The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-01-29
HIGH OFFICIALS ARE
HELD TO GRAND JURY
Mayor Harrison of Chicago Is
Directly Responsible tor
Iroquois Holocaust.
REPORT OF THE JURY
Accuses Officers of City of ~Lamentablo
Lack of Force, and Others for
Gross Neglect Of Duty in Not
Enforcing Ordinances.

. IGCH " SsSS1 ~ ny
Gross Neglect Of Duty in Not
Enforcing Ordinances.
81 Chicago. Jan. 27.-The c%oroner's jury
which for three weeks has been listen
ing to evidence relating to the fire IN
he Iroauois theater, returned a YER
dict by which the following persons are
held to await the action of the grano
jury:
Carter H. Harrison, mayor OF chi
caeo; Fire Marshal William H. Mush-
man; Will j. Davis. proprietor IN part
and Of the theater; George
Williams, building commissioner OF the
city; Edward Laughlin, building m
spector under Williams; William sal
lers, fireman in the theater: James -.
Cummings, stage carpenter. n VIII
lam McMullen. who had charge Oh the
light that caused the fire.
There were over ESQ. 900 words OF tes-
timony, and each juror would. accord
Ing to the law, be compelled to sign
his name to the testimony OF each VII
| ness, which meant that each man Wouio
be compelled to write his name oiz
times. This work alone, the coroner es-
timated, would consume five hours.
There was. therefore, considerable sur
prise when the jury announced shortly
before II o'clock that it had reached a
verdict and was ready to report.
1t was also decided by the coroner
f! that all men who would be held by the
verdict to the grand jury should be
taken into custody last night. He
therefore prepared warrants for their
arrest, and called on the police depart
ment for force to arrest them.
II do not expect that some of these
men who are likely to be held will try
to escape" said the coroner, but some
of them who have not large property
interests might take it into their heads
to do so. I do not intend that there
shall be any mistakes in that direction
laid to my department. If l cause the
arrest of one of them I am compelled
to cause the arrest Of all. and there will
be no favoritism shown. no matter who
are the men held by the jury"
AS soon as the finding of the jury
was announced details of officers were
sent at once for h men named in the
verdict, with orders to bring them in
at once, and If they could not furnish
bail they We're to be taken to the
ty jail for the night.
Findings of the Jury.
The findings of the jury are as fol
lows.
The cause of the fire was drapery
coming in contact with a flood, or arc
light.
"City laws were rot complied with
relating to building or ordinance, fire
alarm boxes, fire apparatus. damper or
hues on and over the stage and fly gal
leries.
Violation Of the ordinance requiring
~1reproofing of scenery and all wood
work on and about the stage.
THE asbestos curtain was wholly mad
equate, and was entirely destroyed.
Building ordinances were violated, in
that aisles were enclosed on each side OF
the lower boxes, and absence Of fire an.
paratus on the orchestra floors.
Building ordinance was violated In tha,
there was no fire apparatus in the gallery
or first balcony"
Will J. Davis was held responsible as
president and general manager. He was
primarily and general manager. He was
primarily responsible for the observance
of the laws. and was bound to 3 that his
employees were properly instructed as tc
their duties in case of fire.
In relation to Mayor Harrison the Yer.
dict reads as follows:
hold Garter H.. Harrison. as mayo,
of the city of Chicago, responsible, as he
has shown a lamentable lack OF force
and for his efforts to escape responsible.
lty, evidenced by the testimony or Build.
Ing Commissioner Williams and Fire Mar.
shall Musham. AS heads OF deps rt,nant
under the said Carter H. Harrison follow.
ing this weak course has given Chicago
inefficient service, which makes such
calanlities as the Iroquois ~tlleater fire hor.
ror a menace until the public service is
purged OF Incompetence
Building Commissioner Wilia ma WI
held for gross neglect of his duty in al.
lowing the theater to open its doors te
the public when the said theater was in
complete, and did not comply with The
building ordinances of the city of Chi.
cago."
Fire Marshal Musham was held re-.
sPonslble for gross neglect OF duty in NOT
shlofclng the ordinances, and failure to
have his subordinate, William Sallers
fireman at the theater, report to him of
the lack Of fire apparatus in the theater.
Sallers was held for not reporting the
lack of fire apparatus. McMulIen for
carelessness in handling the light that
caused the fire; Cummings as stage car.
penter, for not providing the stage with
proper fire protection.
Mayor Not Arrested.
Later in the night. after the member
of the jury had departed, it was decided
by Coroner Iraeger that it would not be
necessary to arrest Mayor Harrison E;re
Marshal Musham II Building Commits.
sioner Williams, and no officers were sent
for them. Mitimusses were made Our
however, for the other six men. A specIal
grand jury will convene next week to re.
open the investigation and decide what
action shall be taken on the report of
the coroner's jury. The charge, as fnr
as the city officials are concerned, which
the grand jury will consider is malfeas-
ance in office. Conviction means their re-
moval from office in addition 10 any nthex
'enalty.
MORO