River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-12-15
DIED I'M PRISON.

DIED I'M PRISON.
Martin Burke, One of the Murderers ~ f,r
Cronin, PASSES Away In the Pcniien-
tiary Hospital at Joiiet-His Connection
with the Crime.
JOLIET. ILL.,, Dec. 10 Martin Burke
is dead, and the mouth of another Gro
min conspirator is thus sealed. He
died and made no sign. OF the con-
victed murderers only Dan Coughl'n
remains He is serving a life sentence
in the prison O'Sullivau. the iceman,
died last winter without making any
public confession. With the death OF
Burke the unpublished conspirators OBJ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 dxrse was hopeless.
When Burke first entered the peni-
Tertiary in January, 1890. he was
placed in the cooper shop. lie re-
manned there until last summer, when
he contracted a severe cold which
steadily grew worse and necessitated
his change to lighter work. After a
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 steadily declined, and DIR. Fred
erick, 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 well 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 sacraments
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" lie referred to
w. S. Forrest, who conducted his case
cud has since been busy in carrying
the Crouin case to the supreme court.
Burke had hardly made this refer
ence to Forrest before his whole frame
was shaken by sort of CONFUSION.
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.
Burke's 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 for
the killing. According TO partial con-
tession, said TO have been made by Iceman
o 'Sullivan, Burke waited inside the doorway
Of the Carlson cottage on the ght OF the muir
der armed with a club. O'Sullivan, who did
not know that murder was TO he done. hurried
from The house and standing outside heard the
blows and Ir Cronin's shrek. This story cor.
rotorated the theory OF the prosecution. 1t was
supposed that Burke struck the fatal blows.
Burke appeared early In the conspiracy and
was seen by Hakan Martinson, the express
1river when the furniture purchased by the
mysterious y. B. Simonds" or Williams"
arrived at the cottage March %. 1889. 1t was
claimed on the tral that Burke had previously
been seen at the rooms that were prepared at
III Clark street and afterward vacated. Burke,
from all accounts, was an ignorant working
man. Inscriptions ard prejudiced entirely I'M
der the influence Of the shrewder members OF
Camp 20 When the cottage had been rented
Burke was seer by the Carlsons. who lived next
door, and he told Them his brother who was an
invalid, was coming 10 occupy the rented house.
After the murder and the finding of DIR. Gro
nn's body Burke did not figure a. suspect
until he had been described by the Carlsons
and Martinson, the expressman Descriptions
Of him were sent broadcas. ana ON June
IL he was arrested at Winnipeg, Manitoba.
When taken into usf0dy he threatened that
some one would suffer for his arrest On June
q he was fully indebted by Martinson and
Oficer Collins There was some trouble in Sc
curing extradition papers and Burke was held
by the dominion authorities to wait further evil
dence. On June go Burke and six others we're
indicted by the grant jury. On June 30 the
court at Winnipeg ordered his extradition.
further Identification having been made by
Charles Carlson On July "a Burkes lawyers
mace an unsuccessful attempt 10 secure his re-
lease Not until August 5did the prisoner reach
Chicago He was kept under guard at the po-
lice stations until August 8, when he was re-
moved to the county jail
The next day he was arraigned and pleaded
mot guilty" The trial began August so Every
web OF evidence drew Burke deeper into the
dark conspiracy. 1t was shown that be pre-
pared the cottage, was there on the night Of
the murder with Coughlin and others, with
whom he had been drinking and that previous
TO the killing he had INDUCED in threats OF a
violent nature. During the long trial he re-
manned stubbornly indifferent and received his
life sentence with no show of emotion The
prosecution never had much hope Of securing
confession from him, O'Sulivan being the one
whom they thought might "sqneal" after a
year or two OF Imprisonment
Martin Burke belonged to that class OF
Irish with the transmitted hatred OF centuries
for informers in his heart and his impulsive
nature and uncultvated mind made him an
easy tool of those who wished 10 play upon his
patriotism. To an Irishman with nationalist
feelings informer is the worst detested and
the vilest thing on earth. and he who puts such
a out Of the way is regarded as hero by
Irish revolutionists Of extreme views II
Burke had any hand in the murder of DIR.
Cronin IL was, his friends say, because he was
led by knaves TO believe that the doctor was
an informer and in the pay of England Ig-
norant, devoted, and without any of the finer
social feelings, he would naturally be selected
for desperate deed. His vanity could be
played upon until be was brought TO the belief
that TO assassinate man denounced as an in
former by those whom he trusted was to play
the heroic role OF an avenglng patriot
Operatives Starving.