The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-31
THOMPSON GRATEFUL.
Story of the Man Who Owned the
Restaurant.

I'm the most grateful man in all
Chicago" said John R. Thompson who
owns the restaurant. My sister was
in the theater with my two children,
john aged and Ruth, aged Z. She
almost got to the door with them
when Ruth disappeared. My sister told
me she knew that the child must be
safe, but 1 ran around like a maniac
for an hour, before 1 found her How
It happened I don't know, but she ran
back into the theater and out under
the stage through the stage entrance.
BY order of Coroner Treager the
theater charnel house was today placed
under a tight police guard. No person
could enter without a written order
from Chief of Police O'Neil, who was
notified that he wodld be held respon-
sible for keeping the theater building in
the exact condition in which it was left
by the sweep of the flames Thirty
patrOlmen were stationed across the
front of the building and twenty men
guarded the rear, while within were
thirty more officers, the whole interior
including the stairways and fire bitten
balconies being jealousy guarded
Like Burned Out Volcano.
Though serene without the interior of
the theater marked it as a true whited
sepulcher Upon the marble stair
cases at the left and right within were
the mess and confusion of the grim
march of the bearers of the dead.
Among the thousands of bits of bril-
liantly cOlored glass shattered in the
fight after the flames lay many scorch-
ed bits o. clothing and occasional frag-
ments If charred bodies. From the up
per galleries the view today seemed a
reminder of a burned out volcano era
ter.
In a saloon near the theater was be-
ing guarded a huge pile of garments
and furs gathered up in the theater
after the fire. Five bushel baskets
We're filed with the purses, gloves and
handkerchiefS of the fleeing mob OF
terror stricken women. Two barrels
were needed to hold the overshoes and
shoes found
The greatest center of excitement to-
day was not at the theater but Rolls
toms morgue, to which the dead were
taken. All the mOrgues were sur
rounded, but at Rolston's. where more
bodies were taken than to any other
the scenes of anguish were worst
About the doors of the place were
massed hundreds of men and sur
rounding them like a huge fan spread
the hundreds of weeping women ant
children. The numerous police sta
toned there could not begin to handl
the crowds and extra men were hur
ried to the besieged mOrgue. On less
er scale the same fearful siege was IL
progress at the various other mOrgues
E. c. Frady, president of the Strch
Der Piano company, today after un
ceasing search, found five dead of {
theater party of six, headed by hi
wife. Each one was found at a differ
ent morgue. One is still missing
Those identified were Mrs. William NJ
Frady. Mrs. J. H. Spindler, Mr.. Frady'
sister. Burdette Spindler 10 years old
Leon Frady, 10 years old. Frady'
mother-in-law died at St. Luke's al
hour after reaching the hospital. Mrs
William Rise, a sister of Frady is still
missing.
One of the most pitiful of the identi
fcations today was that of the head
less body Of Boyd Alexander, s year
old The lads father, DR.. w. D. Alex
ander, Washington boulevard ha
sought his son all night long and toda
IN examining the headless corpse of
child. the physician identified his ow
boy by a watch, a birthday present fror
the father, found upon the remains.
A pitiful scene attended the identif
cation of Marcy Edwards, IA years oil
of Clinton, Iowa. Her father Willia1
Edwards who has been in Chicago, o
a visit, identified the daughters teri
bly, burned body from a sample of til
cloth in her skirt which he carried
his pocket.