Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-09
SONS FIVE YEARS AGO HISTORY.
Brief Review of the Crime and the FRS
Trial Therefor.

Brfef Review Of the Crime and the First
! Trial Therefor.
1t is almost five years ago, when On the
evening of May 4, 1889, DR.. Cronin left his
Office in the Windsor theatre building On
the orrand of mercy that proved lure to
his death. That the physician was actual
ly butchered was not known until Nav
y, when his badly discomposed BODY was
found in the catch basin on Evanston
avenue and North Fiftyninth street. That
same day Captain Schuettler heard of the
Carlson cottage. By his command De-
tectives Hyatt and Lorch were put in
Charge OF the place and presently there
We're reports that big Dan" had been
seen there short time before the murder
III company with John 2. Kunze, Patrick
Cooney, alias "Cooney the Fox" and Ice
man O'Sullivan. The following day, Nav
"A, 1889, Coughlin was arrested. May %
| fatrlck - sullivan was taken into custody
and June Il Martin Bourk was behind
the bars. A mass of evidence was COL
leoted. The amount of testimony to be
heard was so great that the coroner's in
quest, which commenced June 4, did not
finish its labors till June IL.
From their known associations with
Couglin Beggs and kunze We're held for
trial. Beggs was senior guardian of camp
~ OF the Clan-na- Gael, and presided when
the vote was taken to eXpel Dr. Cronin
| from the order on the alleged ground that
he was British spy. Little Kunze was
held on the testimony of Saloonkeeper Me
man, who Identified him as having been
with Daniel Coughlin in his place at II
O'Clock the night of the murder The state
vas ,n;s,atan u;. aanan;.; .nas :, tNielii''n ~
| ,n.,,,.nr. =, ioii VI 'ne man
h,,, at H. -. 60. .." " -iliure" ~ roy,
49, ~, -, -, vas a.festeu ana
| ,.>- - Va - M W 'oniie''ioh Win the case,
a. a. S"orn W ny MS wne, was not known to
Wv ps' tne i.c. II .iiib .he state case
We wan ~ ioeh',hca'ioh All through, Tor
.hesc IS nothine ABOUT ian Coughlin ex-
cep' ms height that a description OF would
ior n, .i' .uhureos mum, OF men:
nG .rIii Oh Soushiin' 'ourk' V SullI-
go anu huiiLe was begun aug. 3o,
"a. "a. :. was nh,sheu DEC. TO- ana the YER
.i.t sen' Coueniin, bourk ana oSuiilvan
W .hc penioehtiary Ior Iiie ana put kunze
| tncre ior three years. Beggs had been dis
charged 10y the Judge because there was
not enough evidence to connect him with
'he conspiracy. The above verdict was
no. the Veroict Oh eleven OF the jury, but
u II IL had not peen ior John Culver that
Jury would have hanged the whole lot.
Cuiver stood out however, first for ac-
oui'tal on the ground ths0 the state had
10. p,V.eu i,s case ana hha!ly 1or the
oes. .nine ne couio get, whlch was the
veraict above stated The finding AGAINST
hunze was never enforced because Judge
McConneii' who presided at the trial, en-
.er'aihed aouots tnat the man was guilty
as charged. Ana II was with the greatest
popular ulsapprovai that the punishment
oi lne convicted ones was received.
For voting as he did Culver was in dam
ger OF being mobbed for time-at any
rate mob law was threatened-he was
most vigorously abused by the press, and
a libel suit resulted which Culver lost. In
january, 1890, the convicted men were
sentenced. Attorney Daniel Donahoe on
pehalf OF O'Sullivan made the first re-
quest for Eew trial, but while the matter
was pending O'Sullivan died, Then Cough
Inns application was made aud before it
was disposed of Bourk died. The new
trial was granted big Dan" Jan. 20, 1893,
and he was put on trial the second time
Jan: 4, last.
| Ile prosecution had some difficulties in