Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-04-18
PANIC AT THEATRE
Four Newsboys Crushed to Death
at Distribution of Free
Tickets.
SOME ONE SHOUTED FIRE"
Effort to ENpediate Movement of
Crowd Had Terrible Effect
Blood Ran Down Steps.

Indianapolis, Ind, April 1S.-No
deaths have been added to the list of
four newsbOys that lost their lives in
the crush in a stairway of the Masonic
building last night. The revised list
of injured shows no fewer than so
more or less injured. OF this number
injured, fully % are seriously crush
ed and the death list may be changed.
Many boys who were unconscious
when taken from the mass of human.
ity jammed ani heaped in the stair
way, soon revived and were able to
go home without assistance
Rush for Free Tickets.
indianapolis, April 1S.-Frenzied by
a false alarm of fire. several hundred
eager newsbOys. struggling 10 obtain
their share of free tickets to a local
theatre, which were being distributed
by travelling representative of a pat
ent medicine company. stampeded in a
narrow stairway in Masonic Temple
last night, crushing the life out of four
boys, and it is believed, fatally injur-
ing several others. About 80 boys
were injured The dead:
ED. MORRISSEY. aged u.
LOUIS SCHEIGERT, Is.
CARL LAUREL. 13.
HOMER WILLIAMSON. II.
Officers Are POwerIess.
Long before the time appointed for
distribution of the tickets the stairs
of Masonic Temple were crowded with
pushing, yelling crowd of newsboys
When the distribution began, the ex-
citement became more intense and the
efforts of several policemen who had
been detailed to prevent trouble, were
unavailing
Fell On Their Comrades.
II is alleged by a witness that one
Of the boys in endeavoring to hasten
the exit of those who had received
their passes. shouted: Fire" I'm
mediately those at the top faced about
and with almost superhuman strength
began to force their way to the bot
tom of the stairs. Shrieks and phy-
sical encounters followed for few
seconds when from some cause. those
near the top fell headlong upon the
struggling mass at the bottom
Four Crushed.
Immediately policemen from the
Central station who responded to the
riot call began the work of rescue.
Four boys were dead when extricated
from their position at the bottom of
the stairs. Others believed to have
been fatally crushed were taken out
as fast as they could be disentangled
from their frenzied companions who
fought and clung to each other in des-
peration.
The work of Rescue.
With the aid of at least 80 police
men, doctors, lodge members and 9TH
er rescuers it required fully three
quarters of an hour TO remove the lads
to conveyances which carried them
home or 20 the hospitals. Relatives
who did not reach the hall before the
boys were taken away, swarmed to she
different hospitals and dispensaries
and men had to be stationed at these
institutions to keep the crowd from
breaking into the rooms whore the
lads were being cared for.
Blood Han Down steps.
After the injured had been taken
from the scene. and the crowd had
left the sidewalk. the sight presented
by the stairway and walk in front of
the door and in its upper hallway was
grewsOme in the extreme. Blood trick
led down the steps and fragments Of
clothing and flesh were strewn here
and there