The Crime of the Century pot

The Crime of the Century, by Henry M. Hunt
The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Crime of the Century, by Henry M. Hunt
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may
copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or
online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Crime of the Century or, The Assassination of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin
Author: Henry M. Hunt
Release Date: May 25, 2010 [eBook #32533]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY***
E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()
Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See
32533-h.htm or 32533-h.zip: ( or
( />The Crime of the Century, by Henry M. Hunt 1
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY
Or,
The Assassination of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin.
A Complete and Authentic History of the Greatest of Modern Conspiracies.
by
HENRY M. HUNT, The Noted Journalist.
Profusely Illustrated with Original Engravings.
Apart from Its Value As a History of a Celebrated Case, the Story Itself Is of Thrilling and Fascinating
Interest.
[Illustration: From a Photograph taken just before the Murder.]
Copyright 1889, By H. L. & D. H. Kochersperger.
PREFACE
This volume is not intended as an addition to the criminal literature of the country. It has not been published
solely for the pleasure of those who delight in devouring morbid tales of crime and criminals. It rather owes
its existence to a general demand from all parts of the United States, from the Canadas, from Great Britain,

and from many points on the continent of Europe, for a complete, concise, and accurate story of one of the
greatest of modern crimes and the events connected therewith. The reports of the public press, while of the
most searching and elaborate character, have nevertheless been of necessity so disjointed, fragmentary and
confusing, covering a period of over seven months, each day and week replete with new discoveries and new
sensations, as to make it well-nigh impossible for even the most careful reader, with unlimited time at his
disposal, to grasp or comprehend anything more than the barest outline of this remarkable case. The object of
this volume therefore, is to present in consecutive form and as a complete narrative all the facts which have
been brought to light from the day of the disappearance of Dr. Cronin, to the close of the trial of those accused
of his murder. Many circumstances have combined to make the task a difficult and laborious one, but the
results are submitted in the belief that as the only effort of its kind, it will prove not only a story of thrilling
interest to the general reader, but also valuable, by its accuracy and continuity, as an historical work.
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
The Crime of the Century, by Henry M. Hunt 2
CHAPTER I.
A Crime That Shocked the Civilized World The Mysterious Stranger A Sudden Summons The Instincts of
Humanity Triumph over Personal Considerations Last Moments at Home Parting Words with a Friend Dr.
Cronin's Eventful Life How He Worked His Way Upward on the Ladder of Honor and Fame, 15
CHAPTER I. 3
CHAPTER II.
Dr. Cronin Fails to Return Home Anxiety of His Friends The Early Morning Ride to the Ice
House O'Sullivan's Surprise and Ignorance The Mysterious Wagon and Its Occupants A Bloody Trunk is
Found The Search Commenced "It is His Hair," 27
CHAPTER II. 4
CHAPTER III.
An Accidental Clue Frank Woodruff's Arrest How He Was Hired to Get a Wagon to Carry the Mysterious
Trunk to Lake View A Corpse is Dumped Out He Thinks It was That of a Woman His Sensational
Confession The Police on a Wild-Goose Chase, 46
CHAPTER III. 5

CHAPTER IV.
"It is a Conspiracy" Dr. Cronin's Friends Claim the Murder was a Political Assassination The Public
Skeptical until Startling Developments Are Made The Physician in Danger of His Life for Years Previous
Attempts to Remove Him The Trouble in the Clan-na-Gael Charges and Counter Charges The Buffalo
Convention Why His "Removal" became a Necessity to Certain People, 57
CHAPTER IV. 6
CHAPTER V.
Strange Influences at Work Miss Anna Murphy Thinks She Saw the Doctor on a Street Car His Long and
Mysterious Ride with Conductor Dwyer Reporter Long also Encounters Him, This Time in Toronto The
Police and Public Satisfied, but His Friends Still Anxious Efforts to Prove Him a British Spy A Big Reward
Offered 101
CHAPTER V. 7
CHAPTER VI.
Hoping against Hope The Stench in the Sewer "Murder Will Out" A Ghastly Discovery Where the Body
was Found The Recognition by Captain Wing Its Horrible Appearance Evidences of a Foul Crime The
Corpse at the Morgue Pitiable Scenes of Grief The Official Autopsy The Brutal Way in Which the
Physician had been Done to Death 126
CHAPTER VI. 8
CHAPTER VII.
The Crime Creates An International Sensation Discovery of the Lonely Cottage Where the Irish Nationalist
Met His Death Evidences of a Terrible Struggle The Tell-Tale Blood Stains and Broken Furniture The
Mysterious Tenants and Their Movements The Furniture Bought and Carted to the Assassins' Den What
Milkman Mertes Saw The Plot as Outlined by the Surroundings Iceman O'Sullivan Under Surveillance 154
CHAPTER VII. 9
CHAPTER VIII.
The White Horse and Buggy Detective Coughlin Hires It for a "Friend" The Trouble in the Stable Dinan
Goes to Schaack The Captain's Peculiar Movements Scanlan Identifies the Horse The Detective and
O'Sullivan are Jailed The Grand Jury Indicts Them with Woodruff The Accused Arraigned in Court 195
CHAPTER VIII. 10
CHAPTER IX.

The Lying in State An Impressive Scene The Imposing Procession At the Cathedral An Eloquent Voice
from the Pulpit Clerical Denunciation of the Crime Laid to Rest in Calvary Cemetery 220
CHAPTER IX. 11
CHAPTER X.
The Coroner's Inquest Opens A Model Jury Visiting the Scene of the Tragedy Taking the
Evidence Captain Schaack's Compromising Admissions Prominent Clan-na-Gael Men put on the
Stand Alexander Sullivan's Threats Luke Dillon Tells What He Knows The Documents Left by the
Murdered Man Read by the Coroner A Sensational Inquiry 236
CHAPTER X. 12
CHAPTER XI.
Closing Scenes of the Inquest The Verdict Alexander Sullivan's Arrest Ordered Midnight Visit to His
Residence His Cool Demeanor and Cheerful Acquiescence Taken to the County Jail Incidents of the
Arrest 259
CHAPTER XI. 13
CHAPTER XII.
At the Toronto End of the Conspiracy Investigating Long's Circumstantial Stories, and His Interviews with
Dr. Cronin A Chicago Fugitive Concerned His Suspicious Movements A
CHAPTER XII. 14
Chapter of
Startling Coincidences Long on the Rack Makes Damaging Admissions but will not Retract The Object to
Distract Attention from the Scene of the Crime Another Confession from Woodruff 275
Chapter of 15
CHAPTER XIII.
Sullivan's Arrest Creates a Sensation His Friends Stand by Him The Noted ex-Irish Leader in Court Efforts
to Secure His Release Judge Tuley Gives Him His Liberty Arrest of Maroney and McDonald in New
York Their Extradition Refused 292
CHAPTER XIII. 16
CHAPTER XIV.
Officer Collin's Suspicions Martin Burke and His Record Fortunate Discovery of the Photograph of a
Clan-na-Gael Group The Carlsons and Others Identify Burke His Peculiar Movements and His Flight An

Indictment against Him The Capture in Winnipeg, when En Route to England Stubborn Fight to Prevent His
Extradition to American Soil The Law Triumphant A Memorable Journey Home Preliminaries of the
Trial A Separate Trial Granted Woodruff 303
CHAPTER XIV. 17
CHAPTER XV.
Theories Regarding the Disappearance of the Murdered Man's Clothing The Hand of Providence Manifests
Itself Fortunate Discovery of the Last Bloody Evidences of the Crime Dr. Cronin's Apparel is Found It had
been Secreted, with His Case of Surgical Instruments, in a Catch-basin, Adjacent to the One in Which the
Body was Discovered Shoes, Jewelry and Purse Missing Complete Identification by His Friends The
Search Continued A Piece of Carpet Found The Conspirators' Plans Thwarted 333
CHAPTER XV. 18
CHAPTER XVI.
Special Grand Jury Summoned Personnel of Its Members Judge Shepard's Vigorous Charge The
Testimony Taken Seventeen Days' Investigation Results in the Indictment of Seven Men Full Text of the
Indictment Arrest of Beggs and Kunze The Alleged Trial of Dr. Cronin in Camp 20 351
CHAPTER XVI. 19
CHAPTER XVII.
Public Abhorrence at the Crime A Great Out-pouring of the People Cosmopolitan Assemblage at Central
Music Hall A Judge's Vigorous Speech Congressmen Denounce the Crime The Rival Demonstrations at
Cheltenham Beach and Ogden's Grove 369
CHAPTER XVII. 20
CHAPTER XVIII.
In Court at Last The State's Attorney Points Out the Accused, Man by Man A Formidable Array of Legal
Talent Objections to Luther Laflin Mills and his Associates Over-ruled by the Court Weeks consumed in
the Wearisome Task of Securing a Jury Scenes and Incidents 384
CHAPTER XVIII. 21
CHAPTER XIX.
Startling Interruption to the Trial Villainous Attempt to Frustrate the Ends of Justice Bold Efforts to Bribe
the Special Veniresmen in the Interest of the Prisoners A "Hung" Jury Wanted Fortunate Discovery of the
Plot The "Wheels Within Wheels" of the Conspiracy Prompt Action of the Prosecuting Authorities Speedy

Arrest and Indictment of the Guilty Parties Crime Added to Crime 399
CHAPTER XIX. 22
CHAPTER XX.
A Jury Secured at Last Names and Sketches of the Twelve Men Selected to Determine the Guilt of the
Accused The Trial Under Way Opening Speeches for the State Scenes in the Court Room 414
CHAPTER XX. 23
CHAPTER XXI.
Evidence for the State The Story of the Crime Retold A Long Line of Witnesses Sensational Disclosures
and Missing Links Supplied Mrs. Hoertel's Graphic Story Dr. Cronin's Knives are Found and Produced in
Court A Masterly Grouping of the Testimony Against the Prisoners 430
CHAPTER XXI. 24
CHAPTER XXII.
The Defense Takes its Turn Unsuccessful Efforts to Exclude the Bulk of the Evidence Given for the
State Alibis for the Prisoners and the White Horse A General Denial of Complicity in the Tragedy Rebuttal
Evidence for the Prosecution 457
CHAPTER XXII. 25