The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-09-14
MICHIGAN CRONIN CASE.
THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF
DR.. A. B. CONkLING.

Stone Lake Dragged I'm the Hope of Find
ing the Body of the Missing Physician
without Result--story Told by the VIII
lage Fisherman.
CAssoPoLIs. Mich, Sept. l0.-The de-
velopments in the disappearance of DIR. A.
B. Conkling of this place have added
more evidence of a conspiracy to murder
him. Stone lake was patrolled and every
foot of the lake bottom was dragged with
iron hooks. The belief that the m ordered
mans body has been buried In the lake
was siren gthened by the story told by the
village fisherman, who says he was awak-
ened at an early hour in the morning by a
mans cries. He went to the door of his
cottage on the bank of the lake and was
just able to distinguish the figures of sew
eral men on the north shore. The cry was
not repeated. The lfisherman's story
caused the watchers at the lake to double
their vigilance, but investigation dis
proved the theory and con affirmed the be-
lief that if Conkling was murdered his
body was buried in an isolated spot.
Stone lake is surrounded on all sides by a
dense woods, and the wilderness of forest
trees offered just such place as would be
chosen by assassins who sought to conceal
evidence of crime.
Conspiracy to Take His Life.
1t came out that DR.. Conkling was q
leading witness in an action brought for
irregular practice against a. fellow practi-
toner, and this fact is limited at as being
closely allied with the conspiracy. Dr.
Conkling was vigorous in his denuncia-
ton of his fellow physicians crime, and
his testimony, it is said, would have been
convincing. Charles j. and Mary l..
Schackett of Bay City, Mich, carried a
policy in peoples mutual benefit secur-
ity on the life of Michael Butler of Elk
Rapids, Mich. Butler died under sus-
picious circumstances and the payment
of the policy was resisted by the company
and the investigation which was institute
ed established the fact that fraudulent
practices had been resorted to and that the
persons implicated were liable for peni-
Tertiary sentences DR.. Conkling though
himself not party to the plot to victim
ize the insurance company, was fully con-
versant with the facts. He could not be
forced into silence and it was his persist
ence that emboldened the plotters, it is
said, and fastened his untimely fate.
May he Held in Captivity.
That DR.. Conkling was murdered there
no longer exists any reasonable doubt.
The only other theory offered in eXplana-
ton of his absence is that he is being
held in captivity until the court by reason
of his absence strikes the cases from the
docket. This view is not warranted by
the developments at hand. A reward Of
$1,000 is now offered for solution Of the
mysterious crime. A public subscription
will be raised to secure the services of one
of the Pinkertons, and Governor Rich will
also be appealed to to aid the work of the
officers with the machinery of the state.
Another day may add its mystery to the
events of the days which have passed, but
in any event the search will be continued
with increasing vigilance and Dr. Conk-
ling If alive will be restored to his family,
and If dead other chapters will be written
of Michigan's Dr. Cronin case.