Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-08
THE INQUEST
Over the Remains of Chicago
Theatre Victims.
Is Bringing Out Facts Disgracefu| to
Owners Concerned.
1t Is Wonder That Anyone ESCAPED
from Building.

Chicago, Jan. THE coroner'S in
quest over the remains of the victims
Of the lroquoiS theatre disaster began
IL the city council chamber. Thursday
The corOner'S official list of dead (for
uSe at the inquesD contains 565 names.
Previous police reports indicating SCI
dead are declared now to be inaccurate
and due to the shifting of bodies from
one mGrgue to another.
Coroner Traeger presided over the
investigation, with State Attorney
Dineen or ole of his assistants in con-
slant attendance as the coroner's legal
representative. and the corporation
counsel. the county attorney a score
Of lawyers representing private inter-
"StS and numerous officials of the fire
ana police departments taking part in
the inquiry.
1t is estimated that it will require at
least six days for the jury to hear the
testimony of the 200 or more witnesses.
Technically the inquest is held over
the body of Miss Mary Edna Torrev
and 564 others.
For the task Of fixing the RESPONSE
bility for the loss Of life. State Attorney
Dineen instructed Coroner TRIGGER to
establish the identity if possible of
So'rc person or persons who died at
IN" end of the passage leading south
from the entrance of the second bal
rnny. There Il locked door cut off the
escape of hundreds whose bodies were
found against the barricaded door. The
coroner has succeeded in gathering this
evidence on this point
The arrest of VIM. J. Maher and
Geo. NaGel. which took place. Tues
daE, Is considered important BY Coro-
ncr Traegor in connection with the
investigation. The men were employ
ed by sub-contractor OF the Fuller
Construction Co.
according to the police. the mon
sa. they hauled down the ventilators
on the roof of the theatre over the
stage and that examination will show
that the skyiight frames had never
neon removed. In other words, the
safety vents for fire on the stage
were never operated even experiment
tally ana every audience that ever sat
IN the lroquois theatre. had been in
imminent danger OF roasting to death
Wholesale whenever fire broke out
on the stage. A. Knitting is the sub
contractor of the Fuller Construction
c. who employed Maher and Nagel.
The two workmen were both in bed
VIXEN arrested. The workmen explain
cl to the police that the nails We're
expected to be removed later and the
skTlights placed in proper working
order whom the theatre was placed in
the hands of the owners. Both men
expressed a Willingness to appear be-
fore the coroners jury.
The first witness before the cOroner's
Jury was John c. Calvin, a painting
who was in the vestibule
Of the theatre when the panic occur
red. He rushed to the lobby and en-
1eavored to open the west door. that
being the nearest. 1t was locked on
he inside and he could do nothing
With it,
lie then kicked out two Of the panels.
,lso the glass of the panels and returned
10 the west vcsthulc double door and
licked out the panels of those two doors.
After seeing the people coming out, he
walked out and never thought anything
more of the fire until he had gone block
pr two away. Then the great danger
iawned upon him. He returned to the
,ulding and found firemen carrying out
he bodies Of the dead
Antonio Krosolono, leader Of the orr
rhcStra, testified that the curtain came
Town within foot Of the stage Mt the
line of the fire Then, he asserted, 1t ap-
Deared to Straighten out and the flames
anne from beneath. He had seen neither
Ere eXtinguisher nor fire buckets about
he stage or in the building.
Mrs. Emma SchweitZer, who occupied
seat the main floor. five feet from the
stage. testified that when the fire broke
put effort was made to lower the
painted canvas curtain but that it stuck
when part way down.
Mrs. Joseph Petry testified that when
she reached the bottom of the staircase
she found all but one of the doors leading
o the Randolph street vesibule locked
Mrs. Elvira d. Pinedo said: Il was
Continued on page g.