Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-01-06

Chicago, Dec. 31.-Seven employ es
OF the Iroquois theater we're arrested
tonight on orders issued by Chief of
Police O'Neil. The charge against
them is at present that of being ac-
cessory to manslaughter. They will
be held pending the verdict OF the
coroner's jury.
The men arrested are VIM. Carl.
ton, stage manager; Edward Cum
mings, stage carpenter; Frank Jan
drow, R. NJ. Cummings. E. Eigle,
Thomas Mcqueen, s. ]. Mazoni. The
last Ave are stage hands and scene
shifters. d.
After being taken In custody by the
police, four OF them told Chief 0'Neil
that they had been requested by peo-
pie connected with the theater to
leave the city. When asked who ad-
vised them to do this they refused to
say but later admitted that advice
was given by Assistant Stage Man.
ager Plunkitt. They said they were
about to follow Plunkitt's advice and
all of them had packed their trunks
and would have been out of the city
had not the police arrested them.
Chief OF Police O'Neil said that the
arrest of the men did not indicate
that there was any specific blame at
tached to them. The move was made
to prevent the possible disappearance
of witnesses before the time when
they are needed at the inquest. The
charge placed against the men Is one
that admits of bail, and 1t Is not ex.
pected that the bonds will be high
when the men are arraigned for hear
ing tomorrow morning. It Is posi-
BILE, the police say, that other arrests
will be made tomorrow.
Orders were issued tonight by Chief
O'Neil to find other members Of the
company and theater employees who
we're actual witnesses of the fire. This
order will mean, the police say, that
more than twenty arrests will be made
in the morning, chiefly among ballet
dancers and members of the chorus
who were crowded In the wings walt
ing for their cues, when the fire was
discovered.
According to Coroner Traeger, a
large placard had been placed In the
hotel where large number OF the
company are stopping, ordering that
all members of the company should
be ready to leave upon short notice.
Believing that this was a move to
keep witnesses from testifying before
the coroner's Jury, the arrests were
decided upon.
Shortly after midnight detectives
from the central police station arrest
ed VIM. Plunkitt, assistant stage man.
ager of the theater, and four members
OF the Moonlight chorus" The cho.
rus Is made up of eight men and eight
women and was about to appear on
the stage when the fre started.
Chicago, Dec. 3l.-For the second
time In her life the city of Chicago
has been stricken to the heart. Not
only have many of her sons and
daughters met death In q variety OF
horrible and torturing forms, but the
blow has fallen almost as heavily up
| on the strangers within her gates
There Is hardly q village or town with
In q radius OF one hundred miles OF
Chicago whose people are not direct
ly or Indirectly interested In the piles
Of dead, or in the injured which All
hospitals, or In the fate Of who seem
to have passed from human knowl
edge, In fact that 1t Is believed that
they were In the ill.fated structure
and Of whom no word mas since beer
heard.
The Death List s64.
The list of dead continues as II was
given last night In the neighborhoot
Of $50. II is generally accepted Al
this time that the most accurate esti
mate IL 564. This number will be In
creased somewhat as there are peo
pie In the hospitals who can not sur
vive for any length of time. II Is be
lieved. however. that the total numbel
of dead will not In any event exceed
SIS. Including the missing, IL Is es
timated that the total number OF cas-
ualties is at the present time approx
limateiy 1000. There are among TN
missing names of many who are a
their homes and some who were no
at the theater at all. In the first ex
citement following the calamity thes'
people were reportd by thir relative
as among the missing and numbers o
them have since returned to thel
homes and no report of this fact ha
been made to police headquarters
Their names, however, still swell tn
list OF the missing. When the name
of the dead, who are still to be ider
: tilted have been abstracted from tn
list OF the missing It Is probable tina
the extent of the catastrophe will b
fully revealed.
Revolution Imminent
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