LUKE DILLON'S PLAIN WORDS.
PRINCIPAL WITNESSES BEFORE THE CORONER'S JURY.
It was not until June the 7th, in the closing days of the inquest, that Luke Dillon, one of the nine members of the Executive Committee of the Clan-na-Gael in America, and who had taken a leading and determined part in the movement to unravel the mystery which enshrouded the murder of Dr. Cronin, was called as a witness. Those who were in the court room when he ascended the stand, saw a man above the medium statue, broad shouldered, of well-knit figure, square cut face and well moulded features. His dark blonde hair receded slightly from his forehead; while a full blonde mustache of lighter hue shaded his firm compressed lips. His chin was square, indicating tremendous energy and great determination of character. His voice was full, resonant and well modulated, and he spoke fluently and yet in a measured way that indicated caution. In answer to the questions of the Coroner he said that he was a member of the Clan-na-Gael, but that there was nothing in the obligation which he had taken that conflicted with the laws of the United States. He went on to say that Dr. Cronin, shortly before his murder, had said to him that the personal ambition of Alexander Sullivan, to rule both in Ireland and American politics would be the cause of his (Cronin's) death, for he felt that the man had no more blood than a fish and would not hesitate to take his life. The witness related the circumstances connected with the meetings of the trial committee at Buffalo and New York, and the examination proceeded in this wise:
"Can you give the jury any other reason why Alexander Sullivan should be an enemy of Dr. Cronin?"
"I can give none except personal revenge."
"Revenge for what?"
"Because this man found him guilty of crime, of theft."
"By this man you mean Dr. Cronin?"
"Yes sir; and also because of treacherous conduct to members of the organization."
"Do you believe, Mr. Dillon, that Dr. Cronin's opinion of Sullivan was correct?"
"I do now. I used to think he exaggerated Sullivan's importance. I looked upon him then as only an ordinary villain. But Cronin looked upon him as a very dangerous man and a very able man."
"At the time of the existence of this so-called Triangle, Sullivan, Boland and Feeley, do you know of their betraying any members of the order?"
After a long pause the witness replied: "No; I believe men have been betrayed."
"Could these men whom you believe to have been betrayed, have been betrayed without the knowledge of the Executive?"
"No, they could not otherwise be betrayed."
"And men were betrayed?"
"I believe so."
"They were not known to anybody outside of the Triangle?"
"They were not supposed to be known."
"If known, where would those outside receive their information from?"
"The executive; the Triangle and Executive were the same thing."
"At that time who were the Executive?"
"Alexander Sullivan, Dennis C. Feeley and Michael Boland."
"Have you ever heard from any of the members that Dr. Cronin, in conversation, has charged that Alexander Sullivan had anything to do with betraying the members?"
"No; I don't think the doctor has ever charged that against Sullivan. He has told me that he believed men had been betrayed through the intimacy of Alexander Sullivan with Le Caron."
"Was Le Caron a member of a camp in Illinois?"
"Yes, sir; in Braidwood, Ill."
"Who is Le Caron?"
"Well," the witness said, smiling, "I wish they had tackled him instead of Dr. Cronin. I didn't know him personally."
"What position did he hold?"
"He held the position of chief officer—what would be the same as president in an ordinary society."
"Was he once considered a good member of the order?"
"Yes, sir."
"Is he considered such now?"
"Not at all; certainly not."
"Have you any other information, Mr. Dillon, which would be proper for you to give this jury, sitting to inquire into the death of Dr. Cronin, which would assist them in arriving at the cause of his death?"
"Well, I believe his death is the result of the abuse heaped upon him by the friends of Alexander Sullivan. He has been denominated a spy and a traitor, perjurer, and in fact all the invectives have been piled upon him that could be heaped upon the head of any man by the friends of Sullivan, all because of Cronin's enmity to Sullivan."
"Why did Cronin have any enmity toward Sullivan?"
"Because he believed, as I do, that he was a professional patriot, sucking the life-blood out of the Irish organizations, and we tried to purify the organization by removing from its head such men as Alexander Sullivan."
"Do you know the reason why Alexander Sullivan left the order?"
"I can tell you the general opinion in the order on that question. We believed that he left the order because he thought that his crimes would find him out, and that Cronin, John Devoy, I and others who were endeavoring to purify the organization would finally bring them to judgment before the rank and file. I believe that when he resigned he did not cease to rule. I have seen his handwriting on circulars issued to the United Brotherhood a year after his resignation was supposed to have taken place."
Continuing, Mr. Dillon said that immediately after hearing of the disappearance of Dr. Cronin, he came to the conclusion that he had been murdered and urged the Executive to appropriate $3,000 to hunt up the murderers. The reply was made, however, that there was no proof that he was dead. In reply to a question the witness said:
"I will give you facts that may show animus. Dr. Cronin saw that the friends of Alexander Sullivan in Chicago were in the habit of saying that the verdict, on the trial at which Dr. Cronin was one of the jurors, was in favor of Alexander Sullivan. The verdict was supposed to be kept secret, but it somehow leaked out through the organization, unofficially, what the verdict really was, and the two doctors were pointed out as the only two men who found Sullivan guilty of any crime, and that Alexander Sullivan was not guilty. Dr. Cronin, in order to prove that he was in possession of information which, if they heard, or he was permitted to read, would prove the guilt of Alexander Sullivan, stated that he had in his possession at least three hundred pages of testimony which would be produced at the coming convention, to prove that these men were all the charges had specified they were. The executive ordered him to send that 300 pages of testimony to the chairman of that body, but he refused to hand them over."
"When was the convention to be?"
"The date of the convention was not decided on; it was to be at some future time. Dr. Cronin said it would be necessary for him to hold these documents, so that in the coming convention he would have something to justify the verdict he had given of guilty."
"What was the verdict?"
"There were four verdicts. There were no majority or minority reports. The vote of the jury was 3 to 3, a tie, as to the guilt or innocence of Sullivan and the others. They heard all the evidence, that is this evidence that Dr. Cronin was going to publish at the coming convention."