The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-25
THE CRONIN TRIAL.
Opening Speech Of States At
torney Longenecker.
LONG REVIEW OF THE CASE.
Ihe Triangle and Clan-ns-Gsel Severely
Arraigned-Their Oaths supreme
60 the Nations Laws


CHICAGO, Oct 2k-Lcns before the hour
tor the convening of court in the Cronin
frial this morning hundreds OF spectators
eszTao-e1 for a9nlftarce, aaa it required q
small army OF bailiifs 10 keep st bay fae
eager ones who demanded 10 he passed
AT II O'Clock the court was called 70 order
and States Attorney LoEgeneeker began
the opening address 10 the jury he re-
siexsd briefly the ioag-consinued sitting Of
the yeEairemen. which resulted in the Selcc-
non OF the Twelve before hiIa- He defined
the duties OF the iurymen and the mean
ing q the presumption OF innocence. it
=, he said, mere negative which stood in
the way OF conviction in the absence OF evil
dence, but must not be allowed 10 weaken
the force of the evidence given. He next
defined the meaning OF reasonable doubt"
which he said. must not be so stretched as
70 permit juror 10 avoid doing his duty.
The states attorney then proceeded To
define murder and set forth what were
material allegations in the indictment
which II viii be necessary 10 prove. They
were. That DR. Cronin was killed. that
the killing was done in this state; that ii
was done without adequate provocation,
and that these defendants did IL He then
defined direct and circumstanssal evidence
and spoke of the Disappearance of Dr.
Cronin and the finding OF his body eighteen
days afterwards. and said the state pro-
posed 10 prove il was q murder as the re-
suit OF q conspiracy.
Judge isongenecker then proceeded 10
speak o. the motive for the crime and said
that IN order 20 show what that motive
was II became necessary TO examine into
the history in this country Of the organiza-
ton known as the Brotherhood. commonly
called the Clan.na-Gael. Before doing this
fie reminded the jury that they are not
trying Cian-na-Gael. but the prisoners at
the bar. tie then proceeded to sketch the
history OF the Cian-na-Gael, and said the
triangle was supreme; that the oaths OF
the members made their members superior
TO the laws of the nation.
Forrest objected 10 this line of statement
as inadmissable in advance of proof.
Judge Mcconnell said he did not know
what would be proved, but he warned the
states attorney that he was making these
statements at his peril.
The states attorney said he would prove
what he said, and accepted the responsible
van, Feely and Boland got control OF the
executive board they changed the plan OF
the work of the organization. inaugurated
a dynamite policy. and implanted in the
constitution clause commanding perfect
and unqaestioning obedience to the com
mands of the board.
The defense again took exception to this
line of statement
The states attorney then went on to say
that the membership did not know who
constituted the triangle. 30 secret was it !;
nevertheless, they obcyed its orders and
We're sent on various missions i'm England.
in the way OF "active work. and under
assumed names. Notwithstanding this Sc
crecy, these men were betrayed by the
board TO the English authorities, and
twenty of them are now in prison. This
was. he declared. to enable the board to
steal the funds. and when at last showing
was made the board claimed that the order
owed them SIS, 900. while there was $3.50. 600
in the treasury when they took charge.
Al this point the states attorney intro
duced DIR. Cronin in connection with the
order, and proceeded to sketch the history
of his fight against the triangle: told of
Cronin's expulsion. the subsequent union
convention and the trial of Sullivan, Fee
ley and Boiand by secret committee, of
which Dr. Crouin was member, in Buff
faio, year ago last August.
The states attorney went on TO say that
the committee was in session three DAYS,
hearing evidence which. he stated. would
be introduced during the trial. Cronin
wanted this evidence published TO all the
81 he ord he Of
committee, bat the report was not made To
the camps till a day or two after Cronin's
death and even then Crouin's part of it
was suppressed. IL was sent out in this
shape in the belief that his body would
never he found 1t was not sufficient 10
make away with DR.. Cronin, but the same
unseen hand that regulated the conspiracy
from its conception, had TO make
il appear also that Cronin was a
traitor, for II Cronin had published his
evidence against the triangle, as he was
about to do. il meant the ruin Of the tri-
angle with the Irish people; and to have
published il 10 all the camps was 10 convict
them of ernhezzling these funds that had
accumulated for years. Ii would have
proved them traitors to the cause in which
the people had enlisted and instead of do
ing that which was 10 benefit the poor of
Ireland. il would brand them the worst of
men on earth among the Irish people.
That was the object.
The states attorney then went on to show
how Coughlin began denouncing Cronin as
a spy away back in February; how Beggs,
AZ certain meeting OF Camp No. ., said
that Cronin's denuneiation of Sullivan and
the triangle had to be stopped if il took
hiood.
The states attorney then went on 10 talk
about the charges made against cronin in
Camp 10. on February IL Senior Guard
Beggs wrote 10 District Officer Spelman, of
Peoria. that he was directed 10 investigate,
and wanted the district officer TO do SO.
The latter. on the 18th OF February, wrote
20 Beggs that he knew of no isw or pro-
vision Of the constitution requiring him 10
investigate, unless charges were made di-
rectly TO him. Beggs, on the 18Th, wrote
back that while there was no written law
for this. there was law. and the matter
had 10 be investigated or there would pe
trouble. On the following day 4
man giving the name of Sons,
residence liz Clark street, opposite
DR.. cronin' Office. bought large trunk
and moved in. on the aoth OF March Mar
Tin Burke appeared at the Carlson cottage
under the name 81 Frank Williams, rented
the cottage and then. after talking sith
o'SGlhvan. Reut 10 III ClSrk street and
moved the furniture 10 the cottage Some
time N April o'Sallyan made arrange
ments with Cronin by which, II The latter
received one of O'Sullivsns : cards, he was
to accompany the messenger in order 10
attend professionally upon any Of o'enlii-
vans men who might be hGrt in handling
fys for him The states attorney pointed