Patrick Henry Cronin | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Cronin, drawn from a photograph taken shortly before his murder | |
| Born | Philip Patrick Henry Cronin[1] August 7, 1846 |
| Disappeared | May 4, 1889 (aged 42) |
| Died | Chicago, Illinois |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Body discovered | Lakeview, Chicago |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Illinois |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | Missouri Medical College, Saint Louis University (Masters, PhD.) |
| Occupation | Physician |
Philip Patrick Henry Cronin (August 7, 1846 – May 4, 1889) was an Irish immigrant to the United States, a physician, and a member of Clan na Gael in Chicago. In 1889, Cronin was murdered by affiliates of Clan na Gael. Following an extensive investigation into his death, the murder trial was, at the time, the longest-running trial in U.S. history.[2] Cronin's murder caused a public backlash against secret societies, including protests and written condemnations by the leadership of the Catholic Church.
Cronin grew up in the U.S. and Canada, and moved to the Midwestern United States after the American Civil War. He became a physician and a prominent member of high society, and represented St. Louis at the Exposition Universelle (1878). While in St. Louis, Cronin joined multiple clubs, among them, the Irish nationalist organization, Clan na Gael. When he moved to Chicago, Cronin continued his involvement with Clan na Gael. After criticizing the leadership of the Chicago camp of Clan na Gael, he was expelled from the group and accused of being a British spy. In May 1889, Cronin disappeared. Later that month, public works employees discovered his body in a sewer in a northern suburb of Chicago. The press coverage of the investigation and trial caught international attention.[3] Cronin's funeral drew the largest crowds for a funeral since the arrival of Abraham Lincoln's body in Chicago. Patrick O'Sullivan, Daniel Coughlin, Martin Burke, and John Kunzel were found guilty of the murder of Patrick Cronin.
- ^ Hunt, pp. 17.
- ^ Gillian, O'Brien (March 9, 2015). Blood runs green : the murder that transfixed gilded age Chicago. Chicago. ISBN 9780226248950. OCLC 883304944.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "The Irish Republican Murder that Shocked Chicago". Chicago Tonight | WTTW. Retrieved August 4, 2017.