The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-29
THE FUNERAL.
An Immense Crowd, and Some Sensational
Incidents.

An Immense Crowd, and Some Sensational
Incidents.
CHICAGO May 26.-In all its details the fu-
neral of DR.. P. H. Cronin to-day was most re-
markable affair. From one end of the big
procession to the other, through the endless
crowds on the streets among the throng in the
great cathedral, aboard train after train that,
passing the fatal cottsge sped toward Calvary
cemetery, the dead mans fearful fate was pres
ent in every mind. The corpse had been
lying in state in the Calvary armony on the
lake front, the most central point in the city,
and there early this morning the morbid and
curious with the dead mans friends made
their pilgrimage.
Armed sentinels from the Hibernian rifles
stood, arms at rest, at each corner of the
raised platform on which reposed the catafalque
and coffin. A crayon portrait of the dead
man. draped in black, stood near the coffin. A
huge cross OF white pinks and maguerites,
woven in with smilax, was at the head of the
bier. and harp and smaller cross stood at the
foot. A candelabrum with seven tapers tiickered
in front of the cross; ropes Of green smilaK
and white roses were loo ped from the coffin
and about the catafalque, and potted plants
were grouped at the corners OF the platform.
A canopy Of American flags hung above the
the bars above il.
A crowd that thronged Michigan-ave. stood
before the armory. The police kept passage
way open for those who wished to enter the
funeral hall, and two uniformed rif1emen,
leaning on bayoneted weapons, lent the
glamour of their accoutrements to the military
, air of the place. For three hours the process
sion. in double file, marched across the plat
form. Only the picture and the big silver
plate on the coffin lid testified that all
that was mortal OF DR.. p. II. Cronin was
within the casket. The apparently unending
line of sight-seers was turned out at the south
door and few people remained within the
building. At last the procession stopped and
the pall-bearers entered. At their head was
Luke Dillon of Philadelphia and Edward
O'Meagher Condor and John Dewey of New
York, and Thomas P. Tuite of Detroit. The
first three are well-known Irish nationalists and
the latter school-mate of the doctor. Follow
ing them came Frank T. Scanlan, 2. McGarry
Charles Barry. Michael Kelly, Daniel Sullivan,
Thomas McEnnery, Dudley SOlon, John /.
Golden, Maurice Morris, DR.. John Guerin, ex-
Alderman McCasley, John p. Ryan, John F.
Scanlan and w. p. Rend of Chicago. They
represented the friends of the dead man and
societies to which he belonged.
Leaving the armory, the casket was placed
in hearse, drawn by four black horses, and
the procession was formed. At its head was Il
platoon of police, with Lieut. Wilson in COM
mand. Through the dense crowds on Michigan
ave, the procession puSned It's way MarShal
p j. Cahill and his aids rode at the head of the
line. A drum corps preceded the Hibernian
rifles with arms reversed, and them came the
cortege, with its hearse in panoply of black
and guard of honor from the rifles, ana the
pall-bearers. The Clan-na-Gael guards in gray
uniforms and tricolored plumes, the uniformed
rank OF the royal arcanum in its oliye-colOred
suits and thousands of members of the ancient
order OF united workmen, without uniforms
came next. The ancient order OF Hibernians, 600
strong, several courts OF the independent order
of foresters 200 In all, and 2,1OO catholic for
esters were in line. The uniformed members
of the royal aTcanum, the royal league, the
Sheridan rifles the catholic benevolent legion
and fragments of q number of other orders
swelled the line. Marshal Cahill said that
z170 men were in the procession. The line
was thirty-hve minutes passing the corner of
Indiana and Rush-sts., four abreast Four bands
and half dozen drum corps played dirges or
marked the slow time of the funeral march.
Scores of furled flags draped in black and So
ciety banners edged with Grape were carried
by the standard-bearers The regalia and
badges with emblems of mourning the green
of Ireland and the red, white and blue, the
slow tread of the marching hosts, the sable pail
and plumes, the bands and drums with their
solemn strains made a deep impression upon
the thousands of people that crowded the
sidewalks and windows. that climbed on stoops
and boxes. that sat on roofs and the tops OF un-
finished buildings.
immense crowd was encountered. The vast
edifice was packed two hours before the cere-
monies began. On the approach of the pro-
cession the bell in the cathedral tower tolled in
measured strokes the presence of the dead. A
few moments later the organ pealed slowly a
funeral march. The pall-bearers with their
burden moved up the center aisle and low
cred the casket and catafalque in ebony
trimmings The candles of the funeral service
were placed beside it and the ceremonies of
marching societies was inadequate for the half
OF their members, though nearly one half of the
church set aside for them. Only an
escort of the Hibernian rifles, and detachments
representing the different societies, entered the
cathedral. Schmidts requiem mass was sung.
The Rev. Father Agnew was the celebrant of
the mass, with the Rev. Father Perry as as
sstant The dirges of the bands outside and
the roll of the drums that came in through the
windows from the yet moving procession threw
a shadow of the crime over the funeral vest
ments of the priests and into the solemn in-
toning of the requiem services and the deep
responses of the organ. The church was not
draped in mourning embems further than
usual at funerals, and no display was made be-
yond the customary church ceremonials, ex-
cept that requiem high mass was celebrated,
rare occurrence on Sunday.
The sermon was by the Rev. Father P. j.
Muldoon. The preacher spoke in general
terms of death and its uncertainty He told
his hearers that death might come as suddenly
and with as little warning to each of them as
TO the man who lay before them. but he hoped
in not barbarous manner. He spoke at
length of DR.. Cronin's kindness of heart, of
his generous nature. and said he died while
doing an errand of mercy. The reverend father
approached no nearer the tragedy than
these few general allusions. The friends OF
DR.. Cronin, il is said, asked that the preacher
pronounce, among other things, against the
methods of assassination by which the doctor
was killed, but the preacher feared such
course might create public excitement that