The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-13
A Venireman in the eCronin Murder Case
offered $4,000 to Vote for AcquittaI.
Exposure Of scandaIeos Conspiracy to Over
ride Justice. in WhicA Two Court Ball
ifs Played an Important Part.
Special Grand Jury Summoned, and In
dictments Found Against Six Persons.
Many Prominent Persons Alleged to Be I'm
plicated in the Plot-ststement Of
Attorney Longeneckers Assistant.


A CORRUPT PLOT.
Attempt TO Defeat Justi6s ~ ofrersnr Brfbes
to Possible Cronin Jurors
CHICAGO, Oct. 12.-Oneof the boldest and
most corrupt plots ever brought to tie
notice of the public was outlined by
States Attorney Longeneckers rieht-hand
man, Mr.. Mills, this aft4noon. The con-
spiracy not only includes county officials.
but outsiders Of high standing. and
several arrests have already been made. but
more will follow. Notcoutent with bribery
of men. an attempt has been made to drag
even innocent women into the plot and
thus gain the end which the friends of the
defense have been working on for the last
FIVE months Estates Attorney Longenecker
desires me to say" said Mr.. Mills, who was
commissioned by the States attorney to
talk to reporters. that this plot
has not been disclosed, because
it would have defeated justice had
the information we possessed been maod
public. We cannot now give any names. or
the details, but an outline of the con-
spiracy can now be given to the public. It
will be remembered that. on last Wednes-
who is employed as q foreman in a
large establishment IN this city.
was examined and excused for cause.v
1t is understood. though not stated by At
man attempted TO be bribed IL George s.
| Tachappat He is the foreman for B. V.
Page g. Co., oil merchants, Noa a to 81
| Erie street.
"a very prominent citizen Of Chicago
| entered the courtroom and very privately
| communicated to the counsel for
| the State that his foreman, the ycnireman
l,af, hosr al <o< 4 L..
box, had been approached by bailif of
| the court with an offer of 81 900 to vote for
the acquittal of the defendants He said
| this is not a "cock-and-bulp story, and
| bring it before you In the interest Of public
| Justice He then went away, and the next
| morning one of the counsel for the
State went to the, factory Of the
| man whose foreman had been offered a
| bribe, and the moment he saw the foreman
he recognized him as nan whose honesty
| and Independence had impressed itself
/ upon the counsel. for the State while he
was sitting in the jury-box- The man
requested by counsel for the State
| to come to the States attorneys office
and put his statement In = full
| The man, with tearsin his eyes, said: .It'
| involves friend. lat If il involved myself.
| / would uphold the law and honor
The gist of his statement to tbelcounsel.
| which he subsequently, gave y teraf-<o n =
| States attorney, Ia &C folloWN In obedience
Tuesday afternoon. sat in the ante
came again on wednesday morning
and stayed In the ante-room again. and
| about hah-pa 10 o'clock man came from
the courtroom into the ante-room who was
| an old friend of the vepireman. The fact
also appears that the wives of the two men
were friends before they were married. The
| man who came from the courtroom 70 tbs
venireman suggested that they 60 out and
| have a cigar. and the two men went 60 q
neighboring place. After having cigar.
and while there. the man from the court
| room said to the venireman:
do you want to make some money!
The yepireman innocently answered;
| Certainly do
Very well. Yoa get on the Jury and
| stick for an acquittal, and you will have
| $1,000. The contract aud arrangement can
be carried out with your wife. IL can be
| arranged so that she shall wear certain
colored dress if the money is paid TO her on
q certain day. If the money 10 not paid 10
her on that certain day she is to wear a diff
ferent. colored dress. and the contract Is to
"The venireman turned reproachsully to
a man, whereupon the bailiff replied. L
am working for the court, de then pointed
| to a buggy standing outside and remarked,
| That is my horse and buggy.
| AT the noon adjournment the yenireman
went back to his place Of business. and
subsequently returned to- the court-house
at O'clock. after which be was detained
and called to the jury. where he remained
cused for cause. He left the court
| house, intending TO return 20 Ms
place of business, and, oil nleaving the court
house. met on the steps leading 70 the side
| walk the man who had attempted 70 brihe
him. The man turned to him and said:
| Where were you this noon-timef / looked
everywhere for you. They said, We will
make i 5000, and. - him, make him
"lt was too late, however. for the venire-
man had been excused for cause, but be &C
| once returned TO his place of business. hav-
ing reproached the man for placing such
| low estimate upon him, and reporter 70 ms
employer, the prominent citizen. what bad
taken place. who the following day reported
| 1t TO the prosecution.
| Pursuant to appointment. the ycnire-
man attended at the States attorneys OF
fee. and having made full statement OF
everything that took place. was requested
TO step into an ante-r0om and tne pasnr
was summoned. He proved to DC one OK
ing the trial or attempt to procure
jury, has been in charge OF one
of the five prisoners-Coughlin. The
bailift was questioned closely py tho
| States attorney aud his associates but pro-
fessed profound ignorance unit the yen,re-
man was called from the ante room. Tho
Tenireman was requested 70 repeat the
statement be had made; which ne did.
L
fession. in which he implicated several
prominent persons. also another bai-
liff. The attorneys for the prosecution.
/ togetI N 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 10 the
public attention"
1--WE have had confessions here this very
day." said Mr.. Mills alta subsequent inter
view. late this afterDooD.< These confess
sions are from six 10 ten In number. They
are absolute. giving us the whole miserable
conspiracy. They reveal Q most scandal
Gus organization againt the law of the
land. a conspiracy against the .jursprn-
dence of this country that will starfle
the continent when IL Is t5nrougly known;
a conspiracy of ramifcafions. of audacity:
conspiracy involving men whose names
will be a surprise to the county. 1t Is no
exaggeration when say tha< Won cannot
magnify the outrage of this conspiracy
In the taking of OF DIR. Qronin and the
world was startled. tbs second con-
spiracy will alike starfie The whole world
1t is an assault on the ver(g Integrity of our
institutions The bailii1k unfer afresf are
Al Hanks and MARI Sela4 4ncno
ostAsD sr.Ez - s11a4FzoS.
Six PsrsOns Indicted ~ oospG{ll5 a ths