The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-12
COUNCIL WILL ACT
 ON ORDINANCES
Iroquois Fire Still Under h.
 veStigation
CORONER INVESTIGATING
James M. Strong, a Former Brmins- ham Man, Goes on the Stand Dur ing the Afternoon and
 Tells Experience.

Chicago, January 11.-It was expected that the city council tonight would dea- nitely determine the exact nature of the alterations which will be demanded in all Chicago play-houses before they are again allowed to open their doors to the public.
 The amended building ordinance eover- ing play-houses recommended by the council committee, was so long, and the pressure of other business so great 1t was decided to make them alter subject for special meeting of the council which will be held next Thursday evening James M. Strong, the first witness of the afternoon, testified that he. with his moth CT and wife, bought standing room tick cts for the performance and were in the first balcony When the fire started, he left the balcony, accompanied by his wife and mother. and went to a door, which proved to be an exit but it was locked. | He threw himself against the door, but | could not force 1t open and then reached | up and broke the transom with his fist.
 Being unable to open the door, he pulled himself up and through the transom, dropping upon the outside of the door, where he found man with lot of tools, presumably a carpenter. The two men tried in every way 10 bread down the door from the outside, but could not. It is Strong's evidence that the state att torney will rely if an attempt is made to secure indictments in connection with the fire.
 Could Have Gone Through Door.
 He said that not only his own family but hundreds of other people could have gotten through this door and have been saved had 1t not been locked.
 George M. Dusenberry. head usher of the theatre, testified next. He was down | in the Foyer when the panic started, and immediately he said he threw open two of the front exits and ran Into the auditorium to assist some women who had been knocked down. He did all he could to save people and was, according to his statement the last person to leave the main floor of the theatre.
 When questioned as to the fire protec- ton in the house, Mir Dusenberry declar- ed that a number of the fire extinguish- CTS were placed in different parts of the theatre and near the front door there was a hose apparently bout fifty-feet long. He had never received any in- structions as to what should be done in | case or 1fe, ana nau never lSSueu dIly to the ushers under him.
 He testified that there were three doors leading from the second balcony into the lobby and that one of these was locked he having fastened 1t himself with key It was not possible, he said, for any body to open. that door without the key,
 There were he said, in the passage ways from the first and second balconies folding metal gates. one in passage lead. ing to the first balcony and the other in a. passage leading to the second balcony Both were locked with a chain and pad lock. It was his duty to lock gates at the commencement of performance and to unfasten them at the close of a sec- ond act.
 Most Exits Were Unlocked.
 Mir Dusenberry terrified that all the exits except these on the north side of the house were unlocked. but admitted that there were fully half dozen at- tachees of the theatre who had keys to the doors He was asked by Coroner Traeger If 1t was not possible for some other employe to lock the doors and ther forget to unlock them. He refused to answer this question at first, but when pressed admitted that might be possible but not at all probable.
 By mutual agreement the cases in which Will J. Davis. Harry Powers and Build ing Commissioner Williams are charged with manslaughter in connection with the Iroquos theatre fire will be continued to- morrow ilntiI January o1