Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-30
SMITH AND COUCHLIN MEET.
They Are Brought Face to Face by
Chief Hubbard.
FAMILIAR GREETINGS PASSED.
The Detective Positively Names Him
as the Man For Whom he Hired
the Rig the Night of the
Murder.
pursu,pp the Investigation.

CHICAGO, May 29.-tSpecial Telegram to
THE BEE. While there has been nothing
startlingly new in the Cronin case up to
late hour this evening, iC is noticeable that
the police are more secretive than at any
time since the finding of the body, and the
officers at headquarters seem TO be in flut-
ter of excitement. Detectives are constantly
dashing in and out reporting TO their super
iors, and Chief Hubbard does not leave his
Office. Since the discovery by the Leads Of
the department yesterday that one OF the
friends Of Cronin whom they had allowed to
attend their conferences, had been giving all
he knew to local paper, the police have
barred all outsiders from the inner circle
with the exception Of Attorney w. j.
Hynes.
The chief of police. and States Attorney
Longenecker were very busy to-day
telling the reporters that the published SEN
sational report of the testimony before the
grand jury yesterday was much exaggerated,
+ not wholly untrue. The states attorney
said this evening: ~ only wish we had
such evidence as was detailed. There is no
truth In the statements that any of the Carl
son family testified they had frequently seen
the mysterious renters in conversation with
the ice man, Sullivan"
"On what evidence, then, was Sullivan
indctedi" asked the reporter.
II can't tell you, because l haven't the
time or inclination" laughed the lawyer
AS near as the reporter could learn, one
reason that Sullivan was indicted was the
fact of the very contradictory stories he told
and circumstances that some of his ice tools
what kind could not be learned-were
found in the Carlson cottage. 1t was also
whispered that the police forced the indict-
ments in order to hold the three prisoners
and prevent habeas corpus proceedings. The
Smith story got Coughlin into trouble,
although it was not thoroughly established
that Willard j. Smith, who is now under
surveillance by the police, was the man who
drove away with Dr. Cronin.
IL is understood that the police thought
seriously yesterday of presenting Smiths
maine to the grand jury for Indictment, but,
on considering the matter, found their evil
dence against him so poor that they gave up
tho idea. Smith processes great Indignation
at the mention Of his name in intimate con-
nection with the case, and this morning
called on Chief Hubbard to see about it. The
chief took him over to the county Jail and
Detective Coughlin was brought from his
cell. When the latter person came out he
Immediately accosted Smith with, Hello,
WILL" and the latter replied, "Hello, DAN"
In answer to Chief Hubbards interroga-
tories, Coughlin said positively that Smith
was the man for whom he hired the rig on
that memorable night, and refused to talk
further.
Ii is,nnderstood that Chief Hubbard looks
with suspicion upon the relations between
the two men, and thinks 1t strange, since
Smith says he met Coughlin a few weeks ago
for the first time since they were children,
and only once since, that they should accost
anr.l,c ftnr fnyv ili,lYtt pf oil Knit h
was allowed to 60, but it is well understood
that he is not at liberty to go out of the city.
After he had left Hubbard reporter &C
costed Smith and asked him IL he would go
and see Mrs. Conklin; that she might say
whether or not he resembled the man who
called for DR.. Cronin. Smith laughed ner-
vously and refused to go, saying he feared
the woman might think he looked like the
man whether he did or not.
The police do not know what to make of
Woodroof. When reporters asked him to-
day If he had anything more to say in addi-
tion to his story told last night, he said no.
and that he was sorry he had talked so much
already. Captain Schaak hardly knows
whether to believe his latest story or not, but
it bears, he said, the imprint of truth, and
this conviction is added to by the very
intimate knowledge which Woodruff dis
played of all the points of interest IN
Cronin's friends, however, have evolved q
new theory, which Is that Woodruff is in the
pay of cOnspirators for the purpose OF mis-
leading he police and keeping them off the
right track. They say that so many privi.
leges have been granted Woodruff in talk
ing, that II was u very easy matter for him
to concoct last nights story as we'll as he did
the first one, and that his plan of action may
have bccn mapped out for him before he got
himself in the hands of the police
A prominent private detective, in an inter
view TO night, condemned the city police for
the manner in which they have conducted
l.. ..l...xf
tant prisoner and should be so handled. In.
stead Of allowing him to road the papers, live
high ard smoke cigars since his arrest, the
detective says the police should have taken
him out to the Carlson cottage in the nignt,
kept him there manacled In the dark and APP
piled the "sweat box' method. Had they done
this they would have known by this time
whether Woodruff was concoctng lies for
his own benefit or what he really did know
about the case.
Chief of Police Hubbard said tonight that
he could not tell anything new but assured
the reporter that no arrests were contem-
plated Immediately. He admitted, however,
that between six and ten men, against whom
there is no definite information, are under
surveillance, and not at liberty 10 get out OF
the city.
William j. Starkey is again figuring in the
case. II has become known that he left
DIR. Cronin was murdered, and went
to New York city. where he remained
some days. All this time he was in tele-
graphic communication by cipher messages
with u friend in Toronto, and these are sup
posed 10 have been the basis OF the faxed
interviews with Cronin sent out from Tor
onto by Reporter Long. The latter admits
that he lied when he said ha saw Cronn per-
sonally, and claims that Starkey told hin
that CroDin was at his houee, and gave him
material for his story. just what object
sstarkey could have had in doing tins, unless
1t was part of a conspiracy, is not known.
The testimony, as elected before the
grand jury, yesterday, was not only
very important, but thorough The
chief witness was Milkman Mertes hi.
testimony in brief was that he passed tn.
cottage at 1872 Ashland avenue on the nigh
OF the murder; that he saw buggy contain
ing two men and white horse drive up Il
tho door; that man jumped from the bngg,
and ran up the stops; that be
fore he had time to knock a
the door IL was opened, and thu
instant the man stepped inside the doc
the man in The buggy drove rapidly away
Witness testified that about thirty five min
utns later he returned over the same road
When he passed the cottage he saw ligh
inside and heard hnnmering II was plainl.
evident from the testimony that the man wh
ran SO rapidly up the stairway was DIR
Cronin.
Another important witness for the stat
was Young Carlson, u son of the man VIII
owned the cottage. He testified that he wa