The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-01-29
JURY FIXES BLAME.
Mayor Carter Harrison and Others Are
Held to the Grand jury.

SHlCdSO, JAN. ~. - Inc COrOner's
jury which for three weeks has been
listening to evidence relating to the
fire in the Iroquois theater, last night
! returned a verdict by which the fol.
lowing persons are held to await the
action OF the grand jury:
Carter II. Harrison, mayor of Chi.
cago.
VIII ]. Davis, proprietor In part, and
manager Of the theater.
George Williams, building commits.
sioner of the city.
Edward Laughlin, building inspector
under Williams.
William Sallers, fireman in the
theater.
James e. Cummings, stage carpen.
ter.
William NcNullen, who had charge
of the light that caused the fire.
William H. Musham, fire marshal.
Warrants at Once Issued.
It was at once decided by the cor.
oner that all men who should be held
by the verdict to the grand jury should
be taken into custody last night. He
therefore at once preparey warrants
for their arrest and called upon the
police department for officers to serve
them.
AS soon as the finding of the Jury
was announced details of officers
were at once sent for the men named
in the verdict, with orders to bring
them in at once, and if they could not
furnish bail they were to be taken to
the county jail for the night.
The findings of the jury were as fol
lows:
The cause of the fire was drapery
coming in contact with a flood or arc
light. City laws were not complied
with relating to building ordinances,
regulating fire alarm boxes, fire ap-
paratus, damper Of flues on or over the
stage, and fly galleries.
Violation Of the Ordinances
requiring fire proofing of scenery and
all wood work on and about the stage;
asbestos curtain was wholly destroyed
and was wholly ~inadequate; building
ordinance violated, in that aisles were
enclosed on each side of the lower
boxes and absence of fire apparatus on
the orchestra floor; building ordi-
nances violated in that there was no
fire apparatus in the gallery or first
balcony; VIII J. Davis was held re-
sponsible as president and general
manager. He was primarily RESPONSE
bic for the observance of the laws. and
was bound to see that his employees
were properly instructed as to their
duties in case Of fire"
In relation to Mayor Harrison the
verdict reads as follows:
1--WE hold Carter II. Harrison, as
mayor of the city of Chicago, respon-
sible, as he has shown a lamentable
lack of force, and for his efforts
To Escape Responsibility,
evidenced by the testimony of Build
ing Commissioner Williams and Fire
Marshal Musham. Heads of depart.
ments under the said Carter H. Har
rison. following this weak course, have
given ChicaGo inefficient service,
which makes such calamities as the
~Iroquois theater horror, a menace, I'm.
til the public service is purged Of in
c~ompetents."
Building Commissioner Williams
was held for "gross neglect of his
duty in allowing the theater to open
it's doors to the public when the said
theater was incompetent and because
he did not comply with the building
ordinances of the city OF Chicago"
Later in the night, after the mem
bers of the jury had departed, it was
decided by Coroner Traeger that il
would not be necessary to arrest May.
or Harrison, Fire Marshal Musham
and Building Commissioner Williams
last night and no officers were sent
for them.