The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-09
CHICAGO WOULD
KNOW THE GUILTY
Inquiry Into the Iroquois
Fire Begun.
DOZEN PEOPLE HEARD
They Tell Of Locked Exits and of the
Apparent CaImness Of the Audi
ence lust Before the Panic.
The closed Door Where
Hundreds Died.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press)
Chicago. Jan. 7--Before dense crowd,
packing the council chamber in the City
Hall, Coroner Traeger and jury OF six
men today began the official investigation
of the Iroquois Theatre fire.
For the task of fixing the responsibility
for the great loss of life, States attorney
Dineen instructed Coroner Traeger to es-
tablsh the identity if possible, of some
person or persons who died at the end OF
the passage leading south from the en-
trance of the second balcony. There
locked door cut off the escape of hundreds
whose bodies were found against the bar
ricaded door. The coroner has succeeded
In gathering this evidence.
Mrs. B. K. Strong, of Chicago, and her
neice, Vera Strong, of Americas, Ca, died
at the foot Of the stairway. The story OF
their death before the locked exit has
been told to the coroner by James M
Strong, son of the elder victim.
A dozen witnesses were heard today.
The chief witnesses were Eddie Foy, the
comedian of the mr.. Bluebeard'' Com
pany, and George w. Stetson, represen-
tative of the company which manufactur
ed the asbestos curtain.
Mr.. Stetson and Coroner Traeger be-
came involved in lengthy discussion as
10 the merits of asbestos curtains, during
which Mr.. Stetson admitted that asbestos
curtains if subject to an extensive high
heat would lose their life and crumble
When shown a portion of the curtain
brought from the theatre he declared that
It had evidently been subjected to very
hgih temperature, but that he could not
say as to whether it had endured SUI
ficient heat to cause it to crumble
Mrs. Elvira D. Pinedo proved one of the
most important witnesses. She said:
ST was standing near the boxes on the
extreme right of the main floor and in the
rear of the seats people were standing
four deep. 1 first saw sparks on the
south side of the stage back of the scenes
and could see a man clapping his hands
> 90 - put out the sparks. The
re, quietly looked about
saw what believed to be
:es. The fire spread rapid
got up and urged every
seated as there was no
-.e saw saner audience in
49, the audience were women
sparks change into flames without scream
ing or getting panic stricken. Suddenly
a big fall of fire dropped from the top OF
the stage to the floor It was burning
scenery. 1 then thought it was time to
leave, so 1 walked to the exit near the
boxes / tried to open the door but found
it locked. A man came UP and we de
manded that the usher open the door. He
either said that he would not or could
not Then suddenly there was power
full draft which opened the doors and
blew us out into the alley
Eddie Foy testified that during the Sc
cond act he was in his dressing room and
heard a noise to which he had at first paid
little attention. He said to himself Are
they fighting again down there?' thinking
over quarrel which had occurred few
days previous. The noise grew stronger
and stronger and becoming anxious about
hi sboy, he ran down the steps from his
dressing room to the stage, picked up the
boy right in front of the switchboard and
then looked up and saw fireman above
him who was trying to put out the fire.
At that time the two lower borders run
ming up the side of the canvas near the
edge of the proscenium arch were burned
Lite dQulCICc was SCbttUS IutO ~ pdhiSJ %
he thought, and in order to quiet the peo-
pie, he called to the stage hands, Drop
the curtain and to the musician, Keep
up you rmusic." He urged the audience
repeatedly to remain quiet and not get
excited. When the curtain came down it
struck about three feet above his head.
Mr.. Foy declared that he was satisfied
in his own mind that the fire was caused
bxy rIrc th1, Itch hut bot
he had no personal knowledge of the fact.
He testified that the only precaution
against fire that he knew of was the rule
against smoking.
George w. Stetson, of Hingam, Mass,
secretary of the c. W. Trainor Manufac-
turing Company, who made the asbestos
curtain, when asked by Coroner Traeger
how he accounted for the burning up OF
his ireproof curtain, replied that he did
not believe it had burned up, and that
he had every reason to believe that 1t mad
not In his opinion the greater part o.
the curtain was lying at the present time
upon the theatre stage covered with SCOT
and frozen He entered into long expla-
nation of the qualities of asbestos, declar-
ing that while it would not burn, high
temperature would take the life out OF IL
and cause it to crumblc. He was shown
a portion of the curtain which had been
brought from the Iroquois Theatre and
said that it had been in very hot place,
and that the life was practically all out
of the piece shown him.
Joseph II. Bruce said none OF the exits
ION the north side of the house were
open Antonio Frosolono, leader OF the
orchestra, said he had seen no fire extin-
guishers or fire buckets about the stage
Mrs. Emma Schwetcher testified that OF
the three doors leading from the lobby to
the street two were locked. Mrs jose
phine Petrey also found doors locked.
The inquest was a ljourned until tomor-
row..