The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-10-03

BELIEVED TO BE IN THE PENITEN
TIARY AT SALEM, OREGON.
One Coleman, Alias Carlson, Who is
Serving Out Sentence of Two
Years for Assault With a Deadly
Weapon, Said to Tally in Descrip-
ton With the Man Who Drove the
White Horse and Took Cronin to
the Carlson House.
Special 10 the REcoRp-uN1oS.

Special TO the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SALEM or, Oct. 1.-The dispatch last
night from Chicago which stated that
Thomas Coleman, who is now confined
IN the penitentiary here, is supposed to
have been connected with the murder oil
Dr. Cronin, was news to the prison Off
Gals here, who state that they have had
no communication with the Chicago Off
Gals about the matter. They claim to
have heard rumor that Coleman was
connected with the crime but put no
faith in the story.
Coleman was sent here from Portland
IN March, 1891, to serve a two-years'
term for the crime of assault with a dan
gerous weapon. He had been trusty up
to two months ago, when a bench war
rant for his arrest came from Portland,
| where he is wanted to answer a charge OF
| robbery and assault.
Coleman is smooth, and has the ap-
pearance of being an all-around crook.
When he heard of the dispatch this morn
ing connecting him with DR.. Cronin's
murder. he said that he would have no
trouble in clearing himself of the charge.
lie formerly lived in Chicago, where he
has two brothers and three sisters living.
he says in the past five years he has been
in Oklahoma, Puget Sound and San
francisco. He seemed nervous when
speaking about Chicago, and when he
was permitted to read the Chicago dis
patch his hand quivered and tears came
to his eyes,
Two months ago, when Coleman had
the JruStyShip taken away, he ask ed the
reason, and he SAID he presumed it was
on account OF THAT Cronin matter" At
no Snil Ill, Il,
the crime, but has since told convicts that
he could easily prove an alibi.
Coleman says he has never gone by the
name OF ''Geohegan." He said he was
formerly known by the name of Carlson
he states that he was married during the
excitement over Cronin's murder.
Coleman, alias Carlson, is 40 years old.
and Of medium hight. He has a heavy
head of soft dark hair, tinged with gray,
full sandy beard and mustache, eyes blue
and far apart, and forehead broad. The
| tWo-year term he is serving for the crime
OF assault expires soon, but the prison
officials have warrant for his arrest for a
crime of robbery at Portland. His prison
friends while they were TRUSTEES together
say Coleman's description pretty nearly
tallies with that of Cooney, the man who
drove the white horse, and took CrOnin
to the Carlson cottage, where the murder
was committed.
Coleman says he knew Dan Coughlin.
the detective who was sentenced to
prison at Joliet for life for the murder of
Cronln. 1t will be remembered that it
was Coughlin who ordered the vehicle
for his friends, and it was this vehicle
that carried Cronin to the cottage
The prison officials say they know
nothing of Coleman's connection with the
Cronin case, and say they have no war
rant for his arrest from Chicago They
nv f,nnI Y1a1 TO h. L
the story. Two months ago, when Cole
man was locked up, and asked for the
reason, he remarked that it was probably
on account OF the Cronin matter, but the
prison officials thought nothing of it and
made no investigation.
Coleman denies ever having said he
was arrested in Oklahoma for the muir
der OF CronIn. He said he had been in
Oklahoma. He was arrested the very day
he arrived in Portland, and was SEN
fenced for two years for the crime of as
sault with deadly weapon, committed
upon a policeman in the Union depot
He is known to the officers as pick
pocket and general, smooth all-round
crook. He says he knows nothing about
the Cronln murder, but admits making a
remark that he guessed it was on account
of that Cronin matter" when the peni-
tertiary guards locked him up. He saws
he made that remark because he did not
know what else to say, and had to account
for 1t in some way.
He is a cigar maker and lived in Chi
cago. He said he used to work in the
Chicago Times press-room in the DAYS of
Story. He says he never went under the
name of Geohegan and intimated that
Thomas Carlson is his real name.
An Associated Press reporter asked
him: ''Were you in Chicago when
Cronin was murdered?"
fnl rnl.
direct questions"
He eyaded an answer finally saving
he lived at Chicago with his wife. but
said he was not at the house then.