The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-01
Story of the Crime.

The night of May 4, DR.. Cronin, Chicago
physician and prominent in Irish affairs,
made an agreement with O,Suiivan, an Ice
man. to attend any Of his employees VINO
were ill. That night a man driving a white
horse in buggy came to the doctors resi-,
dence. He presented Sullivan's card, and
DR.. Cronin unhesitatingly packed up his In
strurnents and went with the man.
His friends never saw him alive again. 1t
was weeks after that naked. bruised corpse
was discovered in one of rhe city sewers. 1t
was identified as that of Dr. Cronin. Around
the prisoners who were arrested on suspicion
of being concerned in the murder, the prose-
cution wove web of damnatory circum-
stances.
They traced the famous white horse and
the man who hired it. Carlson's cottage was
identified as the scene of the murder, =,
The enemies of DR.. Cronin, who had
looked upon him as British spy, and
threatened his life, were einvolved in the crime.
Burke was captured in Winnipeg. Coughhn,
a police officer, was lodged in jail.
Kunze, the little German who was supposed
to be one of the chief conspirators, was un-
earthed in low south side lodging house.
Beggs-a prominent man in local Illinois
affairs-gave himself up.
The trial which followed was watched by
many thousands of people. For seven weeks
of counsel The case was set for hearing
August 26 and the selection OF the jury began
August %. While the last four jurors were
being chosen a conspiracy to pack the jury
was discovered. Seven men were indicted
for the offense, and now await trial. Seven
weeks were required to secure the twelve
men who have heard the lawyers examine
225 witnesses and speak for two weeks.
The State began its case with the testi,
H., +ha TO of %
DR.. Cronin, followed it up with the
finding of the bloody trunk and body,
and continued with the testimony Of
the members of Clan-na-Gael Camp 90
Following this, the State showed the hiring
of the white horse by Daniel Coughlln for his
friend Smith, the call of stranger for DR..
Cronin at the Conklin residence, the hiring Of
the Clark street fat and the purchase of fur
niture by u. B. Simonds," the renting of the
Carlson cottage and the transfer Of the
Simonds furniture from the fiat to the cot
tage by Burke, the contract of P. OSulllvan
with DR.. Cronin for medical service, and the
presentation Of O'Sulivan's card to DR..
Cronin by Daniel Coughlin's friend Smith,
the stranger who called at the Conklin resi-
dence.
These were the principal acts of the con-
,spirators. Mrs. Hoertel testified that she
saw a man answering to the description OF
Dr. CrOnln enter the LARSON cOttaSe tue
night Of May and heard struggle and
blows Immediately afterward. Milkman
Mertze saw Kunze drive up to the Carlson
cottage later that night and a man answer
ing the description Of Coughlin get out of the
buggy and 60 into the house. Nien1ann saw
O'Sullivan with men he identified as Cough
lin and Kunze in his saloon still later that
same night.
Other witnesses testified touching Coughlin's
hatred of DR.. Cronin; Burke's fight to Win
nipeg, and O'Sulhvan's inconsistent stories.
THE experts explained the cause Of death and
dn,lyzed blood spots. As the State was clos
ing It's case Dr. Cronin's clothes we're found
in a axe View sewer, and while in rebuttal
the rpcket-knives taken from Daniel
Coug!fi?tS were identified as the property Of
DR.. Cronin.
The defense consisted of alibis. Burke's
fight was not disputed nor his renting of the
cottage or his hauling of the furniture.
O'Sullivan did not explain the contract with
Cronin, but denied everything else. Coughlin
tried to show that the horse was not white and
that he was not at the Carlson cottage or in its
vicinity May 4. Kunze put in general denial
and Beggs denied the inner circle' charges
This general outline of the principal lines
- the prosecution and defense was filled in
with multitude Of less important details,
but they had only IN indirect bearing on the
main issues of guilt OF innocence OF the de-
PENDANTS