The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-13
Was 1t the Work of the
Triangle?
MOUTHS CLOSED FOREVER.
Hore Developments Promised in the
Cronin CaSe-Were the Convict
rlurderers Poisoned?
Special to THE MORNING CALL

sudden demise last Friday at the Joliet
penitentisry. The bolder of them are even
Masking open accusations that he was
poisoned to death by the secret agents of
the Triangle.
For some time there has been firm belisf
In the minds of the friends of the late DR..
Crohin that the strange fatality which has
hung over those known or suspected to have
been connected with the murder was of
human execution. whether or not of divine
ordination.
The sudden and unexpected death of Mar
tin Burke, one of the convicted murderers
who was serving life sentence, has had q
dlSquleting effect upon the members OF the
Old Cronin committee, and they now PROM
ise some startling developments.
And the latter are nothing less than the
avOwed ability of the committee TO prove
that John +. Beggs was killed because he
knew too much: that Patrick O'Sulliyan
died la prison of Consumption" when he
was on the point OF making a statement to
the authorities, and that Martin Burke has
now gone to his grave because he had lost
all hope Of being pardoned and had about
decided to confess.
Every one who saw Burke at his trial and
remembers what strong. sturdy, healthy
looking fellow he was is somewhat sur
prised that he should die of con sumption.
One OF the best-known Crouinites in the
city said yesterday that the Croniu commit
tee had been working secretly for months
past In conjunction with certain trusted
members of the police force in ferreting out
and locating the underground railway said
TO exist between certain room in the
Opera-house block and the cells of the In
prisoned murderers al Joliet.
1T would be iHjudicious in me TO say
specifically what the result OF these inves-
LEGATIONS has been, but it may be safely
asserted that the Cronn committee now
possesses evidence that will prove beyond
all doubt who removed Peter McGeehau,
Harry Jordan. Frank Shea. Nike Cannon.
Edward Spelman. OSulivan, Beggs and
Burke. and why they were removed
There has been great deal of talk
about divine retribution, an avenging
Nemesis, and all that. but we will show that
these deaths were compasssd by human
agencies and for a specific purpose.
with the exception of Burke and O'Sul-
Ivan perhaps none of those [ have mem
toned we're participants In the actual kill
ing OF DR.. Cronin. but every one of them
had a dangerous knowledge of the dastarily
plot, and each was an instrument In IFS
execution.
at was pretty conclusively proven, you
may remember, that Peter Mcclellan was
the mysterious No. L. who came out here
from Philadelphia TO kill Dr. Cronn. But
the doctor was too vigiant for man of his
caliber. McGeehan failed and joined the
Triangle plotters.
"a year later he was pushed into a Dit
= S2d Injured SO that he died. His associates
In the rolling-mill where the accident oc-
CURED were all members of the /. n. B.
Thay wara rnuUh daring man fuho ohava6
the mandates OF the Trumvirate unquestion-
fngly.
'The very warden of the hospital where
Mcclellan afterward died after lingering
Illness was a stanch adherent of the Triangle
and member of camp 20. His chief assistant
was bitter anti -Croninite. and the nurses
who tended Mcclellan were selected by
Warden Strain from the families of tried
Triangle adheTents.
John F. Beggs was the senior guardian
Of camp 20, and presided at the meeting
Of the inner circle when Cronin was con-
demned. He Was tried with the other mur-
derers, but as the State was not permitted
TO 60 into the Clan-na-Gael secrets, it failed
to convict him.
III you remember, his death was very
sudden. His burial certificate WAS written
by member of Triangle camp employed
In the health office.
'.It is notorious that Patrick O'Sullivan
was on the point of making statement of
his knowledge of the murder when death
cut short his utlerance.
Joliet penitentiary, as indeed every other
public institution in the State. is honey
eombed with Triangle members OF the old
Clan-na- Gael.
DR.. Fredericks, the prison physician, is
an Engishman, and as such. of course.
above all suspicion Of completely 10 the re-
mOval of OSulIiyan and Burke and the
dying by-inches OF Dan C9aghlin.
l. Burke was poisoned. A. slow, insidious
bane was used. So much 1 do not think it
indiscreet to state, for when the time comes
believe We viii be able TO prove 1t.
'Dan Coughlin, the only surviving con-
victed murderer, is shrunken almost to skin
and bones, / am told. His death may be
expected any time in the near future.
both he and Burke were splendid speci-
mems of physical manhood when they
entered the prison. They were big men,
with muscles Of iron and constitutions like
oxen. Now. as rule. life prisoners do not
go into decline as soon as they enter
Joliet. The rule is the reverse, as exper-
ience and prison statistics will show. And
these men had ever hope that vehe-
~.
false-promises could give them Of one day
being released by pardon.
"The Triangle is a power in Illinois roll.
Tics, and 1t was not a wild hope to expect to
elect Governor secretly pledged to the
pardon OF the Cronin murderers Oh the
ground, perhaps, that some trumped-up
new evidence had been discovered.
yet these strong. hardy. hopeful men
died. Was II by the hands of an avenging
providence? Yes; IL such a term can be
applied to the crafty Triangle; not other
wise.
"The same is true of the sudden death of
Edward Spelman of Peoria. He was a dis
trict officer OF the Clan-na-Gael. Like Me-
Geehan, he died from the results of fall.
Frank Shea was an active TriHngler and
member of camp 20. 1t was ne who drilled
the alibl witnesses in the back room of Mat
Danahy's saloon on Clark street, near the
meeting place Of camp 20. He possessed a
dangerous secret. and had he lived long
enough to have been discreet his disclosures
would nave resulted in the arrest Of some
very high heads.
Everybody interested has known all
these things since their occurrence. but only
within the past few weeks have we gained
the evidence which gives us the courage OF
our convictions and will. believe, result in
apost-mortem examination OF the body of
the TriaDgle's last tool and victim, Martin
Burke"
THE CALLS correspondent interviewed
several other members of the old Crcnin
committee to-day. but could get nothing of
more definite nature regarding the char
acter Of the evidence which all of them agree
has been secured.
FATHER CORRIGAN'S TRIAL.