The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-21

Desieued 10 Exonernte AtaW anu ErIanger-More Churches and Haiis
 Closed.
 Chicago, Jan. 2O.-It is probable that the city council next Monday night will again consider and revise the new thea ter ordinance. A meeting between the theater managers and a special commit tee of the aldermen will be held later in the week at which the managers will announce what is physically possible for them to accomplish in making their theaters safe, and at the same time re- open for the balance Of the theatrical season. There is general feeling among the aldermen that the essentials demanded Of the theaters before they are allowed to open their doors is some what too stringent. and modifications may be made at the regular council meeting next Monday. At the same time there are many al- dermen who are strongly of the opinion that the theaters should not reopen for UuSllleSS ullllA lAlCJ 1tetfC OCCll tildOC dH- soIutely safe. It is likely that there will be a strong fight in the council before any action looking to further relief of the theaters is made. David Jones, a mason foreman for the Fuller Construction company, was the star witness of the afternoon and he had a most uncomfortable time of it while on the stand. | Jones was the man who removed the skvlights from the theater on the day i following the fire, and in endeavoring to explain why he did this. he tangled himself all up and failed to make a sat- isfactory explanation. When asked why he went to the theater, he said:
 "T heard the walls were bulging out and I went to see.''
 "Who went with you?''
 "Three iron workers
 If you went to examine the brick wall, why was it necessary to take iron workers with you?'
 They just went out of curiosity
 Did the Fuller company send you over there to remove the skylights?" Nobody sent me to remove the sky | lights; went of my own accord"
 How long were you gone from the place where you were working on that day?"
 l 1.-TWO hours"
 And these two iron workers were gone two hours also?" M l We went and came together.n
 Whose time were those men using, their own or that Of the Fuller com pany?''
 That Of the Fuller company When questioned closely as to wheth- i CT it was the habit of the Fuller com panv to allow it's employees to absent themselves from work for two hours at a time. and pay them for the time they were gone. Jones could offer no satis- factory reply.
 When asked why he had removed the skylights he said they were afraid the glass would fall down and hurst some body on .he stage.
 He WAS asked by Coroner Traeger: I.'What business was it of yours to tear down any portion of that building, even If 1t were dangerous? Don't you know that work belongs to the police and fire department?"
 sYes, I know that"
 Then why did you meddle with af- fairs that were no concern of yours?"
 q was afraid somebody would be hurt"
 "Isnt t a fact that you were sent there to destroy evidence?"
 No sir, I wasn't sent there by any, body I went of my own accord 1 Assistant States Attorney Barnes asked if the fact that the theater was l guarded made any difference in the manner of his coming and going, Jones ! said:
 NO, I always went in and out those ways"
 The witness then told of how he had visitor the attorney for the construction company on the morning following the \ day of his removal of the skylights. He said he heard the police were after him and he thought it might be good thing to see his lawyer.
 What did the lawyer tell you?" ask ed the coroner.
 'I cannot remember" Assistant States Attorney Barnes questioned the witness closely as to whether he had talked with any official of the Fuller Construction company be- tween the times he removed the sky flight and when he visited the companys attorney.
 Jones at first denied that he had fin ally said T think now that I did see Superintendent Lynch"
 Harry H. Hornsby, chief electrical in- spector of the city of Chicago, testified regarding the manner of inspecting electric lights. He said the inspection of spot lights belonged to his depart ment but that no report had been made upon them although he knew that In- spector Towsley of his department was aware of their existence in the thea ter. The witness declared that the city ordnance provides that no light or wiring for apparatus should be install- ed unless a permit from the city had been received. Tn the case of the Iro- lquois theater spot light no permit had been issued and no application had been made.
 The testimony of Edwin E. Price, manager of "Mr. Bluebeard,' at the Iroquois theater inquest day showed
 up the work of Chicago building inspec-
 tors in bad light, compared with that of
 inspectors of other cities.