The record-union., 1892-12-10
BURKE BREATHES HIS LAST.
DIES IN THE ILLINOIS PENITEN-
TIARY OF CONSUMPTION.
Remarkable Chapter In Regard to the
Fate of Nearly All the Actors in
the Cronin Murder.
Special to the REooRD-UNIoN.

Special to the REooRD-UNIoN.
JOLIET Ill.). Dec. 9.-Martin J. Burke,
one of the men sent to the Joliet Prison
for life for completely in the noted muir
der of DR.. Cronin Of Chicago, died at the
penitentiary this evening of quick con-
sumption. The long-expected confession
did not materialize, so far as known.
Burke contracted a severe cold while
working in the cooper shop last summer
and was transferred to lighter work. He
steadily grew worse, however, and in
September he was placed in the hospital,
suffering from the disease which carried
him away. His decline has been rapid,
and yesterday, after making an exam
ination of the man, DR.. Fredercks. the
prison surgeon. expressed the opinion
that Burke would not live more than a
week.
Burke was conscious Of his rapidly ap-
preaching end, and requested Yesterday
to see Father Daniel, a Catholic priest
who visits the prison. Father Daniel
came this morning, and, after noting the
condition of the man, administered the
last sacrament.
The end came rather unexpectedly this
evening. He was sitting in a chair, talk
ing to nurse about himself, and had
just said, 'If die, [ want Forest to come
down and take my body to my folks,V y
when his head fell forward, and after one
or two gasps life was extinct.
Forest is the attorney who conducted
Burke's defense, and has since labored
assiduously with the appeal to the Su-
preme Court. The prison officials say
that never to their knowledge since his
Imprisonment has Burke spoken one
word in regard to the Cronin murder.
FATEs OF THE PROMINENT ACTORS.
CHICAGO, Dec. 9.-The fate of nearly all
the prominent actors in the Cronin muir
der, to which the latest addition is the
death of Martin Burke at Joliet tonight,
forms weirdly remarkable chapter
Pat O'Sullivan, one of Burke's fellow
prisoners, died in prison last May.
About month before John Beggs.
who, as senior guardian of Camp 20 of the
Clan- Gael, was prominently identi-
fed with the case, died.
DIR. Lewis, the dentist who was work.
ing on Cronin's teeth at the time of the
murder, has recently died of consump-
ton.
Edward Spelman, a wealthy brewer Of
Peoria, who testified i'll the case, promi-
nent member of the Clan-na- Gael. was
killed about a year ago by a fall from a
ladder.
Tom Desmond Of San Francisco. an
other member of the Clan-na-GaeI. is a
peiLldHeAb Cripple lIOIll ldll one night
while on his way TO meeting of Camp 20.
Michael Cannon, a witness in the case,
popularly supposed to haze had much
| knowledge of the trouble leading up to
the murder, died recently of pneumonia.
Frank Shea, another important wit
ness, went the same way.
Peter McGeehan, who was accosted on
the street about a week before the fatal
night by Cronin himself, and accused Of
being party to the plot to murder him,
secured work in a South Side rolling
mill and met a horrible death one day by
a fall into pit.
Robert Gibbons, who was an alibi wit
ness for Burke, got into a quarrel a
couple Of years ago with Police Captain
Schuettler, who was active in running
down the Cronin conspirators, and as
the result of a threatening movement on
Gibbons part, Schuettler shot him and
was exoGerated by the Coroner's Jury.
In addition, several other deaths have
occurred among the ANTI -Cronin Gang"
| some of them natural, some violent.