River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-01-11
SAW BIG DAN.
A New and Important Witness
Against Coughlin.
He WIN Testify That by the Aid of .
Flash Light He Saw the Ex-Detect-
I've on the Wagon Contain
ing Cronin's Body.
ANOTHER SENSATION.

ANOTHER SENSATION.
CHICAGO. Jan. s.-The greatest sem
sation of the Coughlin trial was caused
Friday when the attorneys for the
state announced that they would pro-
duce a reputable witness who would
swear that he had seen Daniel Cough
lin, in company with two other men.
riding on a wagon in which was trunk
at 1:40 o'clock on the morning of
May s. 1889 This announcement was
made at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon.
when court convened for the after-din-
ner session.
Counsel on both sides and the court
retired to Judge Tuthilrs private room,
where Frank Bardeen, who is connected
with the Bardeen paper works of OF
sego, Mich, was waiting. An ominous
silence pervaded the courtroom. For an
hour the spectators and jurors awaited
the return of the lawyers.
At $50 o'clock Judge Tuthill returned
To the courtroom aud announced that
the secret examination of the new wit
ness would probably require the entire
afternoon. The jury was dismissed and
court was adjourned until Monday
morning at 10 o'clock. After three
hours and half spent in the examina-
ton of Mr.. Bardeen the lawyers
emerged from Judge Tuthills private
| room
In March, 1890, two months after
Dan Coughlin, Martin Burke and Pat
rick O'Sullivan were taken to Joliet,
Capt. Schuettler learned of the exist
ence of W tLess who could testify that
he had seen Coughlin, whom he knew
quite well. in Edgewater on the night
of the murder in company with two
men The name of this witness was
| Frank Bardeen. At that time the dis
covery was not considered important
and was not pursued. When Coughlin
| applied for a new trial, however, Capt.
| Schuettler saw the value of Bardeen's
story and began an active search for
| him.
1t was in roundabout way that Bar
deems knowledge came to the ears of
the police. He was travelling on a
Pullman sleeper between St. Louis and
Chicago in February, 1890. On the car
with him was William Mclaughlin.
who lives in this city, dealer in Cath
Ollie books At that time the whole
country was talking about the Cronin
trial, and Mclaughlin had conversa-
tion on the common topic.
Il would have been valuab wit
ness Tor the state" said Mr.. Bardeen.
| Tie assertion aroused the curiosity
of SIR. Mclaughlin. When questioned
Mr.. Bardeen said that he was at the
| Edgewater electric light plant at about
/ . 80 no nil Of 10
| lie continued:
| Il was sitting the steps when heard a
| wagon coming down the street In the moon
| light saw the dimly outlined forms of three
| men on a wagon. They were coming in the di-
reo.ion OF the place where was sitting. When
/ they came close to me turned the thirty
| two caudle-power lamp which was placed over
! the doorway. Its rays shone directly the
/ horse, and seemed to frighlen him, he
stopped suddenly. In the wSgon box
| that thought was tool chest a man sat ON
this as he drove the horse.
Just as the light shone full upon the men
| two OF them jumped out OF the wagon. One OF
these | recognized as Dan Coughlin. He ran
around on the other side OF the wagon so that
only him for a moment l knew Coughlin.
! For nearly two years 1 lived within two doors
| Of the East Chicago avenue stat N where
I Coughlin was stationed the men went on
1 down the street following the wagon
/
papers the account OF Coughlins supposed
| connection with the crime and the cireum-
| stance Of the trunk ami the disposition the
murderers had made of the body i was con-
WINGED that il the murderers had seen.
4 told my wife about II. but II made her very
| nervous and she begged me not to say anything
| about IL l promised her wouldn't, and then
| l did not wish the notorety which l knew in
! evi.ably would come So did not testify at
| the trial"
| At this time Mr.. Bardeen thought
that the celebrated Cronin case had
passed out of the courts and had ended
with the confinement of the convicted
men in prison When Mr.. Mclaughlin
arrived in Chicago he told a friend the
singular circumstance related in MIR.
| Bardeen's story This friend told it to
| Capt Schuettler. So when it came
time to prepare for a new trial for
| Coughlin the search for Mr.. Bardeen
was begun Clew after clew was run
down, only to find that the wrong man
had been traced. Capt. Schuettler did
not give up, but obstinately stuck to
| the search.
| The utmost secrecy yelled every step
in the hunt for Bardeen. IL was
thought that the defense knew nothing
of such witness. One day last month
/ there came rumor to the ears of
| Attorney Bottum that a much wanted
! Frank Bardeen was a brother of
Circuit Judge C. L. Bardeen, Of
| Wausau. Wis The clew was fol-
| lowed out; the web was untangied, and
| Frank Bardeen was found at Otsego.
Mich. He was working at that place
as chief engineer of the Bardeen
paper works, which are owned by a
relative of his. He has full charge of
two mills. Capt. Schuettler left for
| Otsego, Mich, a week ago. lie met
| Mr.. Bardeen at his resider ce, and after
much persuasion prevailed upon him to
come to Chicago and testify.
! Joseph Mclaughlin, brother of Mrs.
Andrew Foy, will be witness against
/ Dan Coughlin for the murder of DIR.
Cronin. lie sailed from Glasgow De-
cember 80
IN En- RX nNhAkHFTE