Sullivan. and, in
one case at least, Sullivan had saved
Setback his rank and star as captain.
L. II. Buckley, captain of the Clan-na.
Gael Guards, was subjected to sweatin G
process. tonight, in private, by Chief O1
Police Hubbard and Coroner Hertz. Cap.
tain Buckley was afterwards driven away
in carriage with Chief Hubbard. The
Clan-na-G Gael Guards is a local independent
military company, we'll armed and uni
formed, which has often appeared in pa.
rades in Chicago. The majority, if not al
the members are Irishmen or sons of Irish
men.