s should
have been heard in Cronin's own camp. His enemies, however cared
nothing for law. What they wanted was vengeance. John F. Beggs, a
well-known lawyer, and president of the Irish-American Club, was Senior
Guardian of Camp 20. He selected a trial committee. It held several
meetings, the last about the middle of February. At this meeting the
death of the physician must have been decreed.

[Illustration: JOHN F. BEGGS.]

This was the story in outline as it reached the State's Attorney. Lawyer
Beggs, who had already been several times summoned before the Grand
Jury, was again recalled. His answers were evasive and unsatisfactory,
although he denied that any committee had been appointed, that any
secret trial had taken place, or that, so far as his knowledge went, Dr.
Cronin had been condemned to death as the result of any action of that
particular camp. Many admissions, were wrung from him when he was
confronted with the facts, but his entire demeanor was so uncertain, and
he made so many contradictory and inconsistent statements, that the
members of the Grand Jury were convinced that he possessed a guilty
knowledge of the murder, or of the circumstances which resulted in the
perpetration of the crime. The result was that, at the conclusion of his
examination, he was placed under arrest and incarcerated with the other
suspects in the county jail.

SEVEN SUSPECTS INDICTED.

Enough testimony had now been heard to enable the Grand Jury to act
intelligently, and the inquiry was closed. One entire day was devoted to
the sifting of the evidence as it related to each individual who had
been mentioned in connection with the crime, and at five o'clock of the
afternoon of Saturday, June 29th, seventeen days from the inauguration
of the inquiry, the jurors again filed into Judge Shepherd's court.

"Have you any report to make Mr. Foreman?" asked the Judge.

"We have, your honor," promptly answered Mr. John H. Clough, and
stepping forward he handed a bulky document to Clerk Lee, who, in turn,
handed it to Judge Shepherd. The Court glanced over the contents and
then inquired:

"Have you any further business to transact, gentlemen?"

"I think we have finished what we had to do," answered Mr. Clough.

"Then," said the Court, "you may be excused from further service."

And thus was dismissed one of the most important Grand Juries ever
empaneled in Cook County or in the State of Illinois. For three weeks it
had been