Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-26
SEVENTEEN
ARE BLAMED
RESPONSIBILITY FOR lRoouoIs
DISASTER PLACED BY coRo.
NER's JURY.
SOME MAY BE INDICTED

Sase u ouay ana true bitls Are Cone
fidently Expected - Names of Tf,ose
Who Are Held Responsible.
Chicago, Jan. 25-- Seventeen men
are held responsible by the coroner's
jury for the fire Which on December
30 destroyed the Iroquois theatre and
caused the death of nearly 600 peo-
pie. spreading pail of gloom over the
entire nation. The charges against
tho seventeen parties will be turned
over to the Cook county grand Jury
which convenes today. and this body
will sift tho matter to the bottom. 10
is possible and in some cases very
probable that indictments will be
found and that penitentiary ,erms OF
varying lengths will be melted out to
the men toward whom the accusing
finger of evidence has been pointed
during the long coroner's inquest.
Many Witnesses Examlned.y
After examining in detail more than
2OO witnesses and going to any length
to get, the truth regarding the conduct
OF affairs both at the i'll fated theatre
and in the city building and fire de-
partments, the coroners jury ended it's
inquest late Saturday. The jurors have
left no doubt that they were to turn
the evidence all over to the grand Jury
and immediate action. in the form OF
finding of the indictments is confident.
ly expected.
Those Held Responsible.
The men whose culpabillty will be-
considered. and some of the revela.
tions against them in the testimony,
Iare:
George Williams, commissioner OF +
1snuAdings Inefficient executive direc-
tion Of building department; heverS
instructed his men; lax enforcement
OF orfiinancesa due to absence yof sys-
william H. nIusham, CHIEF of fire
department. Made no effort to en-
force ordinance cesrequirementsh hfor fire
apparatus in theatres; made no offf-..s
cial inspections; gave safety certif1-
| Gates to theatres found to be danger-
ous
Harry J. Powers and Will j. Davis,
resident managers of Iroquois thea
tire. Made no examination of theatre
to see that fire ordinances We're OBJ
served; never read ordinances per-
| tanning to theatres and so permitted
| violations
Thomas ]. Noonan business mama
| ger OF theatre. Responsibility power
and duty said by Powers and Davis to
co-equal with those of the mana
| gers.
Ed Loughlin, building inspector. HAD
charge of Iroquois inspection and re-
| ported structure as 20. K" though
many building ordinances were vio-
| lated.
julius Lense, building inspector Ac-
companied Lough1in on final inspec-
| ton, ana, though he admits seeing
many Violation OF the laws, made no
| report to commissioner.
Inspector Hughes, said by theatre
manager to have been in building ev-
cry day for weeks before it opened
! but reported no violations.
| William Sallers. fireman. Had lit
| tie fire apparatus but made no demands
for more; acted at matinees as stage
| doortender.
| Stage Carpenter Cummings, made
| no demands for fire apparatus: was
| said to have had authority to purchase
anything he deemed necessary: sta
toned the firemen as doortender at
/ performances: permitted border OF
| grand drapery to hang near the flood
| light.
| Assistant Stage Carpenter McClus-
| KY, acted as chief stage director while
Cummings was away and made no
changes in border and did not ask for
more fire apparatus.
| George N. Dusenberry auditorium
superintendent; had charge of lshers.
| but gave them no Instructions; had
| keys to locked doors in his pocket dur
| ing fire; was responsible for the OPEN
| ing of the fue III auditorium, but did
not attend to 1t.
William McMullen. operator of floor
| light, claims he reported danger of fire.
| but his statements Were denied by SUBJ
seauent witnesses.
William Dunn. chief electrician OF
| Bluebeard company, said by McMullen
! to have been told Of the danger of fire
because of situation in the flood
| light.
Victor H. Tousley, electrical inspec-
| tor, made no examination of the lights
of the Bluebeard company, one of
| which started the fire.
4 Marc, klaw and r. ID. Erlanger, ofI1-
| GERS of the Iroquois theatre company
| who may be held partly accountable
for conditions of the amusement house.
Service for Iroquois Victims.
1 New York, Jan. 25--Memorial sery.
! ices under the direction of the Actors
Church Alliance of America, in SYM
pathy with the sufferers and bereaved
in the Iroquois theatre fire In Chicago
were held at the Princess theatre yes
terday. The Rev. F. Courtney, D. d.,
former bishop Of Nova Scotia presided
and among those who took part in the
services were: the Rev. Thomas r.
Slicer. president of the New York
chapter, Rabbi Moses; Archdeacon
Nelson and the Rev. e. T. Clay Moran.
WRECK IN TENNESSEE.