The Helena independent., 1889-05-23
CR0NIN is FOUND.
The Body of the Missing lrish-Amer-
lean Discovered in Catch
Basin in Chicago.
The Remains Much Oecomposed. But
the Identification Said to Be
Beyond Doubt.
Lieut.. Elliott. of the Detectives. Deter
mined to Make a Rigid investigation
Talk with Woodruff

CHICAGO. May 22--The dead body of
DIR. Cronin, the Irish-American who so
strangely disappeared from his home in
Chicago two weeks ago, was found this
evening some distance out of the city in
sewer on Evanston avenue. A bloody
towel was wrapped about the head, but the
body was stark naked. A Catholic en-
blem which the doctor always wore next
his skin, suspended about the neck. was
untouched. In the head were a dozen cuts
which had severed the scalp and indented
the skull.
Ii is the opinion of the police that Gro
min was foully murdered. Much excite
ment WAS shown at detective headquarters
when all doubt as to the identity of the
body was finally removed by definite
message from Lake View. IL was evident
from the expression of the police that enc
of their first objects will be to have ex-
planned the assertions by supposed friends
of Cronin. Lieut.. Elliott, chief of detec-
tives, will have these people at the inquest
and demand an explanation full and com
plete- The detectives claim they have
been handicapped from the start by lack of
assistance from those who claimed to
know all concerning the doctors disap
pearance.
Il will have this information now" said
Elliott, ''Or there will be a number of
prompt arrests"
Wholly accidental circumstances brought
the corpse 20 light. A gang of laborers,
who were clearing the bitches along Evans.
ton avenue, noticing near the corner of
Evanston avenue and Fifty-ninth street a
strong smell of putTid flesh, one of the men
pryed off the cover at the corner and theTs
discovered the corpse It had apparently
been hastily pitched into the basin, as the
head was underneath and the feet and legs
in the opening. This basin is located
nearly mile from where the mysterious
afai r m he hav
after Cronin's disappearance. 1t seems al
together remarkable that il was not sooner
discovered, for the Lake View police
started out to search all the catch basins in
that suburb a week after the trunk was
found One of the searchers said tonight
they had missed the basin where the body
was hid.
The body was at once taken to the Lake
View morgue, and within an hour a dozen
of CrOnin's friends were at the station.
They were quite sure it was that of the
missing doctor, and their opinion was veri-
fed later by that of COnklin, with whom
CrOnin lived, and also by others. DIR.
Brandt, who examined the body, said the
blows on the head must have been inflicted
by some sharp instrument There would
seem to be no possibility of doubt as to the
Identification of the body. Among many
others who expressed a positive opinion
10 regard to il was the dentist who was re-
Gently at work on Cronin's teeth, and also
the man who for years has been CrUnin's
tailor. liz is thought CrOnin's body was
carried in the mysterious blood stained
trunk. There was cotton found about the
feet and under the chin of the corpse of the
same quality as that found in the trunk,
and threads of cloth found in the cotton in
the trunk corresponded in appearance with
the threads of the towel wrapped about
Cronin's head The body was huch
swelled and in an advanced stage of de
composition, owing to the long stay under
water Il the catch basin.
he IN n riff hn aTf
arres' MESSED 20 having helped carry off
trunk containing a corpse which he
claimed was that of woman from a barn
In the city, just after Cronin's disappear
ance, was interviewed tonight in Jail. He
manifested no surprise when told of the
discovery, but while talking freely about
the matter he seemed careful not to go out
side of the story he had originally told. He
repeatedly said ii he had not been locked
up in jail he could and would have cleared
up the mystery before this time
Alexander Sullivan, ex-presldent of the
Irish national league, was horror stricken
to night when told of the discovery of
DIR. CTOnin's body. He said he was at a
loss to know what to say, further than that
he was dumfOunded, as he was a believer
ali along that DIR. CrOnin would turn up
all right in the course of time. He had no
theories whatever to advance as to tie |
probable cause of the doctors murder. In
reference TO the statement made by some
of CroDin's friends at the time of the lat
Ter disappearance tnat ne lSulllVADl |
knew more about the matter than he cared |
TO tell. Mr. Sullivan said he had treated |
that report with contempt at the time and |
had nothing else for il now. He added he |
was horritied to hear of the murder and |
will do everything in his power TO help |
place the guilty persons where they belong. /
Shortly after the news of the finding of |
the body was received reporter called on |
Mrs. Conklin. at her home, where the doc
tor resided. When informed of the grinding |
OF the body she said she was not surprised; /
she had always said he was murdered. /
"1 ou will, said the reporter. ''undOubt-
edly give the police the benefit of your /
knowledge of DIR. Cronin's enemies 10 aid |
in finding the murderers?" ?" IL don't know /
that WILL" she replied. ''They seem 10
know so much that they won't appreciate |
what can tell them.' and Mrs Conklin /
shut the door.
Her husband had an interview with Po-
lice Captain Setback late at night, but the /
officials deny that he gave any information /
of Importance.