eon's case that he had taken with him, or of
the cotton batting. It was surmised that the murderers might have buried
their tell-tale evidences of their bloody work in the cellar, and later
in the day a half-dozen detectives from the Chicago Avenue station dug
the place over to a depth of several feet. Nothing, however, was brought
to light.

FORMING A THEORY.

In the light of the surroundings a theory of the circumstances under
which the crime was committed was easily formed. Than the place itself
a better one for such a purpose could not have been found. The street
was absolutely dark after midnight, and even during the early evening
the only outside light was that given by two kerosene lamps, one at each
of the street intersections. Hence it was in comparative darkness all
the evening. The house, moreover, was so near that of Sullivan's that it
was probably an easy matter to decoy Dr. Cronin to it without arousing
his suspicions. He had been struck the moment he entered the parlor, and
fell in the corner of the room where the largest of the blood-stains
appeared. The blow, however, had not deprived him of consciousness, and,
gaining his feet he had engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle with his
assailants. This was apparent from the manner in which the blood was
spattered over the articles of furniture that were several feet distant
from each other. It had evidently been in this struggle that the arm of
the rocking-chair was broken. Another terrific blow had been dealt his
head while he retreated backward, as was evidenced by the hair and blood
upon the wall. The last foul blow having been struck, the unfortunate
man, perhaps still breathing, was stripped naked and the body packed
into the trunk, which was already in the house. Having thus disposed of
the corpse the trunk was borne out of the building to the wagon, which
stood on the roadside. As it was being carried down the steps the blood
that gathered at one end seeped through the corners and left the two
gory trails on the boards of the sidewalk and the plank crossing the
ditch. Then there was the hurried drive to the catch-basin, the dumping
of the body, still warm, into its recesses, and the disposal of the
trunk. The murder having thus been accomplished and the body disposed
of, the conspirators, with strange assurance of their safety, had
returned to the cottage and endeavored to efface the evidence of their
crime by taking up the carpet and then plastering