Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-03-17
COUGRlIN IS A FREE man
Jury Decides He Was Not Dr.. Gro
Minis Murderer.
The Trial One of the Most Noteworthy
In the Criminal Annals Of the
\ Country -- Sensational Tes-
timOny Introduced.

CHICAGO, March g.--The happiest mar
on earth at $50 o'clock Thursday after
noon was Daniel Coughlin. When tn,
clerk read out the words: I'VE. tn
jury, find the defendant Daniel Coughlir
not guilty. warm flush went over his
face, which before had been of deadlv
white. He half rose in his chair and
was the next instant pushed back by At
torney David, the law partner of Mr.
Donahue. who has so stoutly defended
him throughout the long trial. Then
with push that almost swept the happy
man off his feet, newspaper men, old
time friends of the prisoner before his
trouble, came upon him in a body and
nearly wrung his hands off. Its all
right boys, all right gasped Coughlin
as he reached for three or four hands at
once. Its all right boys, | won't for.
get you. You treated me all right
shook Hands With the Jurymen.
Then the prisoner worked his way to
the jury box and shook hands with as
many as he could reach, but the crowd
WAS too much for him and, yelling and
cheering to show its delight, it pushed
him away from the box. He gave up
the effort 10 greet the men who have
given him freedom and in company with
the bailiffs, started TO leave the room,
Passing behind Judge Tuthill's chair
just as ne was directly behind the Judge
a cry of MAKE way there; open up a
passage: make way was heard and two
stalwart bailffs pushed through the
crowd and close behind them. her hat
awry, her veil half up and gasping with
sobs that choked her. came Mrs. Cough.
lin. Dan was striding TO liberty rs
though he wore seven league boots
"Dan, come back. here's your wife,
called the officers. and Coughlin retraced
his steps. Just at the foot of the little
flight of stairs leading mp TO the judges
rostrum, he met his wife.
Meeting Between Husband and Wife.
The woman gave an incoherent cry,
her arms went mp, fastened themselves
around her husbands neck, and then she
gave way utterly. She only said: Dan!
Oh DAM" but nowhere, not even in Dan
Coughlin's heart, was there such Joy as
in the bosom Of the little woman who
was clasped tight against her husband
and felt him hers again. Coughlin bent
his big blonde head until his moustache
swept her check and the two rocked 10
and fro until the woman was able to
stifie her emotion. and then she was lee
away by Coughlin's father. who wal
happy enough to dance Jig, but gave
his entire attention to his hat which he
kept putting on and taking off with
marvellous rapidity. In a few minute.
he,with Mrs. Coughlin, who by this tins
was radiant, left the room.
The Coughlin trial has been one OF
the most noteworthy in the history OF
the country. Daniel Coughlin, an ex.
city detective. was charged with com.
plicity in the murder Of DIR. p. II.
Cronin, prominent Irish physician.
Cronin was well known in one faction OF
the Clan-na-Gael and it was to members
of the opposing faction that his murder
was charged. AT the former trial
Coughlin, Martin Burke and Patrick
O'Sullivan were convicted of the murder
and sentenced to life imprisonment. The
two latter died in prison and the present
defendant secured new trial. DIR.
Cronin disappeared on the evening OF
May d, 1899. After a protracted search
his body, mutilated and decomposed,
was found in a catch basin in the north.
ern part of the city. In the same section
of the city stands the little Carlson cot.
tage, where the theory of the prosecu.
tion places the murder.
In the present trial, after five weeks
work, the jury was accepted on De.
cember ., last. Before the jury was
completed several sensations wera
sprung in the shape of charges against
jurymen, and three men who had been
accepted We're excused from service. On
December II the case was opened.