Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-24
THE CHICAGO MYSTERY.
Inquest on DIR. CrOnin's Body Post
pOned-What the Autopsy Showed.


the murdered Irish-Nationalist which was to
have been held yesterday afternoon, has been
postponed until next Tuesday, pending the
action of several secret conferences and the
accumulation OF some much needed evidence.
The coroner empanelled a jury who looked at
the body and were then dismissed Suisse
| quently Drs. Todd. Egbert and Miles held a
post-mortem examination. Their work con-
sumed the greater part of the afternoon. They
refused to give the press the result Of their
examination, declaring that they we're under
oath not to divuige anything until the day of
the inquest. During the autopsy the crowd in
| front OF the station-house was so great
| that policemen were detailed to keep the
sidewalks clear. When the schools were
| dismissed for the day hundreds of
| children swarmed into the street in front
Of the building and watched the big black I'M
dertakers wagon which was to take the body
| TO town. The police were often compelled to
| dispense the noisy little curiosity seekers. At
| D O'Clock the body. wrapped in sheets, WAS
| transferred from the morgue to the wagon, and
five minutes later it was OH its way to Byrne 4
| CAROLS undertaking rooms on East Chicago
| avenue. Big. ruddy-faced RoeH,h. who found
DIR. Cronlns body in the catch basin, and who
| remained at the station-house all afternoon
| was told that at a secret conference of the dead
| mans friends ii had been agreed to pay him
$4,000 for his discovery. The young man went
| away as soon as the black wagon with the corpse
| disappeared.
| WHAT THE AUTOPSY SHOWED.
DR.. Todd said last night that the skull Of the
dead man was cut open and the brain removed.
After the scalp had been taken off the physi-
| clans discovered that the bones composing the
skull had scarcely been marked by the blows of
the sharp instrument which probably caused
the doctors death. There was no sign of con-
gestion about the brain. but the lungs and pull
mouary cavity were filled with blood Dr.
Todd says this might have resulted from the
fact that Cronin's body was placed head down.
ward IN the catch basin. cut one-half inch
deep was found upon the neck and several
bruises upon the lower limbs The theory
that DIR. Cronin Was chOked to death was ex-
plOded. The doctors found no signs of suffoca-
ton. The passage through the windpipe was
unobstructed- DR.. Todd declares that both he
and his colleagues were surprised at the fact
that there was no fracture on the skull bones or
small bones about the face. Even the inner
table OF the skull was intact. DIR. Todd is of
the opinion that the cuts in Cronin's scalp must
nave been made with a knife or some lighter
weapon than an ice-pick or Ratchet. but he
cannot account for the cause of death except
from the Commissions resulting from severe
blows The rest of the doctors were of the
opinion that Cronin might have been killed by
the blow at the outer corner of his left eye
Even this blow not hard enough to frac-
ture or splinter the bones
1t is said that the friends of DR.. Cronin are
satisfied from their experience since his mvs-
FERROUS disappearance that the influence which
worked to kill the Irish leader permeated no
less powerful body than the Chicago police
force. When the inexplieable absence of
Dr. Cron1n was first announced the police
authorities assigned detectives on the case
two men whom friends of the dead man have
every reason to believe were not desperately
anxious TO solve the mystery. One of them is
relative OF one of the suspects. The other is
a member OF the same faction of the Irish
party which is charged with the terrible crime,
and he is also member of the committee
which tried DIR. Cronin for treason.
When the action of the police authorities be-
came known TO DIR. Cronin's friends they be-
came alarmed, but manifested an indifference
which created no suspicious. When, however.
1t became known that DR.. Cronin had been
killed. the case was instantly transferred from
the hands of the police force to those of the
Plnkertons. This agency is now pursuing the
only intelligent search for the assassins That
they have damaging evidence against many of
DIR. Cronins enemies will be developed in the
next forty-eight hours. The dIstrust enter
tanned by DIR. Cronin's friends of the Chicago
police force, while warranted by the strange
conduct of certain officers in the selection of
detectives. finds its origin in the ramifications
OF the Clan-na-Gael. The friends prefer to
leave the matter with body of men picked for
the purpose and VINO are known not to be in
huenced by politics or sentiment. All the sus-
poets are now being Swallowed by Pinkerton
men.
There are now three suspects. Two of them
are under surveillance. These men are be-
heved TO be so close associated with the foul
murder as to be able to tell how it was consum-
mated. There Is another class of suspects
These are the leading conspirators, who, while
they presumably took no hand in the actual
assassination, gave it their Endorsement if not
their hearty support.
Irish citizens who are prominently connected
with the Irish National league and the Gamma
Gael in Philadelphia were emphatic yesterday
in their denunciation of Dr. Cronins murder.
DIR. Peter McCahey, of the Clan Gael, said:
Il believe it will be but short time when
every man implicated in DIR. Cronin's murder
will be arrested. DIR. CrOnin was the purest
most patriotic and untiring man ever met
Assertions that his disappearance was due to
eccentricity or to having been in the
pay of the British government are malicious
faisehoods, known to be such by those
engaged in circulating them. Apollo
giles are IN order from a number of those most
prominent IN assigning reasons for his disap-
pearance and maligning his character. John
Fitzgerald. president of the Irish National
league, should express his profound regret for
having attempted to lead the public into the
belief That DIR. Cronin had gone away to build
up practice in some other city, and also state
who it was that induced him to make such a
deliberate mlsstatement. The Clan-na-Gael
society are determined to find and punish the
murderers, and have, therefore, offered $780,
900 for their capture"
John O'Callaghan, secretary OF the Irish Ma
ton league IN that city, said: "Dr. Cronin held
no office whatever in connection with the Irish
National league. He NAV have been a MEM
Der of some local branch in his native city,
There is no doubt that Dr. Cronin knew that
certain sums of money appropriated for Irish
purposes had been mlsused. A certain class OF
men looked on DR.. CrOnin as a man who would
make trouble for them in the near future"
No Cents i'm the South.
From the Memphis avalanche.
II can't understand why copper cents are not
circulated here" said bank teller. lone of
our largest retail dry-goods houses tried to in
troduce them a year or more ago, and sold
goods at prices that required their use. but
people would buy enough to make the scent
piece come In for change. We ordered a big
lot OF cents, expecting TO get them off. but it
wouldn't work. Now, in the north you have
use for copper all the time in trading, and let
me tell Won that the saving 70 tba buyar %