The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-11

CITY OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR
CHICAGO's FIRE DISASTER.
Officers of the Burned Sanatorium
Also BIamed-Had No License and
Chained Their Patients.

CHICAGO, June lO.-To-day's investiga-
ton of the causes and responsibility for the
catastrophe at the sanatorium of the st.
Luke Society reveals, it is declared, a tale
of negligence on part of the officials of the
sanatorium and the city. Out of the mass
of conflicting statements concerning the
disaster one fact stands prominently forth
Had the city officials performed their duty
the frightful loss of life would have been
prevented This is admitted by the officials
themselves, who endeavor, however, to
shield themselves by shifting the response
bility upon some department with which
they are not connected The Health De-
partment, the Office of the building commits
sioner and the boiler inspector are involved
in the charges of criminal carelessness and
II only remains for the coroners jury,
which was impaneled to-day, to fix the
blame. AS for the officers of the st. Luke's
Society. they will be compelled to show by
what right they operated a sanatorium
without license and explain the locking
OF delirium tremens patients in rooms on
the top floor and Stacking them.
AT the instance of the corOner's office the
president of the ST. Luke's Society and sew
eral employees who were arrested last night
will be detained to await the action of the
coronerS jury. DR.. Miller, president of the
sanatorium, tonight petitioned Judge Chet-
lain. OF the Superior Court, TO grant him
his liberty on a writ of habeas corpus and
the writ was issued returnable tomorrow.
Miller claims that the death of the persons
In the fire was not the result OF any neg
ligence or carelessness on his part either
as an individual or an officer of the institu-
ton, but, on the contrary, he used every
human effort TO save the lives of the pa
TENTS"
OF the thirty-four persons injured in the
hre yesterday II is feared that three will
die. thus bringing the total of deaths TO
thirteen. Those reported in a critical con-
dition to-day were: T. T. Mears. Enosburg
Falls. VT. badly burned about face. hands
and body; A. w. Wattles. Chicago. badly
burned and bruised. and Mrs. Amelia VIII
son, Chicago badly burned. The other
thirty-one injured persons were reported
better of their hurts, but most of them
were still badly shaken in their nerves by
the horror of what they endured and wit
messed yesterday.
Perhaps the most pitable of all the
deaths was that of Alderman Blind Billy
incased in a straitjacket, with his hands
strapped to his waist Kent was astute
politician, had been a member of the State
Legislature and was a delegate TO the ma
tional Republican conventions of 1884, 1888
and 1892. His blindness due to a gun
shot wound received at the hands Of a sa-
loon keeper. An iron constitution saved his
life
ST. LOUIS, June 1O-Nfrs Johanna
carbolic acid. Mrs. Bishop was the wife of
j. b. Bishop, of this city, who was serious
ly injured in the fire that destroyed St.
Luke's sanatorium at Chicago yesterday,
and took the poison upon hearing of the
cident that had befallen her husband.