Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-12-17
DIED IN PRISON.
Martin Burke, Ono of the NIurdcrers of DIR.
Cronin, Passes Away In the Peniten-
tinry Hospital ut Joliet-Iis Connection
with bn Cri,pn


with the Crime.
JOLIET, ILL.,, Dec. 1o.-Martin Burke
rs dead, and the mouth of another Cro-
min consprator is thus sealed. He
died and made no sign. OF the con-
victed murderers only Dan Coughlin
remains. He is serving a life sentence
in the prison. O'Sulllvan, the iceman,
died last winter without making any
public confession. With the death of
Burke the unpunished conspirators OBJ
tain new safety. Burke has been fail
ing for months, wasting away with
consumption. For weeks he lay in the
hospital A month ago it became APP
parent that his case was hopeless.
When Burke first entered the peni-
tentiary in January, 1890, he was
placed in the cooper shop. He re-
manned there until last summer, when
he contracted a severe cold which
steadily grew worse and necessitated
his change to lighter work. After
short period in the shoe shop he went
to the idle room" for three weeks. and
afterward was removed to the hospital,
quick consumption having developed.
Since his entry to the hospital Burke
has otCdully ucCllutu, anu LII. TGu-
ericl, the prison surgeon, who made
an examination Friday of the mans
condition, expressed the opinion that
| he could not live more than week.
His end, however, came rather unex-
pectedly.
| Burke was we'll aware that his end
was near at hand, and being an ardent
Catholic, asked that Father Daniel, of
Joliet, come to see him. Father Daniel
went early Friday morning, and after
talking with the surgeon and with
Burke administered the last sacramento
of the church to the dying man.
AS he was sitting in a chair Friday
evening talking to the convict nurse
about his case he referred to the last
examination made by DIR. Frederick
and said: "Well, guess it is all up;
it's all right, anyway" After some
further conversation he reverted to his
approaching death and said: "If die
/ want Forrest to come down and take
my body to my folks" He referred to
w. s. Forrest, who conducted his case
and has since been busy in carrying
the Cronin case to the supreme court.
Burke had hardly made this refer
ence to Forrest before his whole frame
was shaken by sort of convulsion.
His head fell forward. There was a
gasp or two and he was dead. There
was no hemorrhage and death came
comparatively easy.
The prison officials say that, to their
knowledge, Burke has never spoken a
word about the Cronin case since he
has been in the prison. He not only
never mentioned it of his own accord,
but would decline to discuss it when it
was brought up. He was on friendly
terms with the attendants and talked
freely on all other subjects.
| BurlSes connection with the Cronin murder
was believed to be that of hired man. He
never stood high in the councils Of the conspir
ators, but took his orders from Dan" Cough
, lin. 1t was he who assisted in fitting up the
. Carlson cottage and making arrangements fol
, the killing According TO q partial con
ression, said TO have been made by Iceman
, O'Sullivan, Burke waited inside the doorway
OF the Carlson cottage on the night OF the mur
der armed with club. O'Sullivan, who die
not know that murder was to he done. hurried
from the house and standing outside heard the
, blows and DR.. Cronin's Shrek. This story cor
roborated the theory of the prosecution. 1t wal
supposed that Burke struck the fatal blows
= Burke appeared early in the conspiracy ant
a was seen by Haknn Martinson, the express
driver, when the furniture purchased by til,
mysterious ~. B. Simonds" or civilians
n arrived at the cottage March ~, 1889. 1t wa
a claimed on the trial that Burke had previously
. been seen ut the rooms that were prepared u
| III Clark street and afterward vacated. Burke
), from all accounts, was an ignorant working
n man, INSCRIPTIONS and prejudiced, entirely III
q der the influence of the shrewder members O
A | Camp 20 When the cottage had been rente
= | Burke was seen by the Carsons who lived mex
: | nplh hn fp1d ham no hrn tnar yhp
a invalid, was coming to occupy the rented house
a After the murder and the finding Of DIR. Gre
:, | nin's body Burke did not figure as suspeC
o o until he had been described by the Carlson
- and Martinson, the eXpressman Description
of him were sent broadcast and on Jun
II he was arrested at Winnipeg, Manitobi
When taken into custody he threatened tha
some one would suffer for his arrest On Jun
% 81 he was fully indebted by Martinson an
Oficer Collins. There WAS some trouble in 81
=. curing eXtradition papers and Burke was hel
by the dominion authorities 10 wait further ev
/ dence. On June 30 Burke and six others wer
u indicted by the grand jury. On June 30 th
= court ut Winnipeg ordered his extraditio
q further Identification having been made /
;, Charles Carlson On July "A Burke's lawyer
D mace an unsuccessful attempt to secure his +
|; lease Not until August did the prisoner reaC
(; Chicago. He was kept under guard ut the p
lice stations until August 8, when he was r
: moved to the county jail.
u mot guilty" The trial began August So Ever
!: web OF evidence drew Burke deeper into Il
= dark conspiracy 1T was shown that he pr
. pared the cottage was there on the night
the murder with Coughlin and others, wi
U; whom he had been drinking, and that previo
=, TO the killing he had nduged in threats OF
J. violent nature. During the long trial he
manned stubbornly Indifferent and received h
- life sentence with no show OF emotion It
Z. prosecution never had much hope of securing
confession from him, O'Sullivan being the o
p whom they thought might "squeal" after
- year or two of imprisonment
Martin Burke belonged to that class
Irish with the transmitted hatred OF centuri
1T for informers in his heart and his impulsi
t. nature and uncultivatod mind made him
.a easy tool Of those who wished to play upon /
patriotism. To an Irishman with national
70 feelings an informer is the worst detested a
le the vilest thing on earth, and he who puts su
r. q one out of the way is regarded as o hero
Irish revolutionistS OF extreme views
:, Burke had any hand in the murder of /
~ y, Cronin it was his friends say, because he W
-. ~ led by knaves to believe that the doctor "
-, an informer and in the pay OF England