Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-09


4 Co., of Boston, who made the al
legged asbestos curtain for the Iro-
quois.
Chicago, Jan. 1.-THE coroner's in
lest over the remains Of the victims
the Iroquois theatre began today.
Deaths Number 565.
The coroner's official list of the dead
pr use at the inquest contains just 565
Names Previous police reports indi-
eating sol dead are declared now to be
inaccurate, due to the shifting of bod
les from one morgue to another.
Preparations are complete for the
most searching inquiry into the caus-
IS. vf
Scores of Attorneys Take Part.
Coroner Traeger presided over the
peneen or one of his assistants in con-
liant attendance as the coroners legal
representative, and with the corpora
tion counsel, county attorney, and a
score of lawyers representing private
interests, and numerous officials of the
fire and police departments taking part
in the inquiry.
Important Arrests Made.
+ The arrest of William J. Maher and
George Nagel today is considered i'm
portant by the coroner. The men
were employed by a sub-contractor for
I the Fuller Construction Co. According
to the police. the men say they nailed
down the ventilators on the roof over
the stage and an examination will
show that the skylight frames had new.
er been removed. In other words, the
safety vents for fire on the stage
were never operated, even experiment.
ally.
Lever Was Never Placed.
According to the police, Maher to-
day said he had charge of the metal
construction of the stage ventilator
The ventilator was to have been oper
ated by lever from the stage, SO il
could be thrown open at a moments
. notice, but according to Maher, the
lever was never fitted.
No Trace to be Found. !,
I, Maher ss.ss he Went to I'll, the theatre
. .as s w otter the fire and looked to see
IT the lever had been attached, but
could find no trace of it.
Coliseum Is Reopened.
The order of the building depart
ment closing the Coliseum today, was
rescinded as further investigation
proved the Coliseum to be entirely safe
and fully complying with all the re
quirements of the ordinances.
Today's Testimony.
The first witness today was Johr
G. Calvin, a painting contractor. He
testified that on the afternoon of the
fire, while purchasing tickets for the
following evening, the outside en-
trance doors were blown open a:
though by blast of hot air. Looking
into the foyer he saw people running
toward the entrance.
Door Was Locked.
He rushed to the lobby and endeav
ored to open the west door, that on
being the nearest 1t was locked. I
was locked on the inside and he coul,
do nothing with it.
Saw Curtain Drop.
Joseph II. Bruce testified that hi
was in the second gallery when the fire
broke out. He saw the curtain come
down to within fifteen feet of the stage
on the north end and five feet on thu
south end
Says Doors Were Closed.
He said he was positive that non,
of the exits on the north side of tn,
theatre were open but declared tina
all the passage in the theatre wer,
well lighted.
Stage Hand Arrested.
John Schmidt. stage hand at tn
Iroquois theatre was arrested toda;
and locked up in default of $500
] bonds to await a hearing on tn
charge of manslaughter.
&, Will j. Davis Questioned.
Will ]. Davis, resident manager o
the 1roquois and president of the com
/. pany, was the first one examined il
the course of the inquiry by Counse
Fulkerson of the fire department yes
terday afternoon. His testimony fol
i lows:
@. Where were you at the time tn,
fire occurred? A. was at the funer
al of Jerome Sykes, at Rolston'
morgue.
@. Who was your manager, havin,
direct charge of the theatre? A. The
mas ]. Noonan was our business man
ager.
@. believe he is present here
"A. Yes sir; he is in waiting
@. Can you give me the seating ca
pacity of that theatre? A. 1 thin,
there were 1902 seats
@. How many tickets were sold t
the matinee on Wednesday evening G
last week-in the afternoon? A. MI
Noonan can tell you that. l have nc
seen the statement
@. Had you given any orders wit
reference to placing fire alarm DO
in the theatre? A. I had not, that
remember.
@. Or placing portable pump upo
the stage? A. | had directed tha
any apparatus the firemen wante
should be provided as soon as possibl,
@. Well, you had one fireman, on
regular fireman upon the stage, in a