St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-11
DRAGGING UP ALIBIS.
Attorney Forrest Says the
CroDin Suspects Are An
gels Without Wings.
There Is a Huge Conspiracy
to Strangle the Five Pris-
onepS.
Longneckep and His Assist
ants Are Formulating a
Mass of Perjury.
Pltiful Exhibition of a Sane
Man Talking Like a Luz
matte.

CUCAGo. Dee. 10.-Mr. Forrest re-
sumed his address TO the jury in the
Cronin trial this morning. He began
by showing the jury the map of the
streets of LakeYiew and showing that
the natural route for driver of a wagon
wishing to go from the Carlson cottage
TO the catchbaSin where the body was
found would be to 90 over Ashland anu
Belmont avenues and then go east.
Therefore, said the attorney, there was
doubt that the wagon seen coming
down Fullerton avenue ever was at or
came from the Carlson cottage. The
blood question was then considered, and
Mr.. Forrest called attention to the evl-
denee of how mental predispoSltion may,
and often does, influence a witness
testimony. After referring TO the eN-
pert testimony in regard to the blood,
Mr.. Forrest went on to claim that the
state had failed 10 prove that there was
any human blood at all in the Carlson
cottage. OF the many links in the chain
Of evidence binding the suspects so
closely to the murder or DR.. Cronln IL IS
doubtful if there is one more strong, If
so strong. us TIE UIlG lllttt lAOo lIAC Vail
son cottage as the scene OF
THE DOCTORS SLAUGHTER,
and vet was not too strong for Mr.. For
rests attack. Other points of evidence
equally strong were similarly aSsailed.
and he twisted and construed the evil
dence until Mr.. Ingham Sprang TO his
feet in protest. Mr.. Forrest, unless
YOU cOnfine yourself to the truth, You
will meet with a rebuke that falSehoOd
should meet with, he cried. Mr.. For
rest excused himself and proceeded,
but again and again came dangerously
near getting the rebuke. Finally Mr..
Forrest with loud voice cried: ''Since
the coroner's jury there has not been
Circumstance introduced in this case by
the state not fabricated" In other
words. the states attorney and his as
sistantS had been engaged not only in
formulating huge mass OF perjury,
but a huge conspiracy to Strangle the
five prisoners on trial. The states at
tOrney made no reply to the accusation.
On the testimony given by Mertes and
Mrs. Hoertel Attorney Forrest dwelt
for some time. He went over and over
again the ground covered yesterday,
and sought 10 ridicule their testimony.
As to O'Sullivan's alibi the speaker
went on to say that it must be true, be-
cause the witnesses in teStifying to it had
differed in the matter of details. On
the main point, that O'Sulliyan was in
the house on the night of May 4, they
all agreed. In details they differed, but
Matthew. Mark, Luke and John, ac-
cording to great theolOgians, differed as
to details, but
AGREED on THE MAIN POINT.
Therefore O'Sullivan'S alibi was well
founded. COughlin's alibi. in the speak
er'S mind, Was equally substantial. But
even if it were not it didn't matter. The
burden of proof lay Cd the state. and
unless the state proved that Coughlin
was at the age-overwhelmingly
proved tit could not be supposed for
an instant that he was there, the evil
dence of Mertes and Nieman being I'M
worthy Of consideration. COughlin's
alibi satisfactorily established in the
mind of the attorney. the knives wer9
taken up. ''Oh. yes" he exclaimed,
these knives must have been DR.. Gro
nin's. Dan COughlin would have been
so likely to keep them. But where was
COughlin's knife? He must have had one.
Where was it? Why, he probably threw
it away when he threw away the key to
the Carlson cottage" THE attorney
for the state said that the chance of
COughlin having two knives identical to
those of Dr. CrOHin was one in two
Million" continued Mr.. Forrest. THAT
being so. the chance Of DR.. CrOnin hay
ing knives identical to those of Cough
lin was one in two million. Conklin
says the knives were Cronin's but COnk-
lin is liar and peTjurer, as you must
ali know" The court then adjourned
until tomorrow, when Mr.. Forrest will
finish his speech. As the prisoners left
the court room Coughlin's little daugh-
fer. evidently prompted by her mother,
cried, Papa, papa" If the suspect
heard it he gave no sign. This child's
cry is now a regular thing. Were it
new idea il might be effective, but the
age of the trick is considered by the
state to be an impregnable armOry
nhont tho irrr,-