Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1894 — COUGHLIN IS FREE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

COUGHLIN IS FREE.

DECLARED NOT GUILTY OF CRONIN'S MURDER. Wild Scenes la Judge TnthUl’s Court When the Announcement Is Made The Prisoner la Dazed by HU Good Fortune— Jury Out but Six Boon. Ends a Famous Case. The second trial of Daniel Coughlin on the charge of complicity in the murder of Dr. Cronin came to a close Thursday in Chicago, by the unexpected return of a verdict of acquittal Dan Coughlin, after nearly five years ot imprisonment, was declared a free man. By a verdict of his peers he was declared innocent of conspiring to cause or participating in the murder of Dr. Cronin. Few expected that

the verdict would be what it was, and no one anticipated that an agreement would be reached in so short a time. It was eight minutes to 11 o’clock in the forenoon when Judge Tuthill had concluded his charge, and at twenty-five minutes to 5 o'clock in the afternoon the jury filed into court and through Foreman Holsman handed its brief verdict to the Judge. Thus it took them less than five hours to deside one of the most noted

criminal cases In the history of the: country—a case which tcok over four tnonths for the recounting of its incidents and bloody details, and which took able and brilliant counsel seventeen days to analyze and explain the testimony. It was no wonder that those who listened were astonished.

The cheers came naturally from the throats of friends of the accused. When the verdict had been read, says a Chicago dispatch, there was a full minute of silence. Then a man, who stood near John Kunze near the west wall, shouted, “Three cheers for Daniel Cousrhlin.” The yell which went up so excited Judge Tuthill that he leaped to his feet and commanded the bailiffs to lock the doors. But some one was to quick for the court. The words had Hardly fallen from his honor's lips when'a cheer rang through the building from the crowd in the corridor. Acain and again did the walls echo the yells of the men both inside and outside the court-room. Coughlin seemed dazed until a well-known member of the society to which the prisoner used to belong grabbed his hand and muttered his congratulations. All this time “Big Dan” seemed to be in a trance. Suddenly he pulled himself together and turning to the jury which stood smiling upon him reached out his hand and with deep emotion expressed his thanks to the juro.-s. The man who had just been given his life release had started with Officer Carolan for the jail to go through the formality, of a legal release when some one shouted, “Dan, here is your wife.” The big ex-detective turned hastily and saw coming through the crowd the pretty litt'.e woman who had stood by trim as few women have stood by men. For the first time since the trial began he exhibited feeling. The tears came into his eyes and one of the

most affecting scenes ever witnessed in a courtroom was then and there enacted. He took the weeping and halftainting woman-in his arms and embraced her with a show of affection which was pltifu’ to see. Then he rushed away crying, “I will be with my Maggie in an hour's time.” Mrs. Coughlin could only sav: “Oh, my husband: oh. mv husband. 5 * Up to this time none of the attorneys in the case had been seen. Mr. Donahue cams in just as his client was leaving the room, and a shout went up for him. Mr. Donahoe almost shook Dan Coughlin’s hand off as he congratulated him. He was more excited, evidently, than the man who had just been acquitted. Coughlin, was then taken to jail, where he was formerly released, and one of the most sensational criminal trials in the annals of the country was at an end. Trial Which Xs Now Ended. The conspiracy which culminated in the murder of Patrick Henry Cronin on the

night of May 4, KM in Lake Flaw vu consummate* at a time when La Caron was Mstltßtag la a British court, betraying the Irish causa This fact added interest in the crime in England, and the London datliea devoted columns to the murder. Dr. Cronin was a prominent physician of Chicago. For‘years he had practiced in tbe city. He was one of tbe leaders in Irish social circles, the aggressive head of a faction of the Clan-na-Gael bitterly opposed io the “triangle" In poser. On the night of May 4. 1889. be was lured from his home in the Windsor Theater Block. May 22 bis mutilated body was found in a catch-basin at tbe corner ot North 59tb street and Evanston avenue. Foul play was feared. T. T. Conklin, with whom tbe Doctor lived, was convinced that his friend bud been murdered. Dr. Cronin's friends in tbe Clan-na-Gael were loud in declaring that he had been decoyed from his borne and foully dealt with. The oath administered to tbe members of the society was such that tbey did not at tint dare to venture explanations. Being pressed, they told tbe story of the conflicting factions of tbe Clan-na-Gael and the enmity to Dr. Cronin. The only clew which the police had to start with in unraveling the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Dr. Cronin was a card left in his office by the man who enticed him to his death. This card bore the name and address of Patrick (Fgulllvan, iceman in Lake View, also a member of Camp 20 of the Clan-na-Gael. The man who took the Doctor away on May 4 said that one ot the employes of the iceman had been Injured, and as O’Sullivan had made a contract with Dr. Cronin to attend any of his men who were ill Or should meet with accident the Doctor readily assented to go to Lake View. O’Sullivan, the man said, was out of town. The Doctor got into a buggy drawn by a white horse which the man bad in waiting, and the last man who saw the Doctor alive was Frank Scanlan, who talked with blm while he was sitting in tbe buggy In front of his home at 4d6 North Clark street. Sunday morning, May 5, three men on a hunting expedition found a trunk half filled with cotton saturated with fresh blood In a clump of bushes by the roadside In Evanston avenue, near Sulzer street. Frank Woodruff was arrested for horsestealing on May 9. He told a story of having driven a wagon that hauled the trunk containing the body of Dr. Cronin. A general order was Issued from the police department to look for a white horse that was onton the night ot May 4. It was discovered that Patrick Dinan, a liverystable keeper in North Clark street, near the East Chicago avenue station, had sent such a horae out. The description of the man who called for the horse on the night in question was found to correspond with that given by Frank Scanlan and Mrs. Conklin of the man who took Dr. Cronin from his office Further developments brought out the fact that Daniel Coughlin, a detective ot the East Chicago avenue station, had hired the horse for the man. The same day that Dr. Cronin’s badly decomposed body was found In the catch basin, Capt. Schuettler beard of the Carl-

son cottage By his command Detectives Hyatt and Lorch were put in charge of the place and presently thera were reports that “Big Dan” had been seen there a short time before the murder in company with John P. Kunze, Patrick Cooney, alias “Cooney the Fox,” and Iceman O’Sullivan. The following day, May 24, 1889, Coughlin was arrested. May 29 Patrick O’Sullivan was taken into custody and June 15 Martin Bourk was behind tbe bars. A mass of evidence was collected. The amount of testimony to be heard Was so great that the coroner’s inquest, which commenced June 4, did not finish Its labors till June IL From their known associations with Coughlin, Beggs and Kunze were held for trial Beggs was Senior Guardian of Camp 20 of the Clan-na-Gael, and presided when the vote was taken to expel Dr, Cronin from the order on the ground that he was a British spy. Little Kunze was held on the testimony of Saloon-keeper Nieman, ”ho Identified him as having been with Daniel Coughlin in his place at 11 o’clock tbe night of the murder. Tho State was Inclined to believe that Nieman was mistaken. Hts description of the man answers In every detail to Andrew Foy, but at the time Kunze was arrested and put on trial Foy’s connection with the case, as sworn

to by bls wife, was not known to the police. The trial of Coughlin, Bourk, O'Sullivan, Beggs and Kunze was begun Aug. 39, 1889. It was finished Dec. 16 and the verdict sent Coughlin, Bourk and O’Sullivan to the penitentiary for life, put Kunze therefor three years and turned Beggs free. The finding against Kunze was never enforced, because Judge McConnell, who presided at the trial', entertained doubts that the man was guilty as charged. And it was with the greatest disapproval that the punishment of the convicted ones was received. Everywhere it was felt that the authors of such a dastardly crime should receive the full penalty of the law, and they doubtless would had .it not been for Juror John Culver. He it was who day after day for almost a week, while the jury was dellberr atlng, voted to save Coughlin and the other two, and he It was who finally did save them. In January. 1890, the convicted men were sentenced. Attorney Daniel Donahoe on behalf of O’Sullivan made the first request for a new trial, but while the matter was pending O’Sullivan died. '1 hen Coughlin’s application was made, and before it was disposed of both Beggs and Bourk died. The new

trial was granted “Big Dan” Jan. 20, 1893. and he was put on trial the second time Nov. 4 last. ■Of the houses of Great Britain 2,700(000 have been built since 1840,

DAN COUGHLIN.

CARLSON COTTAGE AND SURROUNDINGS, AS IT APPEARED IN 1880. (1) CARLSON COTTAGE (2) CARLSON RESIDENCE. (3) O'SULLIVAN'S BARN. (4) O’SULLIVAN’S HOUSE.

JOHN P. KUNZE. MARTIN BOURK

JUROR CULVER. PATRICK O’SULLIVAN.

WHERE DR. CRONIN’S BODY WAS POUND.

JOHN F. BEGGS. COONEY “THE FOX."