Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-24
iONCNECKER HAS A CLUE.
The Leader of the Cronin Con-
spiracy in Close Quarters.
WITHIN TWENTY-EouR HOURS.
The States Attorney is Confident OF
Having the Chief William
in Custody BY That
Time. f..
The Cronin Mystery,

The Cronin Mystery.
CHICAGO May 23.-Ths morning the Lake
View police took into custody man whom
1t is rumored they arrested in connection
with the Cronin murder This, however, the
officers denied, and said the stranger was
friend of the murdered citizen. This state
ment, however, does not meet with unquali-
fled belief. p. o. Sullivan, a Lake View ice
dealer, who is said to have made contract
with DIR. Cronin to look after any injuries
his employees might receive, was also ar.
rested.
States Attorney Longnecker says the po-
lice have received important clues this
morning, and that they expect to have the
murderer under arrest within short time.
What these clues are, or in what direction
they turn suspicion, the states attorney de-
clined to indicate.
Considerable excitement was caused by
the arrest this morning of p. o. Sullivan,
the ice dealer. 1t has been the theory of
some that Sullivan might have mentioned
the fact of his contract with Cronin to attend
his employees, and that one of them was con-
cerned in the disappearance. Sullivan was
released later, he having told the police his
men knew nothing of the contract.
Further examination goes to strengthen
the theory that it was the body of Cronin
and not that of woman, which was carried
in the trunk. In addition to establishing the
fact that the hair found in the trunk corre-
sponded with that of Cronin; that the cotton
batting found IN the trunk, and that found
with the body corresponded, it has been
shown that the towel found wrapped around
the head corresponds closely with the shred
of stuff found IN the trunk. 1t still remains
to connect the fragment of cloth clutched in
the dead mans hand with the piece from
which 1t was torn
Colonel w. p. Rend today identified the
body as that of Cronin. He said he could
lay his hand on the person who instigated
the murder of Cronin. Rend was in confer
ence with States Attorney Longnecker soon
after, at the conclusion of which neither
gentlemen would say anything more than
that several arrests would surely be made
this afternoon. BY noon over two hundred
persons had identified the body as that of
Cronin.
The states attorney said this afternoon
that he has clue, which, he is almost GER
tain will lead to the arrest, within twenty
four hours, of the leader of the conspiracy,
which resulted in Cronins death.
The coroner this afternoon impanelled q
jury to make an investigation into the cause
of the death, and then adjourned the hearing
till next Tuesday, pending the result Of the
Investigations by the police.
THE PosT-MoRTEM INVESTIGATION.
The post mortem examination on the body
of DR.. Cronin was held this evening. Dr.
Todd, the county physician, and his assist
ant, DIR. Egbert, directed the examination,
which was carefully made and occupied
nearly three hours. The skull was cut open
and the brain removed. After the scalp had
been taken off, the physician discovered that
the bones composing the skull had scarcely
been marked by the blows of sharp Instru-
ment which was thought to have caused the
Doctors death. There was no sign of
congestion about the brain, but the lungs
and pulmonary cavity were filled with blood
Physicians say this might have re-
suited from the fact of his
hntr t,1a lA,yy L.
catch basin. A cut half an inch
long was found upon the neck, and several
bruises upon the lower limbs. The theory
that he was choked to death was easily ex.
ploded. The doctors found no signs of suffo-
cation and discovered no bruises about the
neck, such as would result in strangling a
man with a towel or rope.
The physicians were taken aback on find
ing there was no fracture of any kind of the
skull bones or small bones about the face
DR.. Todd was of the o. inlon that the cuts
on the scalp must have been made by knife
or some lighter weapon than an ice-pick or
hatchet, but could not account for the cause
of his death except from contusions result
physicians could not agree as to the
cause of death, although all were
of the opinion that Cronin might have been
killed by the blow at the outer corner of the
left eye. Even this blow was not hard
enough to fracture or splinter the bones un-
der the skin.
The dentist fully identified the plate sup
porting the false teeth as one he made over
year ago for Dr. Cronin. He identified the
gold filling in one of the upper teeth
John Cronin, a brother of DIR. Cronin, ar
rived from Arkansas this afternoon, and he
positively identified the body as that of his
brother.
Friends of DIR. Cronin met this evening
and it was decided to hold the funeral SER
vices Sunday and bury DR.. Cronln in Ca
vary cemetery.
WOODRUFF INDICTED.
Woodruff, or Black, who claims to have
hauled the mysterious trunk on the night OF
Cronins disappearance, was indicted by the
grand jury this afternoon, for the theft of
the horse He still maintains that he could
clear up the trunk mystery, and the Cronln
mystery, If he were sent out with two
officers.
William b. Hotchkiss, reporter for the
Inter Ocean, did a little police work tonight
on his own account. The result may be
disclosure that another person besides
Cronin was murdered. Hotchkiss found that
the catch basin after removing
Cronins corpse. He decided to undertake
the work himself, and a little patience and
toll soon showed that he was not to go unre
warded In the bottom of a sewer basin,
concealed in the water, was found the bloody
towel exactly similar TO the one which
was wrapped around Cronin's head. Furthe +
cropping brought up human finger, so badly
decomposed that IT was impossible To deter
mine whether 1t was that OF a man or wo-
man. Recollections of Woodruff's story
about the body of woman were brought up
by the find, as well as the theory of a proba-
bic fight between Cronin and the other par
ties. The woman's body, Woodruff SAID,
was cur up in pieces. and the finding
of this finger is taken as a possible corrobo-
ration of his story. The doctors who exam
med Cronin's corpse say that none OF his
fingers were missing.
The Persian shrh in Russia.
ST. PETERSBURG, May 23.-The shah ol
Persia arrived here to-day. He was met at
the railway station by the czar and czaro-
witch, who were accompanied by brilliant
suites. All the grand dukes kwere also pres
ent The royal party entered carriages and
drove through the Newski prospect to the
imperial palace. The route was lined on
either side with troops, behind whom were
densey packed masses of citizens. The ezar
and his royal guests were greeted with ac-
clamations by the populace. -~-
The POlynesian Captains Story.
QUEBEC, May 23.-The steamer Polynesian,
oh ,,,aa - oallioinn ,y;th th, ataarna,