Wichita eagle., 1889-05-23
DIR. OR0NIN'S BODY FOUND.
Hidden in Sewer-Gatch Basin in Lake
view, Chicago.

CHICAGO. MAY 22.-The dead body of Dr.
P H Cronin, the Irish American who
strangely disappeared from his home in
Chicago two weeks ago, was found this
evening some distance north Of the city in
a sewer on Evanston avenue. A bloody
towel was wrapped about the head. The
rest Of the body was quite naked. A
Catholic emblem which the doctor ALWAYS
wore next to his skin suspended about the
neck was untouched. On the dead mans
head were dozen deep cuts which had
severed the scalp and indented the skull.
1t is the opinion of the police that Cronin
was foully murdered and by some man
who could not bring himself to disturb
Catholic trinket.
Much excitement was shown at detective
headquarters when doubt as to the iden-
tity of the body was finally removed by
definite messages from Lakeview. 1t
was evident from expressions of the
officials that one of the first objects
of the police will be to have number of
suspicious assertions explained, assertions
made by supposed friends of CrOnin. Lieu
tenant Elliott will have these people at
the inquest and demand an explanation in
full. The detectives claim that they have
been handicapped from the first by a lack
of assistance from those who claimed to
know all concerning the doctors disap-
pearance. Lieutenant Elliott said soon
after the finding of the body, Il will have
this information now or there will be some
arrests"
Wholly accidental circumstances
brough the corpse to light. A gang of labor
ers in the employ of the Lakeyiew sub
urban government have been cleaning
bitches along Evanston avenue during the
week. Today Foreman Henry Roach and
two men were working north of the east
side of Evanston and toward Fifty-ninth
street. AS they neared the catch basin at
the corner they noticed strong smell of
purifying flesh and Roach pulled off the
tap of the catch basin with
his spade and uncovered the
body of DR.. Cronin. 1t had
apparently been hastily pitched into the
basin for the head was underneath and
feet and legs were up in the air opening.
The place where the corpse was discovered
is about three hundred yards from the
Argyle Park station of the Chicago 81
Evanston branch of the Chicago, Milwau-
kee & ST. Paul railway. 1t is but two or
three blocks from the lake and nearly
mile north from the corner Sulzer street
and Evanston avenue where the mysteri-
Gus empty blood stained trunk was found
on the day after Cronins disappearance.
There are four catch basins at the inter
section of the streets and the body was in
the one on the southeast corner.
1t seems altogether remarkable that it
was not sooner discovered for the Lake
view police started out to search all catch
basins in dhe big suburb the week after
the trunk was found. Alderman Maxwell
of the Lakeview council, who was one of
the searching committee, said tonight:
1--WE started out two days after Cronin's
disappearance to search every catch basin
along Evanston avenue. There were tif-
teen men under Captain Wing and half a
dozen volunteers engaged in the hunt for
the body. We looked first through all the
catch basins in the neighborhood of SulZer
street and Evanston avenue, where the
trunk was found, and east and west from
that corner Then We looked through the
basins north and south along Evanston
avenue, but finally came TO the conclusion
that the trunk had been left for blind
and in all likelihood the body had been
hidden some distance away. We then
went TO Graceland and looked through
basins for half mile up and down the
avenue and along the cross streets, aud
worked five or six days before giving up
up the search. By more bad luck we
stopped two blocks north of Fifty-ninth
street. and consequently missed the catch
basin where the body was hid. >
Immediately on taking the body out of
the basin.Foreman Roach, notified the Lakes
view police station and summoned patrol
wagon. The body was stretched out in
Lakeview morgue which occupies the
front room in the basement under the
station. Telephone messages were sent to
the city police and an hour after the find
ing of the body q dozen of Cronin's friends
were at the station. The three Scaulan
brothers, who have been intimate with
DIR. Cronin, were among the first who ar
rived. They all positively identified the
body as that of Cronin on first sight;
Later IL was unQualihedly identified by
7. L. Conkling, saloon keeper.
Boand and Patrick McCarty Duringthe
evening DR. J. R. Brandt, president of the
Cook county hospital staff, who was an
acquaintance of Crnnin's, carefully exam
ined the body and positively identified it
as that of the missing man. DR.. Brandt's
examination showed that upon tie head
Were the following cuts and bruises: Over
the left temple a cut four inches long
through the scalp and into the skull; over
the left parietsl bone a cut one and a half
inches long. which also marked the skull;
also a cut one and a half inches long over
the frontal bone st the junction of the left
parletel, a cut three inches long.
Among many others the dentist who
last worked on Cronin's teeth reached
the station late in the evening
and positively identified the body
as did a man who for years has been Cron-
ms taller.
A great hubbub was caused in the su-
burb by the finding Of the corpse. Shortly
after the body had been returned 70 the
police station the street was damned
with vehicles and scores of people crowd