The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-05
HALLS CLOSED TIGHT
(continued from Page one.)'

Alderman Dunn introduced resolution declaring it to be the sense of the Coun- cil that the acceptance of passes from railroads or places of amusement be dis continued.
 Alderman Huyler rose to inquire: Does that include the transportation we new have in our pockets?'
 Tt does," Alderman Dunn replied Every street railway or railway p1ss we have is a small bribe."
 Alderman Dunn asked for a suspension of the rules to pass his resolution but his request was denied by an overwhelming vote.
 'I should say" said MT. Price. "that between 90 and 100 tickets were sold after the theatre was entirely filled. The days receipts amounted to something of H.7OO."
 Little result followed the examination of seven men of the double octette which was on the stage when the ire broke out. It was expected that the men who were arrested immediately after the fire would have much information, but the contrary was the case.
 "We kept on singing and dancing, and did not even know that there was a fire until sparks fell on the stage and two girls of the double octette fainted," said William Fleck. the first witnessed called.
 Tt Is the rule of the stage that we are fined if we turn our faces for an instant from the audience. All know Is that we stuck to our work until We had to run for our lives."
 Fleck's story was corroborated by the six men who followed him.
 The police today arrested George W. Dusenberry. chief usher of the theatre, on a charge of manslaughter. Dusen- berry declares that he tried to hold back the rush of spectators and later helped to tvfx fka ko~ Al exits. He is held to furnish evidence on the statements made by many people in the theatre that the ushers closed the doors and that they at first refused to allow people to pass out.
 Benjamin Solomon, a boy who rented opera glasses in the upper balcony de- feared today that all the ushers and at- taches closed the doors and shouted to the spectators to remain seated as there was no danger.
 Coroner Traegar is looking for the chief scrub woman of the theatre, who. it is said, carried with her all the keys to She will be placed under arrest as soon as she can be found
 In addition to the managers of the thea tre. Will J. Davis and Harry J. Powers. every one of the employees of the thea Ire has been summoned before the inquest Thursday morning and many members of the "Bluebeard" Company who were not permitted to depart for New York yester- day. will also be called upon to testify. John B. Thompson, the proprietor of res- taurant which adjoins the IroQuois Thea tre on the east, has lost the greater DOT ton of his business since the fire. On the day of the disaster. MT. Thompson threw open his restaurant for the bod. es of the dead and wounded as they wer" carried out of the theatre He summoned nurses and doctors, procured medical sur- plies and did everything that 1t was pos- sible for man to dp in alleviating the horror of the catastrophe. His valuable and disinterested services were widely advertised in the papers with the result practically of driving all his patrons away
 An enormous crowd attended the open ing of the City Council meeting tonight, 1t being expected that a great number of ordinances relative to the Iroquois the atre fire would be acted upon.
 Their expectations were amply fulfilled and the Council did little other business than to listen to the reading of proposed laws calculated to insure greater safety in places of public assembly. The coun- cil took action as follows: Endorsed the action of Mayor Harrison in clOsn" all theatres and adopted his recommc 1tions for the appointment Of comm.~ to investigate all local the atres which are to remain closed until the Committee had finally reported.
 Referred to this special committee were ! the following ordinances: Directing one fireman and one police man to be placed upon the stage, and one fireman and one policeman upon every floor of the audience portion of every theatre, the management of the , theatre to pay & for each man at every performance.
 Providing separate exits from balcony to the ground.
 Providing for the erection above the stage of two standpipes.
 Ordering an investigation into the mat ter of requiring advance quards and guides at all exits in all theatres and halls.