Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-17
The Horse Thief Woodruff Claims to
Give Away the Entire IsnsinesS

MURDER WILL OUT.
The Horse Thief Woodruff Claims to
Give Away the Entire Business
CHICAGO, June l6th.-Al the previous
confessions" of Woodruff the horse thief,
who has been indited for completely in the
Cronin tragedy, were eclipsed this morn
ing and an entirely new story from him
published in an extra edition of the Times.
He conuadicts andsdiscredits every state
ment heretofore attributed to him and now
appears in the role of an ex-member of the
Canadian Militia, claiming that he was
trusted by Cronin's alleged murderers be-
cause he furnished the Fenian spies with
valuable information during one of the
military raids into Canada
HIS ARRIVAL.
Woodruff says he arrived in Chicago on
March 26th and obtained work from A .
Gardner on South Southport Avenue, not
far from the Carlson cottage. After three
or four days work for Gardner, Woodruff
was taken sick. His narrative says:
With the intention of going to the
County Hospital drifted into O'Sullivan's s
place. | made up my mind that he was
Fenian, and reminded him of certain scenes
during the Fenian raid into Canada.
went over during that raid as a volunteer
in the Twenty-fourth Kent Battalion, whose
headquarters were at Chatham. We went
as far as Niagara. At that time | was
assigned to the Adjutant's Department and
gave to some
FENIAN SPIES
Who came to our camp such points as l
learned while in that place. That was my
first connection with the Clan. ma Gael.
"O'Sullivan told me he would get me
work If TnSSihIa
down and went to work at Deans livery
stable"
Woodruff tells that he met detective
Coughlln soon after and had drink with
him. He conveyed the impression that
the detective knew him to be q thief and
that he believed the detective to be a
fence" While walking together they
met Sullivan, and the latter mentioned
Woodrutt's request for employment.
Coughlin quiZzed Woodruff that a man in
his line should want work
MEETING CALIFORNIA AcQUAINTANCEs.
Woodruff then told of meeting early in
April one Melville, whom he had known
in California. Melville, he said, was a.
great friend of Tom Desmond and Sand
lot :" Kearney during the labor troubles
there.
Melville and Detective Coughlin were
drinking together in a side saloon, and
Woodruff Joined them. Coughlin soon
left, and the other two made the rounds
of disreputable houses for a while, after
which Melville took leave, saying he was
stopping at McCoy's Hotel.
Melville gave Woodruff a small sum of
money, and said he wanted to see him
again.
A few days afterward Woodruff met
Coughlin on the north side, talking with O.
man whom Woodruff calls McDougall.
He claims McDougall told his name was
now Williams
Woodruff had known McDougall, or
Williams as an old worker for the CIan-na-
Gael. After private talk between Cough
lin and Williams, the latter took Woodruff
to the west side and talked with him, when
Woodruff told Williams he was " busted. :"
The latter said "Why don't you go down
and see Alex. Sullivan ?"
NOT READY TO GO TO EUROPE.
Woodruff replied that he was not ready
to be sent to Europe. The pair then pro-
ceeded to No. III Clark street. This is the
place where, as has been frequently pub
lished, the furniture of the Carlson cottage
was first stored.
Williams would not tell Woodruff what
he wanted him to do, but urged him a few
days later to go over and see Alexander
Sullivan. He finally did so. and told him
McDougall had sent him over. Mr.. Sulli-
van said: McDougall! Oh! you mean
Williams, don't you?"
Woodruff replied yes" and Sullivan
said he had nothing to say; that he had
never met Woodruff before.
Woodruff told him he was looking for a
job, and on Sullivan asking him what kind
OF work he would like, replied
ANYTHING IN GODS WORLD,
If there is any money in it."
Sullivan looked at him sharply and re-
piled If l hear of anything for YOU, I'll
let Williams know of it,
The next day, on the North Side, when
in company with Williams, they met Sui
livan. The latter took Williams to one
side and handed him some money, saving.
Now go and pay that rent"
Then seeing Woodruff, Sullivan told him
he must not take ofense at his manner on
the previous day, as he was very busy and
had great many applications for jobs
The Wednesday before the murder
Woodruff met Coughlin, who asked him
to take note over to Sullivan. This note
was in cipher, the same as had been used
by the Fenians when Woodruff was at Nj
agara. He looked at it and says it read:
The remainder of the confession deals
mainly with the night of the murder.
Coughlin, so Woodruff alleges, paid him
twenty-five dollars to bring to Lincoln
avenue, from Deans livery stable, con-
Veyance IN which the trunk could be car
ried. Near Ashland and Lincoln avenues.
Melville and man named O'Shea. alias
Mike McDougall, joined Woodruff. The
latter says this man was
MACHIYIsT OR BLACKSMITH
From Philadelphia, but they had known
him in Wichita, Kansas. Melville, he said
he had also met before in Peoria, in con-
nection with Irish affairs.
They drove out to the Carlson cottage
reaching there about A. NJ. The two men
went in, and soon after P. o. Sullivan,
Melville and Williams came out, CARRYING
the trunk, which they placed in the wagon.
Here follows new version of the ride
with the trunk and disposal of the body in
the sewer.
Woodruff now says the intention was to
have the trunk sunk in Lake Michigan,
but thinking they were pursued the plan
was abandoned.
Woodruff claims that Cronin's instru-
ment case was probably buried or thrown
IN the lake by Melville and Williams when
they lett the wagon in the woods for a
short time at the edge of the water. He
does not know what disposition was made
of the clothing.
Woodruff concludes by the assertion that
he has recently been approached by
lawyer, who offered TO take his case gratu-
itously, and that this lawyer had said for
him to keep strict silence, as Alex Sulli-
vans attorneys would work in unison, and
that one of Sullivan's bondsmen had agreed
to pay for Woodruffs defense.
THE ONLY SIMON PURE CONFESSION.
The climax of the whole confession" is
an assertion by Woodruff that all of his
previous alleged confessions" are bogus.
and that this is the first and only state
ment made since my arrest" the intima-
ton being that the other confessions"
were given circulation by interested per-
sons to create the impression that he
(Woodruff) was liar.
Woodruff gave his age when arrested as
26 years. The last Fenian invasion of
Canada occurred about 1866. This would
make Woodruff about three years old
when, according to his own story, he was
member OF the Canadian militia and first
became intimate with the Fenians.
MORE CONFLICTING YARNS.
Woodruff was visited in the iail this
afternoon, and found deeply engrossed in
the preparation of another confession. ~
which he says is to be much more sensa-