St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-29
WOODRUFF SQUEALS,
Telling the Story Of His Fear
ful Night Ride With the
Trunk
In Which Rested the Remains
Of the Murdered DR..
Cronin.
Coughlin and Sullivan Are
Promptly Indicted by the
Grand Jury.
The Chicago Herald Charges
the Crime to the Clam
Na-Gael.

CHICAGO. May 2S.-Frank Woodruff,
alias Frank Black. has been taken into
camp by Capt. Setback, and ne has told
the whole story of his connection with
Dr.. Cronin'S murder. According to the
statements he has made to the captain
he was not directly connected with the
murder itself but simply acted as the
driver of the wagon which disposed of
the dead mans body in the catch
basin, where it was found.
Woodruff has been taken to the
scene of Cronin's murder and also to
the sewer where the body was found
and the place where the trunk was first
seen. Woodruff himself gave the driv-
ing directions to the detectives who
managed the reinS, and in every in
stance located the exact places where
the chief acts in the tragedy occurred.
According to his confession, he was di-
rected by those who had charge of
that part of the conspiracy, and
whose .names Capt. Setback reserves
for reasons that are palpable, to go to
Dinan's livery stable, where he would
obtain horse and wagon. He had al
ready been instructed to drive the outfit
to the neighborhood of the Carlson cot
tage and he also knew for what purpose
he was to go there. Woodruff arrived
at the cottage about twenty minutes be-
fore Dr.. Cronin was driven up and placed
his horse and wagon at point near the
cottage where he could keep his eyes on
the front steps. He saw the white horse
rig containing Dr.. Cronin and his cOn-
ductOr arrive, and three-quarters OF an
hour thereafter the man who was known
as Williams opened the front door of
the cottage and gave the signal by
stamping his foot on the wooden porch.
Woodruff at once drove up. and assisted
by the third man the trunk was loaded
into the wagon The two men
followed the trunk and directed
Woodruff, who continued as the driver.
to drive eastward to the lake to Ger
tain point which Woodruff has deSlg-
mated to Capt. Setback. The wagon
headed for the lake, and in it's depths the
trunk and its contents would have been
deposited had not the interruption come
from the Lakeview policemen. This
smashed the original plans of the two
men, and immediate steps were taken
TO get ont Of the officers way. This
was done by taking circuitous
route which again brought them
w ttiC INduSlOli icdOs 1uCH IIOW
been driving for nearly an hour with
their CHASTITY load, and one of the men
suggested the sewer. A stop was made
at the Fifty-ninth street intersection of
the Evanston road. The top was taken
off the manhole on the southeast corner
and the trunk lifted from the wagon.
1t was then new and unexpected
difficulty presented itself. While it
was possible to drop the trunk
with the body into the lake, it
became physical impossibiiity to thus
dispose of the load in the manhole. 1t
was resolved to take the body out of the
trunk, drop the body IN the catchbasin
and return with the trunk to the cottage
and burn it; but when the trunk was to
be unlocked it was found that the key
had been lost. Williams said there was
10 more time to be lost, and he kicked
in the lid of the trunk. The
three lifted the body out and de-
posted it in the sewer as it was found.
The trunk was again placed on the
wagon. 1t was intended to go south for
distance. and then to drive north to
the cottage and there deposit the trunk.
Fright here" said Woodruff to Capt.
Setback, pointing to the exact spot
where the trunk was found. 1--WE heard
noise of wagon wheels from the south,
and the two men, one OF whom had been
sitting OH the trunk, picked up the box
and threw it out of the wagon.
/ was urged to whip up the horse
and drive west. When we reached
Fullerton avenue both men said
goodnight to me, and left the
wagon" The remainder of the confeS-
sion is devoted to Woodruff's wandering
with the horse and wagon in his attempt
to sell them. He also states in his con-
fesslon that there is nothing in the
woman story he has told. The enormity
of the crime never dawned upon him
until he had taken part in it. When he
was arrested lie knew he was in ''bad
box" King and Fairburn were two
old friends and they came to him on the
spur Of the moment. They had nothing
whatever to do with the case.