Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-24
Hunting an Assassin.
Hot on the Trail of Or. Cronin's
Murderers.
SUSPECTS UNDER SURVEILLANCE.


Sensational Statement by q Police Ohacer
He Says He Has Named the AIiscreants
The Doctor Declared to Have been the
Victim of an Irish Political Plot-The
Latest INSTRUMENTATION and Finerty
Discredit the Conspiracy Theory.
CHICAGO, May A-To attempt to detail
all the clues that the police and others say
they have as to the murderers of DIR. Cronin
would require book. One thing most of
those acquainted with the case are agreed
upon is that the doctor was the victim of an
Irish political plot and it is claimed that
when the truth comes out there will be some
prominent men involved. States Attorney
Longnecker, Attorney w. j. Hynes and
many others connect the murder with the
disputes over the disposition of the Land
League funds, the doctor having frequently
asserted that they were being stolen.
House Renting Mystery.
One of the most important clues yet found
in the case was the statement made by Pat
rick o. Sullivan, the ice dealer, that some
thing mysterious regarding the renting of
cottage near his residence had taken place,
the people who had rented the cottage never
appearing to take possession, though they
had paid their first months rent He thought
the matter should be investigated, as he had
understood that the cottage was rented by
some one who pretended TO be going to work
for him, though no such persons had been
engaged by him. As far as he knew, after
no cnraSx hn TOD L.
in their carpets, about three weeks ago, they
never came near the house 1t is also said
that blood was found in some portions of the
house, but the police have charge and will
permit no outside interference 1t was at
Sullivan's house that the men who called on
Dr. Cronin two weeks ago said the patient
was who needed the doctor.
An Offer for Assassination.
Again it is stated that notorious criminal
once was offered money to murder Dr. p H.
Cronin. The man who made the offer was,
according to the statement of the criminal a
police officer. The officer he names is on
duty at the Chicago Avenue station and has
been at work on the Cronm case ever since
the doctor disappeared. This story comes
from the Conklins, the people with whom
the doctor boarded, and they say it was told
them by the doctor, who was visited by
Maj" Sampson, a notorious crook, who told
the doctor that an offer had been made to
him to kill the doctor. The person who
made the offer was a police officer.
He Has Named the Men.
when l said could point out DR.. Gro
Minis murderers l meant it. l have told the
officers all that know, and the guilty men
will be arrested before the week has passed
These words were uttered by Capt. O'Con-
nor, one of the men who said, '"Show me DR..
Cronin's body and will point out his muir
derers" Capt. OConner has kept his word
that is, if his suspicious are correct. The
captain added that Others know as much as
be does, but they seem afraid to talk-afraid
OF a band of assassinS stronger than the gov
eminent He said further: This murder
viii implicate some men you would little
dream of. l believe have told the officers
all l know. DR.. Cronin was killed because
he had damning evidence against certain men
who have made money out of their activity
in Irish affairs, not because there was any
danger of Ireland's enemies obtaining Tie
advantage of his knowledge He was killed
by Catholics too"
Pinkerton at Work.
The case has been placed in the hands of
Detective Billy Pinkerton, and the work of
ferreting out the actual conspirators is now
being pushed. There are three suspects
Two of them are under surveillance These
men are believed to be SO closely associated
with the foul murder as to be able to tell
how it was consummated There is another
class of suspects These are the leading
conspirators, who, while they probably took
no hand in the actual assassination, gave it
thalr lD1OrSRmanf If THAR
port
Are the Police Involvede
The party friends of DR.. Cronin have be-
gun their work of investigation on eau
tious basis Their experience soon after the
mysterious disappearance of DR. Cronin has
satisfied them that the influence which
worked TO kin the Irish leader permeated a
no less powerful body than the Chicago DO
lice force. When the inexplicable absence
of DR.. Cronin was first announced the police
authorities assigned as detectives on the case
two men whom the friends of the dead man
have every reason to believe were not des-
perately anxious to solve the mystery, and
they are industriously looking up their rec
ords.
The Murdered Mans Brother
John Joseph Cronin, an elder brother of
the murdered man arrived in this city YES
terday from Bradford, Ark, where he has a
farm. He is decidedly granger in appear
ance and not very familiar with the ways Of
the city. He was taken down to view the
body in the Lake View police station, and
after he had overcome his first repulsion and
mastered his feelings sufficiently, made q
very careful examination of it. There can
be no doubt at all that that is my brothers
body" he said. Il know it beyond all cues
tion," and he wiped a tear from his eve as Z,
said so.
Finerty and Egan.
A telegram from Washington City saws
that John F. Finerty, the we'll known cham
pion Of the Irish cause in Chicago, is there,
but he fatty refused to be interviewed or
even to write an interview with himself for
publication. He would only say that while
knowing nothing except what he had read in
the papers, he did not believe that Cronin
was killed by any organized band of Irish
men. Patrick Egan, the minister to Chill,
who, when in this city last week, said he did
not believe Cronin had been removed, reit-
Grated that statement when approached by a
Washington City reporter. The same view
is held at St Louis.
Rosch, the man who discovered the BODY
Of the doctor, will get the $1,000 offered by
Cronin's friends for proof whether he was
dead or alive
DR. Cronin's funeral will take place Sun
day next
Democrats Gain in West Virginia.
WHEELING, w. Va, May 24-The school
elections throughout the state show great
Democratic gains, and the majority in the
state is about 5000. Preston, which gave
uo,. oh Srv