Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1904 — MISS BESSIE CRONIN BOUND TO SEE. [ARTICLE]

MISS BESSIE CRONIN BOUND TO SEE.

Is a Cousin ©f £. P. Honan, of Oar City. A celebrated and aa yet uoexplained murder of a young girl iu the residence of Iter 'brother a priest, in Ohio, is again bought to public attention by tug libel suits began by Mies ®desie Cronin, of Carroll County, Father Walser, a! priest well known at Bt. Joseph College, was also in the house when the girl was murdered, and was broagbc inte<great prominemoe by undeserved notoriety on aooouot thereof. The following regarding Miss Cronin,'is from The Delpbi Jonrna'l. The Loganspeft Journal of Teeeday eays that Miss Bessie Cronin, of this county, will file suit against the New York for the publioation us a story which sb« regards as libelous.

“Tke Btory which was published cerning Mies Cronin,” says the Logastsport-EFournal, ‘-was to the effeot that, through following a murder oase in the newspapers, she had become convinced erf the innocence of a priest involved. Her interest became so intense, the etory said, that in solioitude or the man whom she believed to be innooent, she Offered herself as a hostage, saying that if the authorities were bent on punishing somebody for the-crime she would <take bis place -as'the persecuted victim.” The Logans port paper also states that Miss Cronin was ia Lcg&neport on Monday consulting attorneys da the matter. From what the Journal is able to learn there is probably -some basis for the story of the Jibel suit. But«the “hostage'’ inoident is only an accident; it is not the real basis of the storv of which Miss Croc in complains. Miss Cronin is a school teacher and taught several terms of school in this county. Later she taught eohool in Logansport. She lives in Washington township, and is a sister to Timothy Cronin. Her family has been piominent there for years. Her brother Thomas Cronin, is a-successful attorney in Chicago. She is a cousin of M A. Rypn, formerly of this oity, now of Indianapolis, and of Hon, E. P. Honan, of Rensselaer. Miss Cronin has been an indnstrious student and her ambition has led her into dreams and aspirations clear beyond the field of pedagogy. She has undertaken the study of law, and some months ago while pt -eohool an inoident ooouired which is said to be the baste of the story abont whioh she now Vom plains and asks damages. According to faets, as related by one who is probably in a position to know, Mies Cronin became an important factor in a conspiracy to perpetrate a practical joke.

There was a student in the school who was't noted for his personal bravery and it was believed that, a little “hazing” would be about the proper thing. Bo it was arranged that he should be “held up” the hold up to take plaoe in his own room and the burglar, or hold up man, should be a woman. Mias Oronin was selected to per-* form the deed, and all togged out like a bold bad burglar man sbfe prooeeded to his room, followed by an esoort of students bent on enjoying the fun and who took a position in a room adjoining the room where the “burglary" was to be oommitted. According to the story the “hold up” was a success and yielded more sport, than even the most sanguine promoters of the enterprise had counted on. But the story got into the newspiperai mu j! them publish-

ed versions of it that Miss Crcnin believed cast reflections on her oharae'er. And tie newspipers were indifferent about correcting any impressions tbst their original e+orie* may have made. To addition tkjhe basing incident Miss Cronin had, like hundreds of others, become interested in the case of the priest n’t Berea, <sbio, Who was cha ged with the murder of a girl in the house where he was a guest. She believed him innocent and offered ’some sort of assistance in his defense. This got into the newspe•pers in a garbled form in connection with the story of the “burglary.” Miss Cronin believed her only vindication was in the courts. It is understood that her brothers and her other relatives have all advised beT to let the matter pass and be forgotten but that she has been insistent in her demands_ for a vindication Joy the courts. If the case goes into the courts th-'re will probably be several other newspapers besides the New York Berald involved.