The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-12-12 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE CRONIN TRIAL.  On Thursday Mr. Hynes commenced his reply on behalf of the prosecution, to the speeches of the sounsel for the defence. He affirmed that the line taken up by the defence had been organised and arranged before ever the murder was cornmitted,and that the prisoners had prepared exculpatory evidence which they could bring forward if the charge should be brought home to them. Reviewing the evidence of the medical men, the learned counsel contended that it sustained the statement that Dr. Cronin died of the wounds in the head. He then went through the testimony concerning the bloodstains, and passed on to criticise the eviience for an alibi put forward by O'Sullivan, pointing out various inconsistencies in it. It was not necessary, he said, for the prosecution to shew that O'Sullivan was at the cottage when the murder was committed. The fact was it was better that he should not be seen by Dr. Cronin on his arrival at the cottage, as the doctor had been told that O'Sullivan was out of tewn. Mr. Hynes next analysed the evidence concerning the time at which, according to the evidence of the two Hyland,, they were drinking with O'Sullivan in Nieman's saloon, and he drew the conclusion that it could not have been the night of May bth, pointing out that not only did Nieman swear that Coughlin drank with O'Sullivan on the night of May sth, but that the Latter had also been seen in that locality by an acquaintance on that afternoon. Both agreed that O'Sullivan was wearing Prince Albert coat.  Continuing his reply on Friday, Mr. Hynes directed attention to the case of Beggs. He referred to the prisoner's words, that he hoped no trouble would come, and said that the trouble which Beggs meant had more significance than mere acrimonious discussion in the camp. With regard to the acts of Coughlin and Beggs, Mr. Hynes said these men, who were determined to crush Cronin, knew that they could go around and breathe suspicions in the ears of men who they felt had the possibilities of murder in their hearts, and this was the reason why Coughlin said "A confederate of Le Caron is amongst us." 'When Coughlin told O'Connor that there was information that Dr. Cronin was another Le Caron, it was for the purpose of preparing his mind for Cronin's disappearance. If the men who inspired the murder believed Cronin to be a spy they would have sent him to England to get rid of him. If the counsel for Beggs, urged Mr. Hynes, had not appreciated the significance of all the testimony against him, he would not have gone to the trouble of attempting to prove an alibi for the night of the murder, May 4. Mr. Foster resumed his address on Saturday. He referred to the meeting of Camp 20 on February 8, and asked the jury where was the argument to establish a conclusion that this was a conspiracy originated in and carried out by Camp 20. "Do you believe," he continued, "that a society numbering 380 members in Chicago was corrupt, or that it carried out the murderous scheme? Individuals may be dishonest, but societies never !" The charge that the Camp, as a camp, resolved on killing Dr. Cronin was false, and unsupported by a single syllable of the testimony. He denied that a committee was appointed by Camp 20 to try Dr. Cronin. It angered him, he said, when his client's life was jeopardised, to have men insinuate in the hearing of the jury that there was evidence that a committee was appointed to murder Cronin. The statement was utterly false. Mr. Foster concluded by telling the jury that they must either find Beggs worthy of death or acquit him. Mr. Forrest then commenced the closing argument in favour of all the accused.