Prime Crime: Solved Murders - Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin Pt. 1

Episode Date: March 9, 2022

In May of 1889, in the Lake View area of Chicago, well-known and respected doctor Patrick Henry Cronin disappeared. Police Captain Michael Schaack investigated a variety of leads. Unfortunately, one of them pointed directly to a suspect Schaack saw almost daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this murder case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes dramatizations and discussions of murder and descriptions of a dead body. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Two patrolmen walked the empty streets of Lakeview, a neighborhood just outside Chicago. Their night had been quiet so far. Perhaps they'd come across a few drunks stumbling home, but that was all. However, at two in the morning, that changed. The patrolman ambled on when suddenly they heard a rattling wagon from behind.

It grew louder, approaching fast, so they turned and held up their lanterns. The horse that carried the wagon stormed in their direction. In the glow of their lanterns, the horse was beaming white and magnificent in stature. The wagon itself was large, open, and flat, a carpenter's wagon. In the dim light, the patrolman thought they could see two men inside. The horse's speed was alarming, reckless even, so when the patrolmen waved his arms and beckoned them to slow down. The driver ignored them and roared past.

As the wagon disappeared up the street, the patrolman noticed a large trunk in the back of the wagon bed. They shrugged it off, but about 90 minutes later, the horse and wagon came back. The patrolman grimaced as the wagon dashed by. This time, they noticed that the trunk was gone. By the end of the following day, everyone in Lakeview would want to know more about that trunk and where it came from. Its contents would become the focus of a dark, deadly mystery.

Welcome to Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries, a Spotify original from Parcast. I'm your host, Carter Roy. And I'm your host Wendy McKenzie. Every Wednesday, we step into the world of true crime's most fascinating murder cases and tell the tale of how real-life detectives close the case. You can find episodes of solved murders and all other Spotify originals

from Parcast for free exclusively on Spotify. This is our first episode on the 1889 murder of physician Patrick Henry Cronin. This week will cover his disappearance, revelations about his involvement with secret societies, and the

search for answers. Next week, we'll follow the pursuit for Dr. Cronin's killer and the many men, and put on trial. We have all that and more coming up. Stay with us. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination

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celebrating its 40th and anniversary. UN must be 21 to enter. By the end of the 19th century, Chicago had become a boomtown. Laborers and immigrants, many of whom were Irish, flooded the area for low-wage work. With a population of over a million, the city struggled to accommodate its growth, and many workers and their families settled in nearby areas where the rent was still cheap. Lakeview was one of those neighborhoods, and it was there on May 5, 1889, that an alderman from the city council rode through town and noticed something odd. A group of workers gathered around a ditch. They were all crouched over, examining something. The alderman stopped and climbed down.

What's got you boys all in a tizzy? We were on our way to work, sir, when we noticed this trunk lying here on the side of the road. And it looks like you boys broke the lock, huh? Just look, alderman, look what's inside. Don't try to shift the... What unholy crime is this? I need to alert the captain. The trunk was splayed open, but it had settled slightly askew under an old fence. The inside of the trunk was covered in gore and filled with strips of blood-soaked cotton.

The alderman immediately set out to find Captain Francisco Villiers, the head of the Lakeview Police. The aging Captain Villiers was due to retire from the force in a week, and once he saw the trunk, he knew the case could tie a nice bow around his career. Right away, Villiers was able to theorize that the cotton had been used to staunch heavy blood flow. Then he found something else, a lock of silky brown hair. He deduced that this was evidence of murder. He sent out his men to search for witnesses. That night, he received intriguing information.

Two patrolmen reportedly saw a worker's wagon carrying the trunk the night before. The patrolman described the handsome white horse and claimed they saw two men in the wagon. Villiers now had a lead. That evening, Villiers heard about a man's disappearance, a doctor. Patrick Henry Cronin had gone out to treat an injury the night before at Patrick O'Sullivan's Ice House. but he never returned. In the dark, Villiers hastened to O'Sullivans. Patrick O'Sullivan's ice house was located in a desolate area.

The building sat beside O'Sullivan's home and barn, surrounded by celery and cabbage fields. Villiers approached the ice house door, and as soon as he lifted his hand to knock, the window shot open. Patrick O'Sullivan leaned out. He appeared dishevelled. Oh, Sullivan. Good sir. I'm here on account of...

I know why you're here. The doctor's gone missing and people think they saw my man around his office last night. But I can assure you, none of us here know anything about that. Well, you took the words out of my mouth. You sure there's nothing you know that may help me? Even anything outside of last night's offense. Like what? Any sort of acquaintance?

or associations that doctor may have had? How should I know? I've got to get back to work. Billiars was taken aback, but left the doorstep anyway. Before stepping back into his buggy, he turned and looked back at the buildings. Next to O'Sullivan's property were two cottages. One of them appeared vacant. No lights were on, and all the shutters were down. A Swedish couple owned the cottages and rented the empty ones,

went out to lodgers, but something about the sight of it raised the hair on Villiers' arms. He felt silly that a house would have such an effect on him, so he pushed the feeling out of his mind. He had only a few days to learn the whereabouts of Dr. Cronin and learn the story behind the trunk before his retirement. He hoped that Cronin was still alive, but before long, the case would turn dark in far more ways than one. After visiting the Ice House, Villiers hurried to Cros hurried to Cromen. Cronin's home, which he shared with his friends, Theo and Cordelia Conklin.

Mrs. Conklin greeted him expectantly. Captain Villiers, I assume you're here about a missing person. Yes, Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin. Well, it's about time. I've been worrying about him all day. I know something terrible's happened. We can't assume that yet. Yes, we can. I beg you to accompany me to his office next door.

There are some things there I'd like to show you. Billiars immediately wondered if the trunk had anything to do with Cronin's supposed disappearance. For now, he kept quiet and walked with Mrs. Conklin to the office. Once there, Conklin unlocked Cronin's office. The two were longtime friends, and she occasionally performed secretarial work for him. She walked straight to Cronin's desk, picked up a business card, and pressed it into the captain's hands. The card depicted the image of a covered wagon with two. horses. The name at the top read, O'Sullivan Ice Company.

Villiers rubbed his mustache. He wondered how much to tell Mrs. Conklin about the trunk. Yes, I know, O'Sullivan. I've just been to see him. Well, it was Patrick's people who summoned Cronin last night. I was filing paperwork when a knock came at the door. I opened it and greeted a rough-looking fellow. He was breathless and and demanded to see the doctor immediately. Cronin came in from the other room, and the man shouted that a worker at the ice house was in an accident. The doctor gathered his things, and I watched as they left.

They got into a buggy with a gorgeous white horse, more beautiful than any workman's horse I've ever seen. Then they rode off. Captain, the doctor never returned. I haven't seen or heard from him since. Have you ever seen that man before? Never, but Patrick had the doctor on retainer in case of such accidents, so I didn't find it unusual at first. Can you describe the buggy?

It looked like a worker's wagon. Could the doctor simply have stayed the night, perhaps to watch over the injured worker? I've known the man for 20 years. My husband and I have shared a home with him for half that. Dr. Cronin's schedule is like clockwork. work. If he wasn't home by morning, then I know something is wrong. I appreciate you telling me all this, Mrs. Conkling. Is there anything else you can think of that I should know? Yes. I've turned a blind eye for some time, but I think you ought to know. I believe the doctor was part of a group,

a secret group, one of the Irish groups, you see. Those groups are rough. The danger. even. I thought Cronin was a peaceful man. They're not all as dangerous as you think. Some have that reputation, yes, and for good reason, but many are merely a community who want to see Ireland free. Now, there's one more thing. Conklin shoved a frame picture of Dr. Cronin into Villiers' hands. The 42-year-old had warm, steady eyes, a thick walrus mustache, and a manly jaw. To Conklin, he was the picture of a proud Irishman. She asked Villiers to keep the photo. He declined, but looked at it once again, more closely this time.

He could see that Cronin's hair shone in the light. It appeared silky, like the strand he found in the trunk. Mrs. Conklin, this morning a suspicious-looking trunk was found discarded on the side of the road. Please forgive me, but I'd like to show you something. This lock of hair was found within the trunk. You recognize it? I hate to say for certain. I can't think of it, but it does resemble the doctors.

Villiers thanked Conklin again for her statement. Then they left the office. Of everything Conklin had told him, Villiers couldn't shake the troubling thought of a secret Irish society. Many people's impressions of such groups were based on one known as the Fenian Brotherhood. The Fenians had sworn to win Ireland back from England's oppressive control. Per this cause, the American branch of Fenians committed many violent acts that only served to harm innocent bystanders. Because of this, the group quickly lost support at home and abroad, and eventually disbanded.

Villiers had likely heard of groups like this operating in the same. the Chicago area. And he knew that many Irish-American men, like Cronin, were part of them. But before he got ahead of himself, he knew there would be other mysteries to solve. Up next, a pair of Chicago detectives disrupt the investigation. I'm Sarah Turney, host of Disappearances, a Spotify original from Parkast. In 2020, I used social media to help bring justice to my sister, Alyssa's nearly two decades. long disappearance. Now I'm exploring the many reasons people disappear and finding that the truth may be even harder to locate than the person. Who forced a famed explorer to lose his way? What did a missing

Hollywood starlet leave behind? And how could the heiress to a Chicago candy fortune just vanish? Every Thursday on disappearances, join me for a deeper look into history's most gripping missing persons cases, tracking timelines, analyzing clues, and piecing together as many answers as possible to find the actual truth. Follow the Spotify original from Parcast Disappearances. Listen free only on Spotify. And now, back to our story. On May 5th, 1889, Captain Francisco Villiers of Lakeview, Illinois began an investigation into two mysteries. After a bloody trunk was discovered by the side of a road, it was reported that the local doctor, Patrick Henry Cronin, had gone missing.

Villiers wondered if the two events were connected. He also anticipated an accomplished end to his law enforcement career as he was set to retire in a few days. He mulled all of this over as he returned to his office at the station. He was surprised to find a pair of officers there waiting for him. Captain Michael Shack of the East Chicago Avenue police station stood to shake Villiers' hand. Shaq had a reputation for high-profile detective work

and basking in the public spotlight. He had brought down a notorious gang and led the investigation into an infamous bombing three years prior. Shaq's reputation also garnered mixed feelings as it was widely speculated that he utilized corrupt methods during his investigations. Shaq announced that he was now lead detective on Cronin's disappearance as well as the mystery of the bloody trunk. He introduced his right-hand man and protege, Detective Dan Coughlin,

and explained that he brought a team of officers to aid the investigation. Understanding his duty to share the case with Chicago law enforcement, Villiers relayed the facts of the investigation thus far, which included the white horse and the workman's wagon. Patrick O'Sullivan's ice house and the lock of hair found inside the trunk. Then, Villiers locked eyes with Shaq as he revealed more vexing information. You know, many of Cronin's friends keep talking about a conspiracy behind the murder. That the doctor was a member of a secret society?

How is that possible? Last I heard the Fenians were condemned and disbanded. I've wondered the same thing, but I don't want to write off the things. theory just yet. It may be connected to the doctor's disappearance, and the trunk could lead us to more information on the matter. I suppose it could. What a story that would be. But many of our boys are Irish themselves. I believe we'd know if these groups were still about. Would you agree, Detective Coughlin? Sure would. In any case, we'll pursue the lead. Wouldn't want to miss the chance to crack such a case now, would we? Sure wouldn't. We'll get on it then. After Shack and Coughlin departed, Villiers sank into his seat. He may not have been thrilled to spend his final days on the

job with an infamous blowhard, and in the back seat for that matter. Despite his controversial reputation, Shaq was known to get results. He and his men canvish the Chicago area for clues of Cronin's whereabouts, as well as any of the good doctor's secrets. Many in the Irish community were forthcoming about Dr. Cronin. They were proud he was one of them. The detectives learned that, like many Irish immigrants, Cronin fled his homeland when he was young, due to the great potato famine. In America, after years of difficult work in the oil fields and a warehouse, he studied medicine so that he could help his fellow Irishman in their new country.

He even offered his services free of charge to Irish Americans who couldn't afford them. Many revered him. However, it was well known that he also had enemies, among his countrymen. Some claimed that Cronin budded heads with Alexander Sullivan, the former president of the Irish National League of America. Shaq's ears perked up when he heard Alexander Sullivan's name. Sullivan was a powerful figure not only among Irish Americans, but also the people of Ireland. And a long time ago, he was known to have murdered a man over an insult.

He also led Irish underground groups that at times utilized violent methods. Shack prodded at these claims, but as a non-Irish outsider, he likely struggled to learn anything of substance about any potential secret groups. Of course, if the investigation required it, Shaq would learn the truth one way or another. But Shaq didn't expect that when the truth did finally surface, it would intertwine with his own life. and it was coming sooner than he anticipated.

On May 6th, just one day after the trunk was discovered and Cronin was deemed missing, a man named Pat Dinnon sought Captain Shack out at his home. Dinan ran the stables near the East Chicago Police Station, and officers often rented his horses for work. So when Dinnon revealed that he had rented out a white horse in excellent condition on the night in question, Shaq was intrigued. The detective immediately asked who had rented the horse.

The stableman claimed that none other than Detective Dan Coughlin was the client. Apparently, Coughlin covered the cost for a friend who picked up the horse later on. Shack thanked Dinnon and sent him on his way. The next day, as soon as he had the chance, he pulled Coughlin into a private office. Something the matter, boss? Is there a reason you didn't tell me about the horse? If there was something to tell, I would have. Now's not the time to be coy, Dan.

I trust you, but you need to tell me the truth. If the press gets wind of this, they'll be all over you. It'll throw the whole case. All right, all right. All I did was pay for the horse for my friend, acquaintance, really. Come on, Dan. We're friends. And I'm telling you, as a friend, that's all there is to it.

Who's this acquaintance? I don't really know the fellow. And anyway, I'm afraid you won't be able to reach him. Why is that? He's gone off, traveling. So you wouldn't be able to bring him to the station then? No, I couldn't. I'm sorry, detective.

Shack had always trusted Coughlin. He selected him as his second in command for this investigation after all. Still, Coughlin seemed like he was lying to him. Shack knew he needed to be thorough, so he formulated a test. Shack hurried to Dinnan's stable and rented out the very same horse and wagon that Dan's acquaintance had. Then he rode to Cordelia Conklin's house. Shack was wary of Mrs. Conklin. She had begun spreading theories to the press that Dr. Cronin was murdered.

Despite his reservations, he summoned her outside and presented the horse. I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am. Does this horse look familiar to you? Pardon? Forgive me. I'm Detective Shack. I'm investigating the disappearance of your friend, Dr. Cronin. I understand you saw the horse and buggy that he rode off in the other night.

Oh, I see. Well, no. I'm sorry. That horse looks ragged and unruly to me. The horse I saw stood tall and shown bright white. That's a great help, ma'am. Thank you. Certainly.

He's my friend. I'll do whatever I can to help. Whatever you can? Why, yes. Stop talking to the press. Mrs. Conklin pursed her lips, and Shaq rode back to the stable to return the horse and wagon. Shaq lost all suspicion of Cofflin.

The horse he'd rented for his acquaintance was not the same one Cordelia Conklin saw. He still had his trusted right-hand man. But he encountered other challenges in this investigation. First, newspapers began printing stories of what some called the great Cronin mystery. They spouted murder theories such as Mrs. Conklands. If there was one thing Shaq knew, it was that sensationalized rumors only distracted from credible leads. Such rumors sent members of the public into a frenzy.

Then, only a few days after Cronin disappeared, Captain Villiers hung up his hat and took a new job as commissioner of public works. To Shaq, this meant that once those frenzied people did start coming out of the woodwork, he wouldn't have villiers there to help him weed them out. Shaq began to feel the disadvantage of not only being an outsider to the Irish community, but to the Lakeview community at large. That's why the next day, when Frank Woodruff arrived at the station in handcuffs, Shaq didn't know what to make of him. The police had arrested Woodruff for attempting to sell a stolen horse and buggy.

The man looked like a drifter with tattered clothes and uncamped hair. The officers who apprehended him immediately informed Shaq that on the way to the station, Woodruff suddenly claimed to know something about the missing Dr. Cronin. Shaq sat Woodruff down. Then the man revealed a grotesque tale. He claimed that a stranger approached him in a gambling house for a job, which he agreed to. He drove a wagon from downtown Chicago to Lincoln Park.

where three men awaited him. One of them was referred to as Doc. Together, the men loaded a heavy trunk onto the wagon and drove to a nearby pond. Doc, however, remained behind. At the pond, they opened the trunk and Woodruff's eyes fell upon the body of a girl who had been hacked to pieces.

The strange men called her Alley. They dumped her dismembered remains into the water and tossed the trunk off the road on the way back to the city. Shaq thought the story might be gruesome enough to be true. If it was true, Allie would still be submerged in the pond. And if Cronin was the man referred to as Doc, then he might have fled to escape law enforcement. To add to that suspicion,

Shaq had recently read a story written by a journalist who claimed to be in conversations with Dr. Cronin. The journalist said Cronin was in Toronto. According to this journalist, Cronin fled the country to escape a powerful Irish leader, Alexander Sullivan. Shack had originally thought this story was bogus, but now it seemed like it could be true. Shack wasted no time. He sent a detective to the Toronto Hotel where Cronin was supposedly staying. He also ordered all the ponds in Lincoln Park to be dragged. If Cronin had fled to Toronto, and if he'd been involved in the girl's murder,

Shaq would haul him back to the states to face justice. Up next, Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin is found. Now, back to the story. In May of 1889, Captain Michael Shack and his partner, Dan Coughlin, investigated the disappearance of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin. A rumor spread that Dr. Cronin had escaped the country after he was involved in the murder of a young girl. Shack also suspected that Cronin's entanglement with powerful secret Irish groups

had something to do with his disappearance. While Cronin's friend, Theo Conklin and a team of police officers made their way to Toronto, where they believed Cronin might be hiding, Shaq ordered the pawns in Lincoln Park to be dragged in search of the young girl thought to be murdered. Shack was certain this strange case was close to being solved. But when the detective returned from Toronto, his hopes came crashing down. Theo Conklin claimed that there was no evidence that the doctor ever checked into the hotel where he was rumored to be staying.

As it turned out, this story was a complete hoax. Reeling from that setback, Shaq turned his attention to the ponds in Lincoln Park. After days of dragging, workers turned up nothing. Shack had to come to terms with the fact that he'd followed a completely ludicrous lead. The detective wasn't used to getting so mixed up, not to mention without a body there was no crime to investigate. So finally, ten days after Dr. Cronin's disappearance, Shack's superior suspended the investigation. reporters were called to the station for an announcement. Coughlin was the one to share the news.

Perhaps Shaq wanted to show his partner some goodwill after their brief tension days earlier. Well, men, I give up. We've searched high and low and we're exhausted. You can be sure there isn't a shred of evidence that Cronin was murdered. Detective, I'm sure you've heard that Alexander Sullivan has made claims that Dr. Cronin was a man of low character.

He said that Cronin, was an alcoholic, an adulterer, and possibly on the run from the law. Can the police confirm any of these details? It's true that Dr. Cronin has some enemies in the Irish community, but we cannot confirm any of those accusations. That said, Alexander Sullivan is an upstanding member of Chicago society. Coughlin's comments on Alexander Sullivan rattled shack. They were a red flag considering his partner's recent secrecy.

He didn't realize Coughlin respected Alexander Sullivan, Sullivan so much. In any case, Shaq kept his concerns about his friend close to the vest as the investigation lay dormant for a week. Then on May 22, 1889, Lakeview residents began to complain about a foul smell coming from a storm sewer. Three men from public works went out to the area to investigate. They held their breaths and peered through the sewer grate. Then they noticed that there was something laying inside the sewer. It resembled a large animal, but the longer they examined it from their distance, they realized it was not an animal at all. One of the men ran and summoned the police. When they arrived back at the sewer, the group removed the grate and hauled out the bloated,

decomposing remains of an adult man. The head and body were covered in gashes. The body was completely naked, except for a strip of cloth, tied around the three. throat and a medallion hanging from the neck. An etching on the medallion depicted a lamb and a cross. They were on their way to deliver the body to the nearest police station when they crossed paths with Francisco Villiers. Although he was now working as the Commissioner of Public Works, he closely followed Cronin's case. The patrol wagon stopped at a cross street and Villiers approached to look inside. Villiers' blood ran cold. Despite the decomposed, state of the corpse, he believed he recognized who it was. He summoned Theo Conklin to the makeshift

morgue at the station to be sure. Theo confirmed his fear. It was the body of Patrick Henry Cronin. Detective Shaq soon arrived to examine the body. He finally had a chance to discuss matters with villiers, albeit too late. Looks like different instruments caused those head wounds, and it looks like he was struck in the back of the skull, which put him out. That would explain why there are no defense wounds on his hands and arms. Multiple attackers, perhaps? I think so. And all these gashes.

I have no idea what could have created such deep stab wounds. Something narrow? Like a screwdriver? Or an ice pick. Soon an autopsy confirmed this suspicion. Dr. Cronin was, in fact, murdered. Shack mulled over the shocking new development. He had been so certain that Cronin had simply fled the city,

and now it dawned on him that the truth had been right under his nose the whole time. Cordelia Conklin had suspected Patrick O'Sullivan and his people of being involved, whereas he'd once dismissed her as a rumor-monger, he now realized she might have been on to something. A knock at the door interrupted the detective's thoughts. Coughlin entered and shut the door behind him. With so much happening behind closed doors, it's unclear exactly how certain truths emerged, but what's important is that they did.

Here's one theory on how it came out. Is it true? Cronin was murdered? Yes, I saw the body myself. It was mutilated. A shame. A tragedy, really. An absolute tragedy.

You know, there was something else, too. Cronin wore a medallion around his neck. It bore a lamb in a cross. Oh? What might you know about that? I'd say that's the Agnus Day, the Lamb of God. It bears the wearer protection from Christ's enemies. No Catholic would remove such a thing in death, not from themselves or anyone else. I suppose so. Another thing. You mentioned an Irish community leader to the press. Alexander Sullivan.

What's your connection with him? He's a good man. He helped me get this job, you know. He's helped a lot of us secure jobs. Is there anything else about Alexander Sullivan, I should know? As I said before, I'm not at liberty to discuss. I'm tired of hearing that from you. We've known each other too long to keep doing this dance.

Tell me the truth. All right, fine. I am in a group, and I never told you because, well, you know how it is. The moment people hear, it's like a witch hunt. ever since the Fenians, but we're not like them. What are you like, then? Peaceful, righteous.

We're called Clan Nagale, and we want to free Ireland. Coughlin's involvement in Clan Nagale created more questions than it answered. The one that gnawed at Shack Most was, again, whether his partner had rented the horse and wagon that transported Cronin that night. Cordelia Conklin didn't recognize the horse. However, he'd brought the horse to her house a few days after Cronin went missing. It's possible. The horse had simply become tired and dirty from use.

Shaq took a deep breath as his partner's eyes met his. They held each other's gaze for a moment. And with that exchange, the detective made an unspoken promise to Coughlin to keep his secret. He wouldn't tell anyone about the horse and wagon. This choice would have drastic consequences for Shaq. The conspiracy was about to unravel, and nobody would get out looking clean. Thanks again for tuning into solved murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with Part 2 of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin's murder and the hunt for a secret society.

For more information on this case, amongst the many sources we used, we found Blood Runs Green, the murder the transfixed Gilded Aid Chicago by Jillian O'Brien extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of solved murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time.

If we live till next time. Solve murders, true crime mysteries is a Spotify original from Parcast. It is executive produced by Max Cutler, sound designed by Michael Langsner, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Travis Clark. This episode of Solved Murders was written by Daniel William Gonzalez, with writing assistance by Sarah Batchelor and Giles Hofsef,

fact-checking by Claire Cronin, and research by Mickey Taylor. The amazing cast of voice actors includes Tom Bauer, Kai Jordan, Drew Lawn, Melissa Medina, and Leith Wallschlager. Solved Murder stars Wendy McKenzie and Carter Roy. Great.