The morning call., 1893-12-23
HOW 1T WAS CONCOCTED
Coughlin Was the Leader of the
Whole Conspiracy.
ORDERS FROM A HIGHER SOURCE
The Witness Was Much Frightened,
but Her Evidence Could Not
Be Shaken.

CHICAGO, Dec. 22.-Pale ana evidently
in great fear, Mrs. Andrew Foy appeared
on the witness-stand at the opening Of the
Coughlin trial this morning with police
man near to guard her against the harm
which had been darkly threatened.
The defense objected to her testimony.
on the ground that evidence by wife cal
cula ted TO implicate her husband in crime
is incompetent. The understanding was
that she would tell of the series of meet.
ings at her house. at which Coughlin was
recognized by all as the leader, and that
her husband afterward confessed that at
these meetings the plot was formed which
led to DR.. Cronin's murder. and that her
husband took part in the plot and was
present shortly after the murder was COM
mitted. Judge Tuthill finally decided to
admit Mrs. Foy's testimony, her evidence
to be confined 10 what she saw and to
what she said to any of the conspirat0rs.
The examination was then proceeded
W ith amid the most profound attention on
the part of the audience, which filled the
room, and with constant objections from
the defense.
Her story, in substance. was as follows:
She knew Coughlin. Martin Burke and
Patrick Cooney. all Of whom had been at
her house. Coughlin appeared there first
in March or April, 1889. He visited her
husband several times, and they talked in
whispers. During one of these visits she
surprised her husband and Coughlin. The
latter was reading letter aloud. and she
caught the words. remove him at all haz-
ards, but use your discretion" Witness
then told of two visits of Cooney, at which
ha nd hor m nd hold xrhiS
versations, always with the door closed.
Burke also visited her husband and talked
with him in private. He came again on
the night of May 5, 1889. two days after
the Cronin murder.
The admlttance of this was bitterly
fought by the defense, but the court de-
cided to admit it. saying he would instruct
the jury that it merely tended to show a
conspiracy, but did not bear on Coughlin's s
guilt
Nav II and asked for her husband. She
told him she was afraid her husband had
been arrested. Coughlin replied:
"Oh. there's no proof against Anay :;
he's all right"
IL said" continued Mrs. Foy, 'Coughlin,
this is an awful thing you have done.
DIR. Cronin will do you more harm dead
than alive
He laughed and said need not worry.
There's no DANGER said he, but that
you will be taken care of anyway; don't
worry
II asked him who was to take care of me
and my little children.
"'Oh. he said. don't mind about that.
Alexander Sullivan is a good friend of
your husband and of mine, and he will take
care Of you
The deep silence In court at this point
was broken by the Prosecuting Attorney
reSuminR his examination, and then there
was buzz of comment among the specta-
tors at this startling statement. Witness
continued: 'Coughlin came once before
that time and told my husband what luck
he had In fooling Captain Shack and
Schuettler about DR.. Cronin's body and
where they pu. it,"
10 Witness said Coughlin several times
assured her that there was no danger of
her husband being molested. He told her
II she would keep quiet she would be
well taken care of.
This ended the direct examination, and
cross-examination was begun. going
minutely into details of the relations of
Mrs. Foy with L. p. Conkln, wife of the
man with whom DIR. Cronin boarded.
The cr0ss-eXamination was continued
throughout the afternoon session, ana the
witness bore up to the end without once
losing command of her faculties Her
story seemed truthful. and she proved her.
self person of more than ordinary in
telligence. All the talk Of her alleged in-
sanity seems unfounded. and an unpreju-
diced observer would not think her other
than sane. The damning evidence she
gave grew stronger under cross-examina-
tion. 1t was another instance of the case
of Mrs. Noertel repeated for the benefit
of the State, when the story told by each
witness was made more effective by the
efforts of the defense to break its force.