Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-02-21
A CRONIN SUSPECT HELD
All Sorts of Speculation About an Ar
rest Made in st. Louis.
Not COOney, the Fox. as Was First
Sent Over the Wires.
But Said TO be Smith Who Drove
CrOnin to His Death.


important link has been picked up in the
Cronin murder case and from all appear
ance it is now reasonably certain that the
great murder conspiracy will be thorough
ly exposed. This link consists of the ar
rest of one of the principal actors in the
terrible tragedy of May 4. The man
who is under arrest, however Is not
Cooney, 1.-The Fox, as was first reported
this morning, and he was not arrested in
Michigan. The man who Is said to have
played more important part than Cooney
IN the bloody drama of the Cronln con-
spiracy and butchery was arrested IN St
Louss last evening by Officer Thomas, of
the Central station. The man has been
sought long and vainly and the authorities
had almost given up all hopes of being
able to capture him. Chief Marsh was
very much reticent this morning and re-
fused to confirm the reports. There is no
doubt however. that an important arrest
has been made.
ST. LOUIS, Mo, Feb. 1S.-LaSt even
ing Officer Thomas. of Chicago, and De
tectives Fries and Ziegler, of this city,
arrested nan who is suspected of being
connected with the murder of DR.. Cronin
in Chicago in May last. 1t is not known
in what part of the city the man was ar
rested, as all information in regard to it
is suppressed by the police authorities.
The man arrested is not citizen of st.
Louis, but Is a stranger who has been In
the habit of visiting here at intervals.
He is closely guarded at the police station
and no one is allowed access to his cell.
Chief Huebler intimates that the arrest
will cause a sensation if the man proves to
be the one whom the Chicago officers sus-
pect him to be.
Six weeks ago Detective Thomas ar
rived in St. Louis in search Of this man,
but found that ne had flown a day or two
before. The detective has been on his
trail ever since, and says that he followed
him through nearly every southern city
The man returned here last Sunday even
ing and was arrested on the street. His
description is given as follows: Medium
size, about feet inches in height
weight about 100 pounds dark hair and
dark moustache. Chief Huebler stated
positively that he is not Cooney, 'the
Fox"
The man arrested as being connected
with the murder of Dr. Cronin was inter
viewed in his cell this afternoon by re-
porter. He said MY name is John B.
Kelley. | had nothing to do with the
murder of DR.. Cronin. | admitted to the
chief of police last night, however, that |
am the party the Chicago police are look
ing for. 1t is a case of mistaken identity.
| first visited Chicago, Feb Is, 1889.
| left there the latter part of
June the same year. | have never be-
longed to the Clan-na-G Gael or any other
Irish organization. | know none of the
people accused of numbering DR.. Cronin.
The only Irish agitator | know is Thomas
Desmond, of San Francisco. | came to
st. Louis Aug. IS last and have boarded
at the Peoples house, corner Fourth and
Lucas avenue ever since" The prisoner
appears i'll at ease and tried to evade
all direct questions He denied knowing
Alexander Sullivan. He stated that he
was clerk, but refused to say where he
had been employed.
Detective Thomas, of Chicago, stated
this afternoon that Kelley is believed to be
Smith, the man who drove DR.. Cronin to
the Carlson cottage on the night of May.
{ The proprietor of the Peoples house
cOroborates Kelleys story as to boarding
ther. since Aug. Is.
Another report from St. Louis says
Detective Thomas, of Chicago, accom-
panied by two local detectives, made an
important arrest here last night
which was kept very quiet until today.
The prisoner is believed to be one of the
men badly wanted In connection with the
Cronin case and Thomas has been advised
that parties will arrive tonight from
Chicago to fully identify him. The pris-
oner gave the name of J. B. Kelly. He
admitted that he was the m Il for whom
the Chicago authorities had been looking
but denied that he was Smith, Dan
Coughlin's friend, who is believed to have
driven the buggy in which Cronin was
conveyed from his home. He further de-
MED completely in the murder. Detective
Thomas says his prisoner is known in Chi
cago as J. B. Kelly, but is supposed to be
the man known as Smith. If he proves to
be so, the arrest is one of the most impOr-
tant made in the celebrated case. Smith
was the last person In whose company the
murdered physician was seen alive
by Cronin's friends. When questioned
by reporters this afternoon the prisoner
was very ugly. He said he was J. B.
Kelly, of Chicago, but that he knew moth
ing of the Cronin case or the parties inter
ested in it, except Tom Desmon, of San
Francisco. He never belonged to the
Clan-na-Gael camp and was not an active
Irish sympathizer He would not talk
further except to say that he had been in
st. Louis about two weeks. This
statement, however, was disap-
proved by the fact that the detectives
located him at the Pee pies hotel where he
registered the first time August Goth last
and has been there almost continuously
since He was shabbily dressed and to
the hotel people pretended to be a ped
dler of books. He paid for his lodging
regularly but never seemed to have much
money.