New-York tribune., 1889-11-05
THE CRONIN MURDER TRIAL.
TESTIMONY OF EDWARD SPELLMAN, THE
DISTILLER, OF PEORIA
PATRICK o'sULLIvAN's CONTRACT WITH THE
DEAD MAN-PoILCEMEN WHO NET THE
WAGON ON THE NIGHT
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TaI3USB.I

WAGON on THE NIGHT.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO raIBUSEI
Chicago Nov. 4.-The testimony oil Eu"ai
Spellman the millionaire distiller OF feoria' anu
one of the most prominent Clan-na-GaeI men ,'i
the West, was the feature in the Crohih 'ii" W."
morning Mr. Spelman is the lpstric, o'n,ei "
Illinois and Michigan, and bows 10 no 'u."' '..i...
in the Clan-na-Gael except the cons go
Some of the witnesss testimony oeioie ''' i'n0
Jprv was of n character exceedingly uamasins W
GDanp Couchlin. but Spelman had eAperienoeu "
chance of mind since that tlme' ana oeheu 'ne
Is..oss ~ certain statements he made then.
For instance, before the Grand jury opeiiilo'h
,.s,;sed that on visit made 10 him last winter
- pooria nv Coughlin, the latter told him that
Dr Cronin ought to be killed" On the stand
this morning he said he had done Coughlin wrong,
and upon comforting with the friends who had
been nrcsent during Coughlin's conversation Win
him. he was informed that he had made mistake
in his testimony: that Coughnn had not salu
"Cronin ought to be killed"
The witness then identified certain correspond
enoe which passed between him and Senior uuar-
dian Beggs in regard TO business of the order'
He testified that Dan" Coughlin, with man
named Kunze had visited Peoria year ago ana
presented letter of introduction. lie hau ho
conversation with COugblin about Dr Ofohh'
This was in direct contradiction OF opeIiihah
nrevious testimony. The correspondence between
Beggs and Spellman was then read. On FEBRUARY
as Beggs wrote:
,vhy an Gods name II men are sincere will they insist
upon opening sOresl The majority Of our men oeheVe
the parties charged be innocent OF any CRIMINAL "os
and 20 have the charges made continually tha IeS do
guilty creates bitterness and neelng and the man OF
men who continues bring the charges are not the ile
- ,Ao I,ish unitv The rank and file are sincere
They want peace and the time not far distant wnen S
will have it, If it has to come to war 1he
men the power will in time realize the motives VI
tbose who are continually breeding disorders In their ranks
and a day of punishment will come
After the reading of the correspondence long
cross-examination was conducted by Mr.. Forrest
The witness was asked number OF questions III
regard to the object of the visit OF huhze 10
Peoria with Coughlin. to whether 1t had any
connection with DR.. Cronin. Spellman sald IL hau
not as far as he knew although he had 10 con-
versation with Kunze there. The visit OF Oough-
lin. the witness had been told, had no connection
whatever with Cronin.
John A. Mahoney, Justice of the Peace, was
rallied 70 the witness chair lie testified that he
was present at Cooks Hall, in Lakeview, in March
last when DR.. Cronin instituted camp OF the
Clan-na-GaeL Patrick OSullivan, one OF the
defendants. was also present and acted as door
keeper After the meeting had ADJOURNED, " oul-
Gyan asked the witness about DR.. Cronlns stahuihs
ms physician, and receiving favorable reply ar
ranged with the witness to visit Dr. Cromh WIFI
him to make arrangement to have Cronln cdIo
for his (O'Sullivan's) men. About the middle OF
April. they went together to Dr. Cronihs ONCE
where O'Sullivan arranged with Cronln 10 take
care of his men in case of accident for 30 OF 20
per month. O'Sullivan gave Cronin some OF his
cards saving that he might be out OF town or sici
. he wera wanted under such oiiou
stances one of these cards would be presented
AT me opening OF the afternoon SESSION. Juuge
Mcconnell ruled to exclude the testimony relative
"a Coughlin given by Spellman before the Grand
Jury.
Mrs. Addie J. Farrar was then called ana lesu-
fed as 10 a conversation which took place between
herself and O'Sullivan soon after Dr. Cronn
bodv was found The witness said:
had read papers account Of the finding OF the
bodv Of Dr. Cronin Then spoke Of it 10 MI O'Su1van
l said to him was terrible murdtrl Mr. osuli.
van said Yes" L said why, 1t was something iea1ul
M decoy person away and murder him in that manner
Mr. oSulvan did say anything for few minutes ana
then he said: They say he a British spy" sa1:
We'll why should they kill hmY In few minutes
said again Why should they kill him even if he was
spyp Nj O'Sullvan said d" He gave away the secrets
of a secret order and man did that he ought to be
killed did that he has got no more than he deseFNeI
said that if he did he another Morgan lie sad;
Such get their just d,serts."
Sebastian Steib, an eA- policeman of Lake View.
testified that he was on duty on Fullerton-ave,
in company with Policeman Riley, at about II 80
o'clock on the night of May T. and wagon
driven past containing three men. There was
new trunk in the wagon Officer Riley corrobo-
rated this evidence.
John a. Smith, also eX-pohceman of Lake
View testified that on the same night, lew MN
utes after midnight, at Frederick and Clark
sts he saw three men drive nOrth IN wagon
similar in appearance TO that described by Steio
and Riley There was a box in the wagon which
looked like large carpenters tool-chest. Two
hours later the witness saw the same rig except
that the box no longer in the wagon. 1hlS
was at the corner of Dlversey ana ClafK sVS',
going SOUTH or toward the city.
Patrick OShea another eX-pohceman oil Lake
View testned that he saw wagon going north
Oh EyanstOn-aVe. at about ! o'clock IN the morn.
ing the night of May A.
John Way, a special policeman at Edgewater,
testified that at about o'clock on that morning
he saw two men walking east toward the lake
followed by wagon driven by another man
The witness followed and questioned the man III
the wagon, who said that they wanted to go TO
Chicago, and were looking for the Lake Shore
drive. The witness told him the drive did not
extend that far north, and when the other
two men came back from the beach the witness
gave them directions how TO drive in order TO
reach Evanston-ave., their nearest route to the
eity The wagon had in it what the witness
took to he "a tOcl-chest.
Frederick Hayden, an eX-Lakeview policeman
testified that he the wagon at Diversey and
Clark-sts at about 2 o'clock in the morning when
Policeman Smith saw IL.
The court then after brief discussion as TO
the legality of the proceedings should they be
taken tomorrow GelectiOn day being legal
holiday adjourned Professionally until 0 o'clock
tomorrow.