Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-12
COUGHLlN ON TRIAL
When the Relics Of the Murder
Were Shown
THE ACCUSED NEVER WINGED
several wssse>sss We're Examinea ssr
the state Dsrinx tho Dsv and
she xelsos Iasnsine<i.
THE ACCUSED NEVER WINGED

stage in the trial today of Daniel Cough.
lin for the murder of Dr. cronin. tho
bloody and teil-tsls evidences Of the foul
crime. which created such dramatic
scenes 1t the drst trial. we're introduced
Tor the second time in court Of justice.
They we're set before tho eyes of the
jury In more commonplsce way than
on the first occasion They we're
second hand 20 many people In the
court room. Jet there was q general de,
sire 10 see each sileat witness of mur-
der done. was exposed 70 the view OF the
court. jury. counsel and spectators
within tho railing. II was At the after
noon session, and 7. Conklin. the custo-
dian OF the relics and intimats friend Of
the murdered doctor. was in the witness
chair.
The Trunk Brought In.
bring in the trunk" ordered States
Attorney Bottum. and two bailiffs soon
appeared. carrying packing case. The
load was set In trent OF the jury. and a
big detective proceeded with tool 70
draw the screws from the lid The eyes
OF every Juror were fastened upon that
case. and when the blood stained trunk.
which had contained the bleeding body
| OF the murdered doctor. was lifted out.
everybody In the courtroom tried To see
| il at once. Stern orders from the bail
| IFS were needed TO restore silence aud
| the people to their seats. Coughlin
leaned his head on his hands at his law
yers' table and looked iistlessly at that
which the prosecution alleges he saw In
the Carlson cottage on the night
OF May 4. 1889. In order to re-
move more easily from the trunk
the other exhibits, IL was raised on
edge OF the case in full view OF all.
| Then In succession were brought from
the cheap broken trunk. minus lock.
key and lid. the pieces OF floor from the
Carlson cottage bearing the blood stains
painted over by the murderers, piece
OF window shutter from the cottage
with the same marks; the doctors
books, sachel, clothes. surgical instru-
ments and case. and the frame OF the
valise. all of which were discovered in
the sewer, providentially for the prose
cution, and introduced an climax 10
the first trial
Scanlan on the stand
Frank T. Scanlan said 10 the jury
that he saw Dr. Cronin alive and well In
his home ofiice the evening OF May 4.
just before the couspirators called with
the white horse and buggy TO drive him
to his death. With the other friends OF
the physician he next saw him lying
dead in the Lakeview morguc. ID was
at this stage of the case that Attorney
Wing announced, on behalf OF Coughiin.
that there would be no controversy
about the doctors death OF the identifi
cation Of the body taken from the catch
basin as his. At the first trial the de-
fense would not even admit that the doc
tor was dead, making it necessary for the
state to present the strongest evidence
on these points from many Witnesses
A Troublesome Witness.
At the afternoon session more people
came. and women held the front seats to
miss nothing OF interest. John Fen
niger, troublesome German witness on
account Of his rambling and imperfect
English. corroborated the story OF Henry
Basch, under whose direction he was
cleaning the catch basin when a re-
moyal OF the lid revealed the ghastly
contents. The familiar figure Of Theo-
dore L, Conklin, wine merchant. at
whose house on North Clark street the
murdered physician lived was again
seen on the witness stand. He car
ried with him a parcel which con-
tanned the gold filled portion OF
DIR. Cronins teeth by which all doubt
as to the identity OF the body was re-
moved, also two pocket knives, a bunch
OF blood stained cotton. the lock and
key TO the trunk that bore Cronin's
body from the cottage. and cards and
signatures OF the conspirators These
relics OF the murder and first trial. al
though not new to many Of the spec
tators. caused n general rising from
seats and craning OF necks and strain
ing OF eyes.
The Relics Identified.
Mr.. Conklin, who was the first Of
Cronin's intimate friends 10 publicly
declare the doctor had been lured away
aud assassinated. testified that he re
ceiyed the articles from ex-States Attor-
ney Longenecker lsst year. and they had
been kept In a safety deposit vault until
now. After the introduction OF the trunk
and other evidences OF crime. Mr.. Conk-
lin was Questioned by the state ia re-
gard to the teeth exhibited. This
was needed because DIR. G. w. Lewis.
the dentist. who put the gold filing 10
the doctors teeth and testified
at the first trial Is dead. Attorney Wing
tried hard TO weaken the witness identi-
fication of the teeth. Can you say on
your oath the teeth which you hold IN
your hand were those that belonged 20
DIR. Croninf'
10 the best Of my knoxledxe and be
lief they are" he answered
.Iahn Ahreu. another friend Of DIR
Cronin. identified the body at the Lake.
view norgee as that 81 the murdered
man and then court sdlougned