The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-14
A YOUNG CRIMINAL.
The Career of Johnny Cronin, of
San Francisco,
A MEMBER OF THE MISSION GANG.
His Escape From ST. Vincent's Asylum-I
Caused the Death of Several PeOple-He
Fired the Building.

[Specialto THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch.
New YORK. Jan. 13.--The Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Children is in
vestigating the story of John Cronin, the
lad who says he is Californian, and who
was arrested Sunday while hiding in the
hold of the Pacific Mail steamship New
port, bound for San Francisco. A reporter
who knew him in San Francisco, his
home, recognized him this morning, as the
leader of the gang of youthful desperadoes
who two years ago set fire to ST. Vincent's
Orphan asylum, at San Rafael Cronin
planned and carried out the inhuman plot
which resulted in the loss of three young
lives
''Tell me all about it, said the reporter.
SIT is so long ago that 1 have nearly for
gotten it," the young criminal began.
"Mother is dead. l was born in what is
called the Mission of San Francisco where
father now lives. My brother and /, he is
two years older, raced around the streets
with the Mission gang, not the old time
Mission gang, but what we called the kids
because all Of US were shavers. Father
put us in S Vincent's Catholic asylum at
San Rafael There was teacher there,
low. He was awfully cruel TO US boys,
told him one day would get even with
him and did, johnny says, 1.-THE slob we
called him. Jimmy O'Brien and four
others and got together. Weheld coun-
Gil. We all wanted to get away but could
not do so unless we tore down the walls.
Finally I said Let's set the building on fire
and then they must let US OUT The others
agreed, so we waited till night and when
everything was quiet in the dormitory, we
took down the lamps, and out of each we
| poured little of the Oil into a can. l
waited until it was nearly 8 o'clock in the
morning. Then l aroused the fellows and
softly seven Of US crept out OF the dormi-
tory down stairs, Tom the watchman fol-
! lowing u.s. He was in the way, so l said,
Fellows, let's bind and gag Tom We
did, poor fellow, and he was burned nearly
to death
1--WE found the stairway after taking the
| keys from the watchman. | heard since"
and as Cronin spoke there was nothing of
| sorrow or regret in look or voice. II have
| heard since that William Graham, who was
cripple, was caught in the fire in the pa
| yilion and burned to death. Two others in
attempting to escape were drowned trying
TO get across the marsh near the asylum.
Sales and L and the rest of the gang got
safely away. We went to San Francisco,
but some of them who hid around San
Rafael were caught and taken back to the
asylum. l was caught myself, but slipped
away from the officer as he was trying to
take me on the boat. Three times / have
been recaptured since and each time got
away ] had heard so much about New
York and Boston that [ resolved to come
here. Four boys, named O'Brien, Nc
earthly, Flanerty and Brown, who all es-
capped from st. Vincent's, resolved to steal
our way across the country. Brown, he
was the biggest of the gang, had S10O I
don't care what they do with me so long as
they don't hang me. l want to go back to
Frisco
"Are you not afraid that they will put
you in prison thereH'
mo, they can't prove anything against
| me- -