Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1889 — ORDERED BY CAMP 20. [ARTICLE]

ORDERED BY CAMP 20.

THUS WAS THE “REMOVAL” OF DR. CRONIN ACCOMPLISHED. A Clan-na-Gael Man Said to Have Made Full Confession to the State's Attorney Regarding the Brutal Butchery of tileIrish Doctor—A Sensational Tale. A Chicago dispat-h of June 24 says: Camp 20 of the Clan-na-Gaei and its methods will be thoroughly investigated by the grand jury, and it is more than probable ten or' more of its members will be indicted for the murder of Dr. Cronin. The State’s attorney has already in his possession enough eviienee to hang at least half of’ that number, an l before the grand jury resun es consideration of the Cronin case Wednesday he expects to have a completechain of evidence encirclin g the camp, orat least the guilty members of it. Shortly after the finding of the body tho State’s attorney received an anonymous letter which set forth the details of a meeting of camp 20, which was held on a Friday in the latter part of February. John F. Beggs, the No. 1, and senior guardian of the camp, presided at this meeting, which wa< attended only by what is known as the inner circle of the camp, and the purpose for which the meeting was called was the trial of Dr. Cronin as a british spy. He was found guilty, the> letter went on to state, and the punishment was fixed at death. Death was al ways, the penalty which traitors paid, and Cronin was to be no exception to tbe rule. The preliminaries having been disposed, of, the question of who should be the executioners was taken up. Lots were drawn. The names of every man present were outon separate slips of paper and the lottery of murder was carried out in all its details. Who were the ones to whom the--1 earful deed was committed was not made known at the meeting. No one knew thenames of tho men who were to ‘ remove!.’ Dr. Cronin, except the man who was to notify them that they had been selected for the act of blood and were expected to legin at once. This man, the letter wenton to slate, was John F. Beggs At once every power of the police was put forth to find the author of the letter giving information which was so valuableif true. But without success. In vain theofficers sought for some one who would admit that such a meeting bad been held. All were obstinate in asserting that. they never heard of such a meeting or such action by camp 2D. In vain Coroner Hertz questioned every Clan-na-Gael man who was before the Coroner's jury as to the proceedings of the camp at its meetings since the Ist of January. Every onewas ignorant. To-day the light broke on the darkness which overcame camp 20 Detective Palmer had a long interview with Judge Longenecker early this morning, and about an hour later a ilurried-looking man was admitted to the judge’s office by the side door. He was a Clan-na-Gael man, and he corroborated the contents of the letter in every detail. Who he is could not be learned, but so satisfactory was the information he gave the judge and so complete the proof of the planning and premeditation of the Cronin murder in camp 20, that he said an hour later: “I’ve got evidence enough now to hang half a dozen.” It is claimed that State's Attorney Longenecker has a list of the names of all the men who attended the secret meeting at which Dr. Cronin’s removal was ordered This man further revealed, it is said, that the trial, condemnation, and execution of Dr. Cronin was entirely in accordance with the usages of the clan as practiced in other cases, notably that of the informer Carey, who was tried by the same process under which Dr. Cronin suffered death Ail that could be learned of the mysterious visitor to Judge Longenecker was that he was a Clan-na-Gael man, a former member of camp 20, who had been preseut at the meeting, but had taken no part in the deliberations, which ended in the order for Cronin’s assassination. He will be qarefully guarded by the police toprevent anyone from tampering with him, but he will not be arrested and no sign will be made by the officers that would indicate to the conspirators that he wasunder the protection of the police. There is a growing belief on the part of the authorities that Dan Coughlin was the chosen chief executioner of the tribunal’s sentence, and that, knowing his fellow camp members thoroughly, it was an easy matter to select the prisoner, Burke, and the suspect, Cooney, or “Simons,’ and it was no Hard work for him to secure thepermission of O’Sullivan to the fixing of the neat job by which Dr. Cronin waslured away tj the place of assassination. Senior Guardian John F. JUeggs wasfound by a reporter in the company of Harry Jordan. Mr. Beggs dec’ared that the latest story about camp 20 of the-Clan-na-Gael v>as a monstrous fib, and said: “I only hope some Clan- *.-Gael man Is ‘squealing, ’ as they call it, for then I will, be set right. I have been getting theworst of it all along in this case. If I have made some mistakes I have been, struggling hard to get a good footing, and just when I see the light of day thisthing comes u pon me. Of course I ant senior guardian of camp 20, but such things as they charge against that or any other camp of the (Tan-na-Gael are absurd and impossible. If any one can tell methe object of the order I would like tolearn it. For two years it has Had no purpose. You just went to the meetings,, paid 00 cents for monthly dues, heard some fellow sing a song, some other fellow make a speech, and then went home convinced that another great seep had been, taken in the cause of Ireland. That’s all there has been to the Clan-na-Gael.” “How about the alleged trial of Cronin before the ‘inner circle’ or Camp 20?” “It’s bosh. There’s no such thing as an ‘inner circle. * Wi -Ajjy body can prefer a charge against any member of the order and the member will be tried before a committee of seven. The man charged is always notified and is given the benefit of counsel. There never was any trial of Cronin in caipp 20. It is true that Cooney, Burke, Coughlin, and Sullivan were members of the camp, and that three of them are behind the Lars, while the other ran away from town. Two,-thirds of the members of the camp were warm < friends of Dr. Cronin, and I was always his friend.”