The Crime of the Century or The Assassination of Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin

It is necessary to digress at this point so that something may be said regarding the history of the man whose name was soon to be on millions of tongues. Born on August 7th, 1846, on Erin’s soil, near the town of Mallow, in the famed county of Cork, he was brought to the United States when yet a babe in his mother’s arms. For five years thereafter, he was ranked among the population of New York City. Then, the family moved to Baltimore and then again to the province of Ontario. When ten years of age, he was placed in the care of the Christian Brothers at the Academy of St. Catherines. He graduated with honours in 1863 and started to battle with the world as a boy of seventeen. His first wages were earned at Petroleum City, Pa., where he taught school. From here, he went to Titusville and Clearfield, in the same state, wherein in 1866, he held a good position in the store. But he was restless and ambitious.

From his point of view, there was no charm in the plodding life of a country school teacher or storekeeper. He wanted to make his way in the world, and he realized that to accomplish this, it would be necessary to take the historical advice of Horace Greeley and “go west.” Accordingly, late in the fall of 1867, he bade farewell to the many friends and acquaintances he had made in the oil regions and departed for Missouri. He was first located in a country town, but after a short stay, he moved again to St. Louis. Here, he secured a position in the store of Michael Dougherty, a grocer. Those who came in contact with him at that time remembered him after years as a young man of pleasing presence, fine attainments, and an excellent musician. He was primarily a fine tenor singer, and soon after his arrival, he became a member of the Catholic Church of St. John’s Choir.

However, the numerous services and consequent rehearsals conflicted materially with his work at the store. As a result, he secured another position as superintendent of omnibuses for a local transfer concern. Meanwhile, he had been actively engaged in the study of pharmacy, and so well did he combine this craving after knowledge with commendable prudence and economy that after a while, he was enabled to become a full-fledged druggist with a store of his own on Garrison street, adjacent to Easton avenue. Even then, however, he was not satisfied. He still aimed higher and immediately began studying medicine at Missouri College. From this institution, he graduated in 1878 and, relinquishing the drug business, entered upon the practice of his newly chosen profession. Meanwhile, he had identified himself with the local militia and held the rank of captain at the time of the strike in 1877. Shortly after graduating, he was appointed a commissioner to the Paris Exposition. The next twelve months were spent abroad, and a good portion of that period was spent in Dublin and other parts of Ireland. Returning home, he accepted the materia medica and therapeutics professorship at the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons.