Gillian O'Brien

A large portion of this work concerns itself with the three Irish societies that held sway in Chicago during the Gilded Ages. Clan na Gael, the secret Irish republican society founded in New York in 1867, sought to bring about Irish independence from Britain with violence. The Ancient Order of Hibernians, established in New York in 1836, served as an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. The third, the Land League of America, founded in 1880, vouchsafed support to the Irish Land League and, later, the Irish Parliamentary Party.

Like other immigrant communities of the time, the Irish population in Chicago faced many challenges, but the Irish community shared both a strong religion and an antagonism toward England. And, in a time when the populace was largely anti-immigrant and anti-Irish, the secret societies were often places where the Irish could find friends, support, and even jobs. Many men belonged to all three organizations and, at times, there were brutal conflicts between their high-ranking members and fractures within the groups themselves.

Although they each belonged to different sectors of Clan na Gael, Doctor Patrick Henry Cronin became a persistent, outspoken opponent of Alexander Sullivan. Cronin believed that Sullivan was more concerned with promoting himself than with securing freedom for the Irish. As the split widened, Cronin feared for his life, believing some sort of a plot against him existed and, finally, allegations, published in the newspapers, became public. Tensions mounted; Doctor Cronin disappeared.

Weeks later, the body of Patrick Cronin surfaced, and it was determined that his injuries had been sustained during a prolonged attack with multiple instruments, including an ice pick. The funeral of the murdered doctor brought Chicago to a standstill and sparked a widespread police investigation capped by a protracted trial.

Although the murder is, purportedly, at the heart of the narrative, there is much intriguing history detailed here. Perhaps the extensive backstory regarding the secret societies and the history of Chicago are important for understanding the motivation behind the murder, but there are times that the reader may feel as if Doctor Cronin’s death is far less important than the actions of the societies. The unfortunate result is that the backstory/history bogs down the telling of the tale and often relegates the murder to something other than the primary focus of the narrative.

Voluminous notes, a listing of organization and terms, and an extensive bibliography of both primary and secondary sources all follow the narrative, providing both information and resource information for readers.… (altro)