The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-10-17
Supreme Court Decides That Frank
Lonergan Shall Have Another
Trial on Murder Charge.
THE VICTORY is A GREAT ONE
For the First Time in History of Supreme
Court Decision in Murder Case Has
Been Reversed.

The famous Lonergan case will be
tried again in the courts of Wisconsin.
This morning Justice Wins1ow hand
ed down a decision in the case of the
State VS.. James Lonergan, reversing
the 1ecision of the lower court and re-
handing the case for trial.
No murder case ever tried in the
State of Wisconsin has attracted so
much attention or become SO famous
as this case. For some time prior to
the 18th of November, 1898, the city of
Fond du Lac seemed to be infested
with a gang of law breakers and
crimes were reported almost daily. On
this night a mail carrier in Fond du
Lac, who was also the keeper of a l1v-
cry stable, and who was accustomed to
carry on his person large sums OF
money, was assaulted at a short time
after 6:30 that night and an attempt
was made by three men to rob him on
one of the public streets of the city.
The mail carrier at the time had on his
person ST., 400, but his assailants after
striking him and knocking him over
bridge ran away. A police
man, who was on duty and un-
conscious Of the fact that an attempt
had been made to rob the mail carrier,
met the three men who were running
away after the assault and was shot
three times by some of the would be
robbers and morta11y wounded, from
the effects of which he died. The Off
GERS arrested several persons on sus-
picion of having committed the crime
and fonr we're bound over for trial, the
others being discharged. Lonergan,
whose real name is Frank Lang1n,
Kenosha boy, and son OF the late
Dennis Langin, was in the city of
Fond du Lac on the day of the murder
and claims that he lett the city just
before or at about the time the murder
was committed, or few minutes be-
fore, but that he was at least two
miles away on the train at the time OF
the murder. He was arrested on the
New Years day following at Darling
ton, Wis, and after an examination
was bound over for trial Charged with
the murder of the policeman, William
Prinslow.
On the examination and at the trial
Lonergan was represented by Mr..
Finch, of Oshkosh, conceded to be one
of the best criminal lawyers in the
State of Wisconsin. On the trial the
defendant Lonergan was found guilty
by the jury of murder in the first de-
gree and was sentenced to imprison-
ment in the penitentiary at Waupun
for life.
Shortly after the murder the officers
at Fond du Lac sent descriptions and
photographs of the suspected murder
ers throughout the country and one of
these photographs coming to the hands
of Judge Slater, he at once identified
it as being the photograph of Frank
Langin of this city.
Langin's father was shortly after
been arrested and bound over for trial
charged with the murder of Policeman
Prins1ow and retained Judge Slater to
go to Fond du Lac and investigate the
case, but before the trial Langin's
father died and the son being repre-
sented by able counsel, Judge Skaters
connection with the case ceased, but
learning that Lonergan had been con-
victed and sentenced to the State
prison for life, Judge Slater, conceiv-
ing that the defendant was innocent
and that he had been unjustly dealt
with, Immediately took hold of the
matter determined to take it to the
Supreme court and since the convic-
ton of Lonergan has worked unceas-
ing1y in his effort to procure reversal
of the Judgment and sentence in the
Supreme court. The matter was ar
gued in the Supreme court a few weeks
ago by Judge Slater and George
Kroncke, Esq, formerly of this city,
and the decision of the Supreme court
Just rendered was that the Judgment
and sentence of the court should be re-
versed.
Judge Slater and Mr.. Kroncke are to
be congratulated upon their success as
this is the first time in the history of
our Supreme court that a murder case
has ever been reversed on the grounds
alleged by the counsel for the defend
ant. Judge Slater and his able associ-
ate, Mr.. Geo. Kroncke, of Madison, are
certainly worthy of the congratulations
they are receiving from all parts of
the State.