Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-05-26
THE CRONIN MURDER.
A Chicago Detective Said to
be Involved.
THE BLOOD-STAINED COTTAGE
Evidences of a Terrible Struggle
The Bogus Story From Toronto.
The Funeral.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

CHICAGO, May 25.-The only man who
heard DR.. Cronin's dying cries, except
the murderers, has been found. He is
| William Mertes, milkman, who lives
near the cottage where the assassination
was committed. On the night of the
murder he saw two men drive up to the
cottage in buggy. One, dressed in a
long brown overcoat, such as Cronin
wore, got out. The other, answering the
description of the man who came for
Cronin in buggy, drove rapidly away.
Cronin, if it was he, went up to the
cottage steps, the door opened before he
reached it, and as soon as he got inside
it was closed. aid the milkman heard
loud cries as if men were fighting. 1t
is believed then was the time of Cronin' g
death.
| Revelations this morning threw strong
suspicion of completely in the murder of
Cronin on Detective Dan Coughlin, OF
the city police force, and shows gross
incompeency, if nothing worse, on the
part OF Captain Setback, of the North
Side police, under whose orders Cough
lin works. To begin with. it is known,
in fact he admits it, that Coughlip and
Cronin were members of the same Irish
societies and were enemies. This lends
significance to the following facts: On
the morning of the day of the murder,
Coughlin engaged from livery stable
keeper Oman horse and buggy for a
friend of his, to be called for that even
| ing. About the time when the man who
decoyed Cronin away would have called,
had it been he, this friend of Coughlin
called at the livery stable. He
closely resembled the man who
did drive away with Cronin. He
was given white horse and drove
toward Cronin's house. The horse was
out two hours, and came back having
been hard driven. These facts were re.
ported to Captain Setback by Oman.
Setback says he called Coughlin to &C.
count. Coughlin said the man he hired
the buggy for was friend of his friends
in Michigan that he sent Coughlin out
to find this man that Coughlin reported
he found and questioned him, and was
satisfied he had nothing to do with it.
| Setback admits he did not require that
the man be brought before him, but al
lowed Coughlin, who was himself under
|
check to prove it's truth or falsity.
Setback says he took the horse to Gro
MINIS house, and his housekaeper said
it was not the one behind which Cronin
drove away. This housekeeper contradicts
this, and Oman says Coughlin told him
he could not find the man from Michigan.
Cougblin says he is now in New Mexico.
| Superintendent of Police Hubbard said
| kh,o fhot hn y, ioh
Detective Coughlin gave in connection
with his hiring a horse on the day on
which DR.. Cronin disappeared was sub
stantially as follows: ga few days before
May 4th a man called at the East
Chicago police station, and introduced
himself as Thomas Smith, of Hancock,
Mich, and a friend of Coughlin's
| brother, who keeps livery stable in
that town. Smith claimed to be on his
way to New Mexico. Detective Cough
lin showed Smith the points of interest
about the city, and on Saturday, May
4th, Smith said he would like to take a
buggy ride that evening, but was afraid
the livery stable keepers would not trust
stranger with horse. Coughlin told
him that he would fix the matter with a
livery stable man, Oman. Smith got
the white horse and rig, and Coughlin
did not see him again for week or
more, when he met him, and asked
Smith why he had not paid for the use
of the rig. Smith gave Coughlin SO,
and said he would give him the other 50
later. Coughlin met him for the last
time one day last week, and Smith said
he would start for New Mexico next day.
Dr. Cronin's friends met this afternoon
| and completed arrangements for the
funeral. 1t is thought that at least 4 900
| men will march in the procession, and
that probably 10000 people will 60 by
| train to the cemetery.
1t is denied that DIR. Cronin's clothes
were found in the Carlson cottage, as
| stated yesterday. An evening paper
says that the letter which was turned
over to the police as coming from one Of
the mysterious tenants of the blood
stained cottage is considered OF great i'm
portance. 1t is post-marked Hamm ond,
Ind, and was received May 30th. En-.
closed were found $12 for another month 8
rent, and the writer attempted to explain
| why their hasty exit was made and paint
was daubed on the parlor floor. He said
the floor was painted to save his sister
the trouble of scrubbing the floor. He
y
prints or blood stains.
This afternoon Mayor Cregier had two
hours conference with the Superinten-
dent of Police and the corporation coun-
sci. He said emphatically that extraor-
binary efforts must be made to bring the
perpetrators of the crime to justice and
that the officers Eust be ever-zealous,
rather than not active enough. Where
there is doubt as to whether severe &C.
ton should be taken, they should take
advantage of the doubt and act. The
Mayor said he would rather be in the
wrong nineteen times, in case of i'm.
portance like this, than give the muir
derers chance to escape.
Detective Coughlin was brought before
the Mayor this afternoon, the Superin.
tendent of Police, the corporation coun.
sci, and two friends of Cronin being
present. Coughlin was allowed to tell
his story and was then severely cross
examined. 1t is understood that he
became furried and nervous, and said
nothing whatever that could be used
against him.
When the conference broke up none OF
it's members would talk. Coughlin,
however, was taken away by detective
and placed under arrest.
More discrepancies have come to light
this evening. Itseems that the descrip-
ton OF the man who hired the horse,
now given by Liveryman Oman, and the
description he gave Captain Setback