The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-10

Since Entering Joliet Prison He Ha
Never Referred to tho TRAGEDY.

JOLIET, ILL.,. Dec. o-Martin ]. Burke, one OF
the men sent to Joliet prison for life for COM
plicity In the noted murder OF DR.. Cronin, Of
Chicago. died at the penitentary this evening
OF quick consumption. Tho long expected
confession did not materialize, as far
as known. Burke contracted severe
cold while working in the cooper shop last sum-
mer, and was transferred TO lighter work. He
steadily grew worse, however, and in September
was placed in the hospital, suffering from tho
disease which carried him away. His decline
has been rapid. and yesterday after making an
examination OF the man, DR.. Fredercks, the
prison surgeon, expressed the opinion that
Burke could not live more than a week.
Barke was conscious OF his rapidly approach
ing end, and requested yesterday TO see Father
Daniel, Catholic priest who visits the prison.
Father Daniel came this morning, aud after
noting the condition of the man ali ministered
the last sacrament The end came rather un-
expectedy this evening. tie was sitting in q
chair talking to his nurse about him.
self. aud had just said: ''If 1 die I
want Forest to come down and take
my body 10 my folks" when his head fell for
ward, and after one or two gasps iifc was ex-
tinct. Forest is the attorney who conducted
Burke's defense and has since labored assid-
ously with an appeal to the supreme court. The
prison officials say that never 20 their knowledge
since his imprisonment has Burke spoken one
word in regard to the Cronin murder.
CHICAGO, Dec. 9--The fate of nearly all the
promident actors in the Cronin murder. to
which the latest addition is the death
of Martin Burke at Joliet tonight
forms a remarkable chapter Pat OSulli-
van, one of Burkes fellow prisoners, died
in prison last Nav, and about a month before
John Beggs, who as senior guardian of Camp 20,
of the Gamma Gael, was prominently identified
with the case, died. DR.. Lewis. the dentist who
was working oa Cronia's teeth at the time
OF the murder, has recently died OF
consumption. Edward Spellman, a wealthy
brewer OF Peoria, who testified in the case as q
prominent Clan-na-Gael member, was killed
about year ago by fall from .
another Clan Gael man, 10 permanently
crippled from a fall one night while
on his way to meeting OF Camp 10 Michael
Cannon, q witness in the case, popularly
supposed to have had much knowledge
OF the trouble leading up to the murder,
died recently of pneumonia Frank
Shea, another important witness, went
in the same way. Peter McGeehan, who was
aceosted on the street about Q week before
the fatal night by Cronin himself and
accused OF being a party to the plot to
murder him, secured work In South
Side rolling mill and met q horrible
death one day by falling into . pit Robert
Gibbons, who was an slibi witness for Burke.
got into quarrel . couple OF years ago
with Police Capt schuettler, who was
active in running down Cronin conspirators,
and as the result Of q threatening movement ON
Gibbons part, Schuettler shot him and was ex-
onerated by a coroner's jury. In addition
eral other deaths have occurred in the "anti-
Cronin gang" some Of them natural and some
violent
burke bought the furniture for the cottage
to which &ronin was lured for butchery. 1t is
not certain that he did the killing or was in the
house on the night of the slaughter. Cooney
the Fox, who probably did the job, was never
caught. Iceman OSullivan, In response to
whose call the doctor left homo on the fatal
night, is dead; Is the white horse of Pat
Dinan, that carried him away. and now Burke
is gone. 1t is not likely that Detective Cough
lin, the remaining prisoner, will confess, for he
can, perhaps, impiicate no one but Cooney the
Fox. aud nobody, not even Coughlin, knows
where he is.