Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-20
THE CRONIN DRIVER.
Important Arrest Of a Cronin Sus-
pect In ST. Louis.
IT MAY Be SMITH, THE DRIVER.
identified BY Detectives-He Claims q Mis-
take and Is Willing to Face the
Accusation without Extra
dition.

sized man, poorly clad, with not az
tractive countenance, bearing marks OF
dissipation, and when within few feet
of two st. Louis detectives detailed to
assist him, seized the man by the wrist
and quietly said: ''You are under ar
rest" The prisoner offered no resist
ance, but walled to the Four Courts
without comment and was booked:
''Hold for the chief"
From the Four Courts Thomas went
at once to the Western Union Office and
telegraphed the authorities at Chicago
that he had captured the man who had
been so earnestly sought after ever
since the murder of DR.. P. II. Cronin in
that city and asked that parties be sent
here to more fully identify the prisoner.
When the facts of the arrest became
known yesterday it was at first thought
that the suspect was ''Cooney the
Fox" but later it was learned
that the prisoner was supposed to
be Smith, Detective Coughlin's
friend, who drove the buggy in which
DR.. Cronin was conveyed from his home
to the Carlson cottage to be murdered.
Kelley, and admitted that he was the
man for whom the Chicago authorities
had been looking 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.
Kelley, but was the man supposed to
have been known as Smith in the Cronin
crime.
Detective Thomas had long talk
with the suspect yesterday afternoon
and when he emerged from the cell he
said that while the prisoner 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. 1--WE shall have
positive identifications as soon as the
men can get here from Chicago" he
said, ''Mr. and Mrs. Conklin, Oman,
the livery stable man, and others
/ described the man who came
in the buggy as 5 feet ~ or S
inches tall, weighing $50 pounds, with
dark brown mustache, sharp, piercing
/ eye, quick in movement and shabbily
dressed in a faded brown overcoat, faded
pants, SLOUGH hat and muddy boots.
: The man under arrest answers this de-
scription in all essential particulars.
The Chicago authorities long ago located
man whom they believed to be Smith
and the party under arrest is the per-
son."
If the man under arrest proves to be
the party he is believed to be, then the
arrest is one of the most important yet
made an the celebrated Cronin case.
Smith was the last person in whose
company the murdered physician was
seen alive by his friends, and the pris-
oner admits he is the man whom the de-
tective, Thomas, has been tracking about
the country, while he stoutly denies be-
ing "Mr. Smith," of Cronin fame.
The lodging house where Kelley or
Smith roomed is known as the Peoples
Hotel. He registered there for the first
time as u. B. Kelley" of Chicago, on
August 20, 1889, and has registered con-
| tinuously ever since with the exception
| of one or two nights, the proprietor says,
! but he soon changed the Chicago to city.
]. Leland, who is proprietor, said that
Kelley was a man of peculiar habits.
He pretended to be a peddler of
pocket dictionaries and often took
half dozen of them out with
him. He generally returned to the
house between ten o'clock and mid
night but never got up until between
two and four o'clock in the afternoon,
complaining that he had nervous af-
lection which prevented him from sleep
ing at night. lie paid for his bed regu-
larly but never seemed to have much
money. Leland said he looked upon
Kelley with suspicion, but he saw so
many suspicious men he paid little at
tention to them. His irregular habits
and the fact that he was never out long
enough to sell many of his books were
peculiarities which drew attention to
| him.
Two men alighted from Chicago
train last night and were met in the
Union Depot by Detective Thomas, who
arrested Kelley. The two were tmme-
diately besieged by newspaper reporters,
to whom Detective Thomas gave their
|
The two new arrivals were later rec
ognized as Lieutenant Clarkand Officer
Collins, of the Chicago police depart
ment, who knew Kelley. When he was
brought before them Clark and Collins
nodded their heads and said, Eyes, he's
ths man.
When Kelley was led back to his cell
he was followed by Lieutenant Clark,
who had brief talk with the prisoner,
but claimed he elected nothing new,
Kelley was seen later and said: eff
ever these men made mistake in their
lives 1t is now. They don't know me
and don't know them"
Later Kelley sent telegram to friends
in Little Rock notifying them he had
been arrested for completely in the
Cronin murder. He also signed papers
agreeing to return to Chicago without
requisition.
Kelley said: 81 had nothing to do
whatever with the Cronin murder. 1
never admitted to any one that was
| the party the Chicago police were look
ing for. It is q case of mistaken identi-
ty. Ny first visit to Chicago was about
February 10, 1889, and Left there four
months later. I was there two months
before and two months later than
the Cfonin murder. I will tell
you how they came to connect me
With the Cronin murder. About two
months, think, before the Cronin muir
Ter, my roommate gave me paper
known as the Irish Citizen. In this pa
per I saw a notice of Thomas Desmond,
of San Francisco, being in Chicago /
had known Desmond in the West and