Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-03
ON TRIAL FOR MURDER.
Dennis Cloonan Charged With Beat
ing His Wife to Death.
JUDGE BURLINGTON ON THE BENCH.
Emotion of an Old Man Who Testified
Against His ROys.
THE NEWS OF THE COUNTY COURTS

Dennis Cloonan was placed on trial yes
of his wife on March IL. The prisoner is a
short, heavy-set man, with bald head and
a heavy under-lip. When arraigned he
answered the usual question in a cold, yet
impressive, manner. After the indictment
had been read and he was called on to plead
he rose from his seat and said, ''Let God
Judge of that"
The prosecution is being conducted by
District Attorney Burleigh, while Thomas
NJ. Marshall, Sr., and o. P. Scaife are look
ing after the defendants interests. The en-
tire forenoon was spent in selecting jury
and in the afternoon the first witness was
called.
The crime for which Dennis Cloonan is on
trial is very brutal one. The prisoner,
with his wife and two sons, lived in a house
off Congress street. Cloonan was Pennsyl-
vania Railroad switchman, and was very
steady man at his work. The domestic
felicity Of the household was often dis
turbed by wordy rows between the husband
and wife, but there had never been any par
ticular display of brutality on the part of
the husband.
The Night of the Murder.
On the evening of March II the prisoner
went home from his work and some time
after o'clock called at the house of Mrs.
Annie Kenney, 4 neighbor, and requested
her to go to his house and see a sight. Mrs.
Kenney went to the house and found Mrs.
Cloonan lying in the kitchen in Il pool of
blood and gasping for breath. Cloonan after
talking TO Mrs. Kenney started away and
was subsequently arrested on Webster ave
nue. by Captain Mclaughlin and Detective
Demmel. Mrs Cloonan died shortly after
being taken to n hospital.
Mrs. Annie Kenney was the first witness
called. She testified TO the prisoner calling
at her house and the finding of Mrs. Cloonan
IN the kitchen.
Miss Minnie Kenney a daughter of the
above witness, testified that on the night of
March Il. the defendant came to their house
about 7:3O O'Clock and requested her mother
TO go to his house and she would see sight
The prisoner then left and returned few
minutes later with his coat and vest on and
requested the witness to tie his necktie. |
The witness noticed that the prisoner was
very nervous and asked him what the mat
ter was and he replied that he had suffered
for the last four years and he wasn't going |
to suffer much longer. The witness then
went to the Cloonan house and saw Mrs. |
Cloonan lying on the floor in pool of blood.
An Interrupted Evening Meal.
Miss Alice Pigeon testified that at Mrs. |
henney's request she went to the Cloonan
house on the evening of March II and found |
Mrs Cloonan laying on the floor in pool of
blood; the woman was still breathing. The |
supper table was set and it looked as though |
supper had been partly eaten. In one corner |
of the room the witness noticed a broken |
kitchen chair. Mrs. Kenney's son got pill |
low and placed it under Mrs. Cloonan's head. |
The woman's face was terribly cut and |
bruised, and she did not speak a word.
Detective Phillip Demmel testified to az
resting the prisoner, who was found on |
Webster avenue near Washington street. |
At the time of the arrest Cloonan was talk |
ing to himself but the witness did not hear |
what he said as he was watching the two /
Cloonan boys who had threatened to kill |
their father. After being placed under ar
rest the defendant said: 81 am the man that /
done the deed AMI l am willing to 60" On
the way to the lookup the two sons were
chatting their father and he said: 81 have SET
tied Ter now" The prisoner said this at |
least half dozen times.
Detective Bendle and Coroners Clerk
Miller testified to the identity of the broken
chair found in the Cloonan kitchen. The
chair was offered in evidence after which
the case closed for the day.