The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-01-29
HIGH OFFICIALS ARE
HELD TO GRAND JURY
Mayor Harrison Of Chicago Is
Directly Responsible for
lroquois Holocaust.
REPORT OF THE JURY
Accuses Officers of City of LamentabIe
Lack of Force, and Others for
Gross Neglect of Duty in Not
Enforcing Ordinances.

Enforcing Ordinances.
Chicago, Jan. 27.-The %coroner's jury
which for three weeks has been listen
ing to evidence relating to the fire in
the Iroquois theater. returned a YER
dict by which the following persons are
held to await the action of the grand
Jury:
Carter H. Harrison, mayor Of h
cago; Fire Marshal William II. Mush-
man; Will j. Davis, proprietor in part
and Of the theater; George
Williams, building commissioner of the
city; Edward Laughlin, building IL
,spector under Williams: William Sal
lers, fireman in the theater: James u.
Cummings. stage carpenter, and Will
lam McMullen, who had charge of the
light that caused the fire.
There were over 750, 600 words OF tes-
timony. and each juror would. accord
Ing to the law, be compelled to sign
his name to the testimony Of each wilt
ness, which meant that each man would
be compelled to write his name bf2
times. This work alone, the coroner es-
timated. would consume five hours.
There was, therefore, considerable sur
prise when the jury announced shortly
DeIOTe IL CLOCK lldl IL HdC ~ -
verdict and was ready to report.
1t was also decided by the coroner
hat 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, n 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
~ 49, u ,al1 the onrnnar th11t 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 We're
sent at once for the men named in the
verdict, with orders to bring them in
ut once, and II they could not furnish
bail they were to be taken to the coun-
ty Jail for the night.
Findings of the Jury.
The findings Of the jury are as fol-
lows.
1.-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
fiues on and over h stage n fly gall
leries.
Violation Of the ordinance requiring
freproolng of scenery and all wood
work on and about the stage.
1.-The asbestos curtain vas 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 APP
paratus on the orchestra floors.
Building ordinance was violated in thai
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 las He was
primarily responsible for the observance
of the laws, and was bound to see that his
employees were properly instructed as to
their duties In case of fire.
In relation to Mayor Harrison the yer.
dict reads as follows:
I'VE hold Carter II. Harrison, as mayor
of the city of Chicago, responsible. as he
has shown a lamentable lack of force
ind for his efforts to escape responsible,
lily, evidenced by the testimony of Build
Ing COMMISSIONS Williams and Fire Mar.
shall Musham. AS heads of department
under the said Carter H.. Harrison follow,
Ing this weak course has given Chicago
Inefficient service. which makes sucl
calamities as the Iroquois theater fire hor.
ror a menace until the public service Is
purged of incompetents."
Building Commissioner Williams wa:
held for gross neglect Of his duty in al
lowing the theater to open its doors t.
the public when the said theater was in
complete, and did not comply with tn.
building ordinances of the city Of Chi
cago."
Fire Marshal Musham was held re
sponsible "fcr gross neglect Of duty In no,
enforcing the ordinances. and failure t.
nave his subordinate. William Sallers
fireman at the theater. report to him O
the lack Of fire apparatus in the theater.
Sallers was held for not reporting tn,
lack OF fire apparatus. McMullen 70
carelessness in handling the light tina
caused the fire; Cummings as stage car
penter, for not providing the stage witt
proper fire protection.
Mayor Not Arrested.
Later In the night, after the member
of the jury had departed, 1t was decide
by Coroner Traeger that 1t would not b
necessary to arrest Mayor Harrison, Fir
Marshal Musham and Building Commits
sioner Williams, and no officers were ser
for them. Mitimusses were made GU
however, for the other six men. A speci,
grand jury will convene mex week to r,
open the investigation and decide wis
action shall be taken on the report (
the coroner's jury. The charge, as fl
as the city officials are concerned, whic
the grand jury will consider Is malfea
ance In office Conviction means their r.
moval from, Office In addition to any 9TH
-.enalty.