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
Tschappatt innocently replied that he was in on it. "How is the
money to be made?" he asked.
Leading Tschappatt over to one corner of the saloon, the bailiff
revealed the scheme.
"I'll tell you what I want you to do," he said. "Get on the jury,
if you possibly can, and there's a thousand dollars in it for you
if you stick out for an acquittal."
Tschappatt immediately tore himself away from the bailiff's grasp,
and replied emphatically that he would have nothing to do with it.
"You ought to know me well enough, Soloman," he said, "to know that
no amount of money could bribe me to defeat the ends of justice. If
the prisoners on trial are guilty of what they are charged with, I
say hang them, and everybody else who is connected with the
conspiracy. No, sir; you can't bribe me, and you ought to know
that."
With this the venireman attempted to get away from the bailiff, but
Soloman held on to him with a vise-like grasp.
"Don't be a fool, Tschappatt," said Soloman, "you're a poor man,
and ought to know that a thousand dollars is not to be picked up
every day. Now, listen to me, and I'll show you how you can make it
and nobody will ever be the wiser. If you properly answer the
questions put to you by the lawyers you will in all probability be
passed and sworn in as a juror. Now, I'll see that you get the
money--leave that to me. Of course the money won't be given to you,
but your wife will get it, so it will be all the same. On a certain
day that you will appoint she will appear in court wearing a
certain dress that you will designate. By that you will know that
she has received the money, and if she doesn't wear that dress you
will know the reverse. But don't let that trouble you. She'll get
the money.
"Soloman," said Tschappatt, "what kind of a man do you take me for?
You first ask me to sell myself and then you want to drag my wife
into it. I have a good mind to knock you down. You deserve it."
"Well, there's no use getting hot about it," said Soloman. "I
thought I was doing you a good turn, and only that we have known
each other for years I would not have put a thousand dollars in
your way. But you can do just as you please about it--accept it or
reject it. If I were you, however, I would consider the
proposition. It will be many a long day before you get a chance
again to make a cool thousand."
Tschappatt replied that he would not entertain the matter for a
moment, "and if I had known this was the reason," he said, "that
you called me out I would not have come."
They then returned to the criminal court building, Soloman still
talking about the proposition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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