ers to note
the nature of any such comment that they may overhear, and follow up all
clues which may be thus obtained. The order is sent out merely because
some person having some criminal knowledge of how Dr. Cronin met his
death may be indiscreet enough to make some statement when excited that
would lead to the solving of the mystery. In such a case we want our
officers to be on the alert and ready to take advantage of any such
admission."

Following this action, the county coroner, H. L. Hertz, decided to
proceed with the official autopsy without delay. A jury was first
empanelled, and, a view of the body having been taken, and an
adjournment for several days decided upon, the physicians commenced the
post-mortem examination. It was conducted with great care and
deliberation and occupied over five hours. Drs. James F. Todd and
Egbert, respectively county physician and assistant county physician,
were materially aided by Drs. Bell, Porter, Miles, Kuhn and D. G. Moore,
while Deputy Coroner Barrett, Captain Wing and Lieutenant Spengler
watched the proceedings as the representatives of the authorities. The
skull was cut open and the brains removed. When the scalp had been taken
off it was discovered that the bones composing the skull had scarcely
been marked by the blows of the instruments. There were no signs of
congestion about the brain, but the lungs and pulmonary cavity were
filled with blood, a condition which was explained by the fact that the
head had been placed head downward in the catch-basin. A cut one-half
inch deep was found upon the head and numerous bruises on the lower
limbs. There were no signs of suffocation or any bruises about the neck
such as would result from the choking of a man with a towel or rope. The
passage through the wind-pipe was unobstructed. The surgeons were
considerably puzzled by the fact that there was no fracture of any of
the skull bones or of the small bones about the face, even the inner
table of the skull being unfractured. In technical language the
injuries to the head included a deep wound over the left temple four
inches long, through the scalp and into the skull, a cut one and a half
inches long over the left parietal bone, this one also marking the
skull, a cut one and a half inches long over the frontal bone at the
junction of the left parietal; a cut three inches long through the scalp
marking the occipital bone, and two cuts each an inch long, together
with a bruise, ba