Wichita eagle., 1889-06-19
THE ORONIN GRAND JURY.
The Western Union Agent Compelled to
Produce Certain Telegrams.

CHICAGO, June 1S.-The sensational in
cident of the Cronin grand jury this morn
ing was the summons of William +. Bell,
of the Western Union Telegraph company,
to obey an order of the jury to produce
messages passing between Alexander Sui
livan, Dan Coughlin, z. o. Sullivan, John
j. Maroney and G. w. Melville Mr. Bell
maintained that 1t was against the rules
of the company to produce such messages
and that the statutes of the state of Hi
nois imposed a fine of $1,000 upon a tele-
graph company for disclosing the contents
Df any personal or business messages pass
ing over its wires. After all attempts to
induce the witness to obey had failed, the
jury, headed by States Attorney Long
necker, repaired to Judge Sheppard's room
and appealed to his honor to issue
an order directing the witness to
answer under pain of contempt and COM
mitment. Charles :. Holt, attorney for
the Western Union, appeared in behalf OF
the witness and stated that while the COM
pany desired in every way to assist the
ends of justice it did not desire to volun-
tarily violate the statutes of the state and
disclose the messages of its patrons upon
the mere request of grand jury.
If the court thought tit to issue an order
directing the witness under pain of con-
Tempt to produce the message the COM
pany would then consider this a bar to any
possible civil proposition by patrons and
the witness would obey the order. He
thought though the jury should more ex-
plicitly describe the messages wanted,
their present request being more in the ma
ture of general drag net.
States Attorney Longnecker held that
The jury could not definitely describe any
particular messages because they were not
yet acquainted with the contents of the
messages sent; what the jury desired was
the right to examine all messages that
might have passed between any of the
suspected parties since March. The jury
alone could be the judge of their relevancy
to the case.
Mr.. Holt objected somewhat to an order
II such sweeping nature but the Judge
fully sustained the states attorney aud an
order was spread upon the record directing
the witnesses, under pain of contempt and
commitment TO produce any and all mes
sages. cahiegrams or copies thereof in the
Chicago office passing between Alexander
Sullivan, Dan Coughlln. Z. sullivan John
J. Marony, q. W. Melville and Charles
Mcdonald, either under their true names or
any alias or between either OF these men
ana other persons since the IRTSC or March
last. The officers OF the Western Union
stated that five men had been employed
two days searching among the records for
original or copies of such messages desired
and that they would now be promptly
spread before the jury.
Maurice Morris a friend Of DR.. Cronin,
WAS before the jury this morning and told
how the doctor had frequently stated that
he had incurred the enmity Of certain per
sons high in authority in Irish SDclet les
and that be had fears for his life.
VIM. Mulcahey, about whom so much
has been written, was closeted with the
Jury for nearly an hour and those W hc
heard his story became convinced that be
had no connection with the crime.
No DOUBT TIE NAN.
WINNIPEG, Nan, June l5-The police
authorities here believe that Martin
Burke. alias Delaney. who is under arres,