The Crime of the Century; Or, The Assassination of Dr. Patrick Henry CroninHunt, Henry M.
History
The Crime of the Century; Or, The Assassination of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin
Hunt, Henry M.
Cronin, Patrick Henry, 1846-1889; Trials (Assassination) -- Illinois -- Chicago
This matter disposed of to the satisfaction of all concerned, the effort
to secure twelve acceptable men was resumed. Day after day went by,
however, and little progress was made. Both the city and the country
were drawn on for material. Some of the venires were composed of the
finest looking men that had ever tramped into the dingy court room.
There were heavy manufacturers, business men of standing and influence,
and wealthy farmers from the suburbs. One man after another expressed
his belief that the prisoners were guilty, and the five men became
gloomy and morose when confronted with the substantial proof of the
terrible prejudice which existed against them. For a long while it
looked as though there were not twelve American business men of
independent means in Chicago who had not already formed a positive
opinion, and one which could not be removed by any evidence, as to the
guilt of the prisoners. The number of talesmen that passed through the
mill each day ranged from twenty to thirty. A large proportion were
excused from cause, while the others were peremptorily challenged by
the State or the defense. Freeman Gross, a capitalist; was the first man
who enjoyed any prospect of being a juror, and his selection was the net
result of seven day's labor and an expenditure by the State of over
$2,000. After however, he had been passed by both sides, matters were
brought to the attention of the State's Attorney which warranted him in
using a peremptory challenge upon the solitary occupant of the jury box
and the second week opened with seven venires exhausted and the first
selection still to be made. A bold move was made by Attorney Forrest on
a side issue at this stage of the case. Failing to obtain an order of
the Court which would enable him to secure possession of the
blood-stained specimens from the Carlson Cottage, and which were held by
the prosecuting authorities; in order that a microscopic examination
might be made by experts in behalf of the defense, the lawyer, with
three other men, invaded the Carlson cottage, disarmed old man Carlson
and Lindgren, his son-in-law, who were in the place and who presented
revolvers at their heads; and, with a jack-knife, cut several pieces out
of the floor where the blood spots were thickest, and also out of the
base-board just beneath the spot on the wall paper where the blood had
splashed when the physician was leveled by a blow upon his head. No
cognizance of these proceedings, however, were taken by the court, but
on the following day an order was issued permitting certain experts to
examine the specimens held by the State in the presence of other
witnesses. By the end of the second week fifty-one of the one hundred
peremptory challenges credited to the prisoners had been exhausted, and
still the first of the jurors was not within sight. Up to this time 327
veniremen had been examined. Of these nearly 90 per cent. had already
made up their minds; 8 per cent. were violently antagonistic to the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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