Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-07
MUST BE REMODELED
MANY CHICAGO THEATERS WILL
NEVER REOPEN.
About 65 Per Cent, Including Some
Leading Ones, Do Not Con-
form to Law.

A dispatch from Chicago last night says:
A special committee. composed Of members
or the city council, appointed last night to
Investigate the condition Of the local the
alters and to report upon what alterations
are necessary to make them conform to
the building ordinances. held It's first meet
ing Wednesday
According to the statement Of Alderman
Frfestadt. one Of the members Of the COM
mittee, 1t Is doubtful II 81 per cent Of the
theaters ever reopen their doors. Strict ad-
herence to the building laws would require
that every one o. the piayhouses in the
city be of freproof construction, and this
would require the demolition and rebuilding
OF the majority Of the theaters.
Alderman Jones. chairman of the COM
mittee said tonight:
I'VE viii first revise the building ordi-
nances. Then we will visit the theaters
and decide what alterations will be neces-
sary to make the construction of the houses
conform to the law. OF course. the owners
of the theaters will do nothing until they
| know Just exactly what the amended ordi-
| nances will demand of them. but they will
be obliged to reconstruct their theaters
to conform with the ordinances we are go
ing to prepare"
Alderman Friestadt declared:
Some of the leading theaters in Chi
cago cannot conform to the ordinances
uulSSS luSJ diS SAtlESfy TeUuitlr anu tn5y
may find 1t too expensive to make the
changes. l do not believe over 35 per cent
of them will ever open again. anyhow
Late this afternoon the attorneys of the
fire department caused the arrest Of four
employees of the Fuller Construction Com
pany. David Jones, a masonry foreman,
and Angus Mckay. Otto Rausch and John
Kingston, iron workers Attorneys for the
sought by the police for several days. to
the fire department. It had been charged
that Jones and his men broke the skylights
on the theater after the fire in order to
destroy possible evidence. 1t developed to-
day. after the arrest of Jones and his men.
that the skylights were blocked by scant-
lings and tied with wire to prevent their
opening, and that neither of them had been
opened since the iheater was built.
Jones, in making his statement to the fire
department, said:
Il took the three iron workers with me
up through adjoining building and out
upon the theater roof over the stage. First
removed the wooden scantlings which
blocked the skylights. Then I found the
lights tied with wire inside, and broke two
panes Of glass to get at the wires to unite
them. finally got the wires off and open
ed the Lights
Jones was asked why he went to the roof
Of the theater. and replied that he had
been told that the north wall had been
cracked In the fire and went to see il ii
was true. He declared he had loosened the
skylights because he feared that they might
fall through and injure somebody on the
stage.
why did you take three iron workers
with you to inspect a brick waltz asked
Attorney Fu1kerson of the fire department.
Jones was confused, but finally answered
that the men went with him through Gu
riosity He admitted that the iron workers
helped him open the skylights and worked
with him about the roof for half an hour.
Although he said he went to the theater Of
his own accord, and without orders from
the Fuller Construction Company, he ad-
mitted that he should have been in another
building. where he had been working, at
the time he had left that building and had
gone to the theater.
When asked how he was going to explain
to the company that employed him why he
had taken three of their employees and kept
them with him for practically an hour In
order to satisfy his curiosity. Jones could
make no satisfactory reply. When pressed
for an answer, Jones said that the men
were not employees Of the Fuller company,
but men he had met on the street.
He denied that he had used any tools in
forcing the skyhghts. but this statement
was denied by George Mueller. who wit
messed the breaking open of the skylfghts
from an adjoining building. Mueller de-
clared that the men carried and made use
Of a crowbar and a hammer. Numerous
Witnesses who were In adjoining buildings
overlooking the theater. testified that the
skylightS were not open during the fire.