John F. O'Connor, Andrew Foy, Patrick J. Ford and Stephen Colleran.

By these witnesses it was sought to show that over two months before the
murder of the physician a secret committee had been appointed by Senior
Guardian Beggs, on the motion of Coughlin, to investigate the charge
that Dr. Cronin had read, in another camp, a circular antagonistic to
the triangle, and that this committee had been ordered to report to the
Senior Guardian alone.

This was the story as it had been related to Grand Jury, but on the
stand most of the witnesses resorted to all manner of strategy to hamper
the prosecution, and even the most inconsequential details of the doings
of the camp had to be wrung from them. Colleran admitted, on being
closely pressed, that he had seen Coughlin and Burke together in the
central part of the city about the time that the plot to murder Dr.
Cronin was reaching its maturity, and he also gave conclusive evidence
regarding the intimacy of Cooney "The Fox," with Coughlin and Burke.

No inclination to suppress the facts, however, was manifested by Thomas
F. O'Connor, when he took the stand. This intrepid Irishman, who had
been a member of the Clan-na-Gael for twenty-four years, was a captain
in the organization, as well as a Fenian captain, and who had, moreover,
distinguished himself as a staunch supporter of Dr. Cronin in the
latter's merciless war upon the triangle, told his story without
reserve. He said that at the meeting of Camp 20, on February 8th, Andrew
Foy, in a speech, had declared that if there were yet four British spies
in the Clan-na-Gael organization, as Le Caron had sworn before the
Parnell Commission in London, the order ought to be destroyed at once.
To this the witness, arising and facing Senior Guardian Beggs, replied
that the camps should look to the triangle for traitors, as he was
possessed of positive information that Le Caron was the agent of that
body. A scene of wild confusion ensued, a score of members leaping to
their feet and demanding the source of Captain O'Connor's information.
This he refused to give unless it was insisted upon by Beggs. While the
uproar was at its height, a motion was made by Coughlin that a secret
committee be appointed to investigate the source of O'Connor's
information, which was generally understood to be Dr. Cronin's camp.
There was no doubt but that this committee was appointed, for another
witness, Dennis O'Connor, who had been in the Clan-na-Gael o