Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-05-30
FOULLY MURDERED.
DR.. Cronin, the Missing Chicago
Man. Was Really Murdered.

His Purifying Body Found by a Ganp n
Laborers in a Catch Basin at Lake
Flew-Every Vestige of Clothing
stripped from the Corpse.
CHICAGO. May 23.-The BODY of p. n
Cronin. the Irish agitator who disap.
peared from his home two weeks ago
was round last evening at five O'Clock on
evanston avenue. A towel was wrapped
about the head, but the rest of the body
was stark naked. The Catholic charm,
called the Agnus Del, which the doctor al.
ways wore next his skin, suspended aboui
MS neck, was untouched. On the head
were the marks left by dozen deep cuts.
which severed the scalp and indented the
skull.
1t is the opinion of the police that Gro
min was foully murdered, and by some
one who could not bring himself to dis
turb Catholic charm.
gang of Iaborers in the employ of the
Lake View city government have been
cleaning the bitches along Evanston ave-
nue. during the week. Yesterday Fore
man Henry Roesch and two men were
working north on the east side of Evans
ton avenue toward Fifty-ninth street. AS
they neared the catch basin at the cor
ner they noticed strong smell of putri-
Tying flesh, and Roesch pried off the top
or the catch basin with his spade and I'M
covered the body of DR.. Cronin. 1t had
apparently been thrown into the basin,
for the head was down and the feet and
legs were i'll the sewer opening.
The corner of Fifth street and Evans
ton avenue is about three hundred yards
from the Argyle Park station on the Chl-
cago & Evanston branch of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul railroad. 1t is but
two Or three blocks from the lake, and
about nlne-tenths of a mile north from
the corner of Sulzer street and Evanston
avenue, where the empty trunk was found
on the day after Cronin disappeale
There are four catch basins at the inter-
section of the streets, and the body was
round IN the one on the southeast corner.
Itseems altogether remarkable that it
was not sooner discovered for the Lake
View police started out to search all the
catch-basins in the city the week after
the blood-stained trunk was found.
Immediately upon taking the body out
of the basin, Foreman ROesch notified the
Lake View police, and summoned the
patrol wagon. The body was stretched
out i'll the Lake View morgue, which oc-
cupies the front room in the basement
under the station.
Telephone messages were sent TO the
city police, and an hour after the finding
of the body dozen of Cronin's friends
were at the station. John E. Scanlon,
Mortimer Scanion and John F. Scanlon
were among the first who arrived. They
Identified the body as that of Cronin upon
hrst sight Later it was positively iden-
titled by L. L. Conklin, the saloon keeper
with whom Cronin lived, and by James
Boland and Patrick Notary.
In the evening DR.. J. r. Brandt presi-
dent of Cook County Hospital staff, care
fully examined the body and positively
identified it as that of Cronin. He dis
covered upon the head the following cuts
and bruises: Over the left temple cut
four inches long, through the scalp and
into the skull; over the left parietal bone
a cut one and half inches long which
also marked the skull; also cut one and
a half inches long over the frontal bone
at the junction of the left parietal. A
cut three inches long through the
scalp and marking the occipital bone;
another two inches long, also marking the
occipital bone; a large bruise back OF
the forehead on the right parietal bone,
and two cuts each an inch long; bruises
On the left leg and severe Commissions, APP
parently made by a bludgeon, on the fore
head. The doctor said that the blows
must have been made by some sharp in
strument, perhaps an ice pick. He said
if the instrument had not been sharp the
skull would have been fractured, where
as it was only indented or marked by the
blows. DR.. Brandt examined the hair
found in the trunk on Evanston avenue |
and stated that it was DR.. CrOnin's hair. |
There are other reasons for believing |
that Cronin's body was carried in the |
trunk. There was cotton found about the |
feet and under the chin of the corpse of |
the same quality as the cotton found in |
the trunk, and the threads of cloth found |
In the cotton in the trunk correspondent in |
appearance with the threads of the towel |
about Cronin's head. When |
this towel was removed part Of Cronin's |
came with it, showing that de-
was alre ady far advanced. |
The body was much swelled, owing to its |
However. there can be no mistake as to |
he identification.
cit is CrOnin's body" said Jno. F. |
5canlon. 81 knew it the minute l entered |
he room, and was certain of it then as
am now, after making a most careful |
If 1 had nothing else to go
by, 1 could identify it by the teeth.
CrOnin had two large front teeth remain
ng on the upper jaw and the left eye
Doth gone. His lower teeth were dark in
color, set quite far apart and rounded in
shape. l can identify the body also by
he shape of the forehead. by the express
sion of the mouth, and even by the hair
which remains, and the mustache and
,oatee. believe that he was the victim
If the foulest of murders. l be-
ieve that the fact that the Agnus
Del was untouched is most significant.
believe that the suspicion we have all
along entertained as to the manner of his
leath was Well grounded, and 1 expect to
lee the perpetrators of the deed brought
20 justice. Cronin's friends and fellow
workers will spare no money or pains to
BRING about such a result, and will not
stop until the instigators, as well as the
of the crime are discovered.
DR.. Lewis, the dentist who last worked
IN Cronin's teeth, reached the station
Identified the body, as did A. c. O'Keefe,
Who for many years was CrOnin's tailor.
dr. Scanlon intended at first to send for
Hrs. Conklin, but later it was thought I'M
necessary.
-
Profit-Sharing Scheme.
FALL RIVER, Mass, May pa sensation
vas caused here yesterday morning by
circular issued by the directors of the
Bourne Mills corporation offering its
employees a share in the profits from July
70 To, in 70 |