The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-01-12

Chicago, January 7.-Befare q
dense crowd, packing the counaai
|chamber in the city hall. 0srsneG
lTraeger and a jury of six nea ssAng
began 'lne official investigates hf
the Iroquois theatre fire. - -
witnesses were persons who wsae IN
the audience at the matinee. ThaV
told OF the panic and Of Anljas e.
tits locked.
Outside in the ante rooms q hest
lof witnesses waited to be heard.
Frightened victims who escaped with
their lives from the fiery furnace
factors. chorus girls. stage haAls.
policemen and firemen-RtagleA
there. making a strange gathering.
Within the council chAnAee. the
inQuisition proceeded along judicial
lines. Lawyers were present in ~
half Of numerous interests. seeking
Ioppertunity\ to examine witnesses
lalong lines of special interest to their
lclients. Under Coroner Traesers
ruling such questions were barred
and the examination continued strict
ly along lines laid down BY that
Office.
For the task of fixing the nespsa-
lsibility for the great less Of life,
Estates Attorney Deneen Instructed
Coroner Traeger to establish the
Identity if possible Of some person
Tor persons who died at the end Of the
passage leading south frsn the en-
trance Of the second balcony. Thsce
la locked door cut off h escape of
hundreds whose bodies were found
against the larricaded dssE The
Icoroner a succeeded in EaAAertAs
this evidence.
Mrs. Strong of Chicago and her
niece. Vera Strong OF Americas. Ga,
STORY Of their death before the locked
exit has been told to the iesrsAer BY
flames n. Strong, son Of the elder
victim. Mr.. Strong, who is a board
Iof trade clerk. consented to testify.
A dozen witnesses were heard 10
iday. The chief witnesses were
Eddie Foy, the comedian Of - Mr..
Blue Beard" Company and George
w. Stetson, a representative Of the
company which manufactures the
asbestos curtain. The evidence Of
Mr.. Foy did not differ greatly frsh
the statements which ave been pub
ilished heretofore concerning his as-
Ition on h day Of the fire.
Mr.. Stetson and Coroner TAaner
ibecame involved in a lengthy rs
|cussion as to the merits sk asbestos
Icurtains. during which MI. Stetsa0
admitted that asbestos curtains II
subjected to an extremely high heGt
would lose their life" and oFuAble.
when shown a portion Of the curtain
brought from the theatre he declared
THAT 1t had evidently been subjected
Ito a very high temperature, but that
he could not say as to whether It had
lendured a sufficiently great heat %
icause 1t to crumble. He declared
that in his opinion the greater por-
ltion of the asbestos curtain n chs
lIroquois theatre was still in gsod
condition and expressed himself as
l%anxious to make experiments 10
iprove the truth Of his assertion
The first witness before the esso-
iner's jury was John c.. Calvin. a
painting contractor. He rushed to
1.-THE lobby and endeavored to open HE
west door, that being the nearest II
twas locked on the inside and he
could do nothing with it. He tried
Ito open two other doors. but ce1Id
mot, and kicked out the panels
Mrs. Elvia D. Pinedo proved one
lof the most important witnesses. She
|said: II was standing near the
boxes on the extreme right Of the
lmain floor and in the real Of the
|seats people were standing four deep.
first saw sparks on the south side
Iof the stage, pack of the scenes and
lcould see a man clapping his hands
lin an effort to put out h sparks
THE moment I saw fire. I quietly
Hooked about for an exit. and saw
what I believed to be one near the
lhn~oa Tho fro oDrnoI raDIll~ oD5
lpeople got up and urged everybody
Ito remain seated as. there was nc
danger. I w saw a saner au.
ldience in my life. Half OF the au-
ldience were women and they calmly
lsat there and saw the sparks change
Into flames without screaming OIL
Igetting panic stricken. Suddenly a
big ball of fire dropped from the TOP
lof the stage to the floor. It was
burning scenery I then thought II
was time to leave, so / walked to the
the door but found It locked. A
imam came ND and we demanded thai
1.-THE usher open the door. He either
Isaid that he would not Dr. could not
Then suddenly there was a powerful
draft which opened the doors and
blew us out into the alley"
Eddie Foy testified that during the
l~second act he was IN his dressins
room and heard a noise to which ne
had at first paid little attention H.
said to himself Are they fighting
Iagain down there?" thinking over q
lQuarrel which had occurred a few
days previous. The noise grew
Istronger and stronger and, becoming
Ianxious about his boy. he a dowr
the steps from his dressing room Il
the stage. picked up h boy right II
front OF the switch board and ther
Hooked ND and saw a fireman abov,
him who was trying to put our TIT