The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-01-12
INVESTIGATION
WAS DRAMATIC
ONE WITNESS FELL IN A
FAINT.
Thrilling Story Told by
Fred Rea.
VICTIMS PILED DEEP

On Gallery Fire Escape, Slowly Burn
ing to Death--A Great Human Pyce
Vivid Story of Madeline Dupont
School Girls Leap for Life-No Pre-
cautions Taken Against Fire.
Chicago, Jan. S.-Dramatic incidents
came in swift succession at the coron-
ers inquest into the Iroquois fire hor-
ror this afternoon. Edith Williams
a member of the Mr.. Bluebeard
troupe that was on the stage when the
fire started, tainted on the witness
stand before she had time to give heI
name.
This stirring incident occurred be-
fore the spectators had recovered
from a most thrilling story of the aw-
full scenes told by Fred Rea, student
at the Northwestern University law
school. who described the slow burning
to death of victims piled deep on one
of the gallery fire escapes-how they
were consumed. a great human pyre
I'VE stood in the windows almost
within reach of the people and saw
them fall upon the struggling pile.
said Rea I'VE saw the flames shoot
out through the open exit behind
them and We saw the clothes of the liv-
ing, struggling women and children
and men catch fire. We saw them con-
sumed before our very eyes. pOwerless
to help them. Only one person es-
capped from one of the exits. though
we placed a ladder across from one OF
our windows. The flames worked fast
er than we could We saw them Leap
from the fire escape to the alley be-
low"
Madeline Dupont. a member of the
Moonlight Octet" had just concluded
her testimony when Miss williams
who had been seated in the council
chamber with several professional
companions, was summoned to the
stand.
Miss Dupont had told her story with
a vividness that held the members of
the jury breathless. The scenes seemed
to live before the eye.
Wrought to a high pitch of excite
ment by this recital Miss Williams,
while in the act of taking the oath
swooned and remained unconscious for
some time.
school M of sixteen years-Ruth
Michael-told of leap from the fire
escape platform at the floor of the
gallery TO the stones of the alley be-
Iowa leap that seemed sure death.
Il had to jump or be burned to
DEATH" said she. The fire was rush
ing out so that / knew it was death to
wait"
She escaped uninjured She testified
that the fire proof screen stuck and
became lodged high up in the proscen-
ium opening it was supposed to close.
The regular act" curtain fell. she said,
burst into flame and scattered the fire
throughout the auditorium. This
seems 10 clear up contradictory stories
as to the asbestos curtain told by va
rious eye witnesses. Through Miss
Michael's testimony it was shown that
those were correct who said the cur
tain stuck, while those who described it
dS ldilluB tledT W the stage were
equally accurate.
Robert f. Murray engineer of the
theatre building in effect told the jury
that the probability of fire or panic
had never been considered by the man
agement so far as the taking of pre-
cautions was concerned.
No arrangements had been made and
no instructions given for the protection
of the patrons. The evidence that
there were four stand pipes in the
but only single fifty foot
piece of hose; that there were exits,
but they were not marked; there was
no fire alarm box on the premises, and
were in working order. but
nobody operated them. Murray did not
know whose BUSINESS 1t was to operate
safeguards of human life with which
the theatre was equipped
At dozen points in his testimony
those who heard it were struck with
the fact that one man with thorough
understanding of the business in
charge OF the employees of the theatre,
Including the engineer. would have
made the playhouse a safe place for
public attendance.
A witness of importance was George
w. Stetson, of Bingham. Mass, secre-
tary of the G. w. Trainer Manufac-
turing company, which made the as
bestos curtain. The witness said that
"freproof' curtains were not absolute
L.. n .. fffI.
not tested in the factory. Mr.. Stetson
did not believe the curtain burned, but
admitted that 1t might have crumbled