Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-06-05
Y OUTH
ADMITS
MURDER
Stabbed John CrOain in
Fight Following
Ball Game.
HELD FOR GRAND JURY
ON CHARGE OF HOMICIDE
Mother Hysterical, Said TO Have
Tried to End Life in
I New York.
HELD FOR GRAND JURY
ON CHARGE OF HOMICIDE

William Schneider. is years old, of
551 West Fifteenth street, New York.
was arraigned in the Second Precinct
Police Court today before Judge
Charles F. Herr charged with murder
ing 7ohn Cronin, 80 years old. wire
weaver, of so Union avenue, Be1leville.
yesterday in a general fight that fol-
lowed a baseball game. He was held
for the grand jury without bail. He
confessed to the police that he killed
Cronn by slashing his throat with a
knife.
| He was brought to the bar after his
mother had become hysterical in the
witness-room of the station house. She
sobbed frantically soon after she and
her daughter came in from New York.
Her daughter. it is said, admitted that
her mother had tried to commit sui
eide in New York after hearing of the
arrest of her boy for murder.
Claims self Defense.
At 8 o'clock this morning. after a
gruelling examination by Sergeants OF
the Detective Bureau Fohs and Koer-
Der. Schneider confessed that he had
killed Cronin, but claimed that the
blow was struck in self-defense. since
he was badly beaten up by the older
man.
Schneider told his story to an Eve
ming STAR reporter today. He said:
Mr.. MeWilliams-he's the foreman
of the Leadhill Wall Paper Company
on Thirty-fourth street, New York-he
got us to play ball out there at Forest
HILL He arranged a game of ball be-
tween us and the team of the Onion
Club, of Belleville. We got over here
yesterday morning at 1890 out there
on the Erielat the Forest Hill station.
Then we went to Soho Park. We
beat the n 9 to s. After that we aV
went TO Mary's woods; that's what
think ey called it. Anyway, we
got some refreshments there"
omcer Took Loaded Pistol.
He admitted that there had been
some disputes at the luncheon and that
a 81 'ial officer had taken loaded re-
vo rom him. In fact, according to
tn, ice. Schneider was in all the
bra hat occurred.
IA l'-------le" the young prisoner con-
tinued y 'alked away toward the
station. - Aey were all kind of quar-
relsome Hliien a general fight started
when we were just about getting to
the bri 1ge across the river there, be-
tween reville and Newark. Cronin
starteo me and was beating me up
l-beatin me up bad. Then I pulled
out the ife and slashed at him"
Victims Mother Partially Blind.
The mother of Cronin, the murdered
man. Is prostrated today at her home
in Belleville She was not told OF
the terrible manner in which death
had come to her son until this morn
ing. She is partially blind, a widow,
and John was her sole support.
In the row Abraham Stanfield, of So
Main street, Belleville, and William A.
Dean, a former Belleville policeman,
were both cut, but not seriously in
jured. Stanfeld appeared today In the
Second Precinct Court as a witness
with a heavy bandage around his head
After the entertainment in the woods
at John street and Garden avenue,
BellevilIe, when beer, no doubt. flowed
freely, the crowd of victors and van
quished marched through the streets
to the line of the Erie Railroad 1t
was at the bridge over the Second riv-
er, bet cen Belleville and Forest Hill,
that the ugly feeling which had been
arising among the two groups mater
ialized into free-for-all fight.
Stanfield afterward told Chief MI
chael Flynn and Sergeant Charles Perl.
of the Belleville police, that he saw the
dead man battling hard with another
man He said he rushed into the fray
4 4 nd
ing, he saw Cronin stretched out upon
the bridge bleeding profusely from the
throat.
According TO some stories, Cronin
was the innocent bystander, who was
trying to make peace when Schneider
assaulted him
The Delleville police and also those
of the Second Precinct were notified
and Cronin was rushed to the City
Hospital in the Newark ambulance.
Beside the township pauolmen, Plain
clothesmen Norton and Lfnett responds
ed The Rev. Lalor ?, McLaughlia,
the assistant rector Of 81. Peters
Roman Catholic Church, Belleville, also
hurried to the scene to administer tho
last rites to Cronin.
The following men were held as ma
terial witnesses in so. 900 bail each 10
await the action of the grand jury:
Hugh Sweeney, % years old, of 2ll
Grand ct, Jersey City; Frank Cas-
sidy. 10 years old, of rs Cotton street.
Springfield. Mass; John McWilliams.
3S years old, of s14 Mill street, Belle-
Vile; Samuel Burns 80 years cd, Of 52
Wright street, Marion; Thomas o'Con-
nell, "a years old, of 400 East Twenty
fourth street, New Yorl-, Harry Seully
80 years old, of 14S East Sixteenth
street, New York; William Schneider,
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