Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-07
WHAT THE JURY WILL FIND.
That Death ia Each Case Resulted
From Shocks and
Injury
SEPARATE vEROICTS TO BE GIVEN.
Responsibility Will be Fixed so Far as
Possible-Rxhbit 4 VIII be the
Fatal flOOdight,

NH'N'eNNf wan g AfNlplN a. htliS'
crowd packing The council chamber in
the city hail. Coroner Traeger and
jury OF six men today began the Of
fetal examination OF the Iroquois thea
ter fire, Witnesses We're persons who
were In the audience at the matinee.
They told Of the panic and Of finding
exits locked
Outside IN the anteroom host Of
witnesses waited TO be- heard Fright
ened victims who escaped with their
lives from the fiery furnace, actors,
chorus girls stage hands. policemen
and iremen mingled there, making a
strange gathering
Within the council chamber the in
QUESTION proceeded along judicial lines.
Lawyers were present IN behalf Of
numerous interests, seeking opportunity
TO examine witnesses along liens Of
special interest to their clients.
Under Coroner Traeger's ruling such
questions were barred and the examina-
ton connected strictly along the lines
laid down by that office.
The coronsr's inquest over the re-
mains of the victims OF the lroquois
theater began IN the city council
chamber today, The coroner's off,
cial list Of dead-ior use at the in
quest-contains Just bs5 names Pre-
vious police reports indicating 59l dead
are declared now to be inaccurate, and
due to the shifting OF bodies from one
morgue to another,
Preparations were complete Tor the
most searching inquiry into the caus-
es OF the greatest calamity that Chlca-
go has ever known Coroner Traeger
presided over the investigation with
states Atty Deneen, or one Of his as
slstnnts In constant attendance as the
corOners legal representative and the
corporation counsel the county attorney.
a score OF lawyers representing private
interests ana numerous officials Of the
fire and police departments taking part
in the inquiry.
WILL TAKE SIX DAYS.
II Is estimated that It viii require at
least six days for the jury 10 hear the
testimony OF the 200 or more witnesses.
The provision OF the law that the Jury
shall view the bodies over which the in
quest IL held having already been COM
piled with, Coroner Traeger entered at
once upon the examination Of the wit
nesses TO determine the cause OF the
fire and the responsibility for the loss
OF life. Technically, the inquest IL held
over the body OF Miss Mary Edna Tor
ney ana 66i others"
Deputy Coroner Buckley knew Mss
Torney and arrived on the scene OF the
fire a few minutes after her body had
been carried out. He was able TO To-
cate the two policemen who had nand-
led the body. The check 10 her seat in
the thoater was found on her clothing,
Precise evidence can therefore be de-
duced ms to the circumstances Of her
death and these circumstances will be
Interpreted To apply In general to the
1854 others"
WHAT JURY WILL FIND.
Although some died OF asphyxiation,
some OF burns and some from concus-
sion the jury viii find that death In
each OF the cases resulted from shocks
and injury The jury will sign a sep
arate verdict for each victim.
For the task of fixing the RESPONSE
bility for the great loss OF life. States
Atty Dlneen instructed Coroner Trae-
ger to establish the IDENTITY II posi-
Die of some person or persons who died
al the end OF the passage leading south
from the entrance OF the second bal
Cony. There locked door cut off the
escape OF hundreds, whose bodies were
found against the barrlcaded door The
coroner has succeeded In gathering
this evidence.
Mrs, n, r. Strong, Of Chicago, and
her niece, Vera Strong, OF Americas,
Ga died at the foot OF the stairway.
The story OF their death before the
locked exit has been told 20 the coro-
ncr by James NJ. Strong, son Of tho
elder victim MI Strong who Is a
board OF trade clerk, consented to
testify
MAHER AND NAGEL ARRESTED.
The arrest OF William j. Maher and
George Nagel, which took place today
IS considered important by Coroner
lraeBer IN connection with the inves-
LEGATION. The men were employed by
a subeContraCtor OF the Fuller Con.
struction company, According to the
police the men say they nailed down
the ventilators on the roof Of the thea
ter over the stage and that an examIn-
alton viii show that the skylight
frames had never been removed. In
other words the safety vents for Are
| on the stage were never operated even
eXperimentaIly and every audience that
ever sat In tho lroQuois theater from
the day the theater was opened, had
been IN imminent danger OF roasting TO
death wholesale whenever fire broke
out on the stage y. Knitting II the
sub.contraotor Of the Fuller Construc-
ton company who employed Maher and
Nagel, The two workmen were nj
home IN bed when arrested. The work
men explained TO the police that the
nails were expected to be removed lat.
er and the skylights put In proper
working order when tho theater was
placed In the hands Of the owners, Both