The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-02-20
CAUGHT AT LAST.
KELLY ALIAS SMITH, THE MAN WHO
DROVE THE BUGGY WITH
DIR. CRONIN.
HE Is ARRESTED IN ST. LOUIS.
Supposed to Hold the Key to the Con-
spIracy-Rumors of the Ar
rest of Cooney.

CHICAGO, February 1S.-A morning paper
says: Patrick Cooney, "the fox," was cap
tured last night at Hancock, Mich. Officer
John G. Collins who has known him for
years, will return with him today. Cooney
left the city the day DIR. Cronins remains
were laid away in Calvary, and has eluded
the police ever since. The basis for the
story comes from a dispatch received by
Chief Marsh last night. 1t read: "We
have our man sure, send for Identification. "
All police officials were reticent this morn
ing and refused to say whether or not the
man under arrest was the long sought
Cooney or to give any information as to
the capture. However. from a man
who had charge of one branch of
some facts. 1.-The man ;" he said, "is not
Cooney, but fellow who was in the Gro
min conspiracy and whose arrest, if it has
been effected, may be regarded as of the
highest importance"
1t is now said that the man is even a
more important parsonage, as far as the
State is concerned. than Cooney; that the
arrest was made IN st. Louis at 6 o'clock
last night by Officer Thomas Of this city,
who has been shadowing the suspect, and
that it promises to result in the complete
unravellng of the Cronin mystery.
WHAT Is KNOWN IN ST. LOUIS.
ST. LOUIS, NO., February 18.-In respect
to the reported arrest here last night ofa
man intimately connected with the Cronin
murder the only thing that can be ascer-
tanned from police authorities is that a
man has been captured and is held for
Identification by Chicago officers. Fur
ther than this the police will say at this
writing absolutely nothing. The mans
name cannot be learned and no informa-
ton from other sources than the police
has yet been ascertained nor is it known
outside police circles whether anybody,
officer or civilian, has arrived here to lden-
tlfy the person arrested.
PARTICULARS OF THE ARREST.
Detective Thomas of Chicago made an
important arrest in st. Louis last night.
The arrest was made at 10 p. M. but the
fact did not leak out till this morning,
when it became known that the arrest
meant that the mystery surrounding the
murder of DR.. Cronin could be completely
cleared up by the nan under arrest, pro-
vided he proved to be the proper party
and would confess. There was a
great sensation. 1t was first
thought that the suspect must be "Cooney
the Fox but later on it was learned that
the prisoner was supposed to be Smith, Dan
Coughlan's friend who drove the buggy in
which DR.. Cronin was conveyed from his
home to the Carlson cottage to be murdered.
The prisoner gave the name of J. B.
Reilly. He admitted that he was the man
for whom the Chicago authorities have
been working for some time but denied
that he was Smith and further denied all
completely in the murder.
Detective Thomas stated that his pris-
oner was known in Chicago as J. B, Kelly,
but was the man supposed to have been
known as Smith in the Cronin crime. De-
tective Thomas had long talk with the
suspect this morning When he emerged
from the cell be said that, while his pris-
oner so stoutly denied being Dan Coughlin's
friend Smith, he was sure he had the right
man. He had been watching him for three
or four weeks. We shall have a positive
Identification as soon as the man gets here
from Chicago, he said.
Later this afternoon the reporters were
admitted to the prisoners cell to interview
him. When brought out by Capt. Young
the prisoner appeared dazed and bewil-
dered: When asked why he had been ar
rested he surlily replied:
do you know why?"
"No," was the reply.
''Then | won't tell YOU"
what is your name?"
81. B Kelly. l am from Chicago"
When told that he was arrested as a sus-
pect in the Cronin case he said he knew
that At this juncture he affected a care
less air and said he knew nothing about the
Cronin case and did not know any of the
parties interested in it, except Thos. Des-
mond of San Francisco. Did not know
Burke or OSullivan, the ice man, Alexan-
der Sullivan, Kunz, or any of
those tried for the murder. He
had never belonged to the "can'
and was not an active Irish sympathizer,
although of Irish parentage. He had not
been in Chicago for several months; had
been in st. Louis about two weeks and had
been stopping Az Fourth and Christie
avenue.
Detective Thomas this afternoon received
a telegram from Chicago stating that par
ties would be here tonight to identify the
prisoner.