The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-04-28
TERRIBLE RESULTS
OF THEATER PANIC
Five Newsboys Are Crushed to
Death and Scores Badly
Wounded.
FATAL CRY OF "FIRE"
Hundreds of the Lads Were Strug-
Cling to Get Free Tickets fe-
Play When Someone Gave
False Alarm.

Indianapolis, April 19-Frenzied bya
false alarm of fire several hundred
eager newsboys struggling to obtain
their share OF free tickets to = local the
alter, which We're being distributed by
n travelling representative OF a patent
medicine company. stampeded in mar
row stairway in the Masonic temple
last night, crushing the life out of five
boys, and 1t is believed. fatally injur'
ing several others.
The dead:
ED MORRISSEY. aged T.
LOUIS SCHEIGERT, aged Is.
CARL LAUREL, aged 10.
HOMER WILLIAMSON, aged H..
FLOYD POLAND. aged s.
Partial list of injured;
Stanley McReady, aged 5.
Lester Cole, aged 10, serious.
Verne Smith, aged II. IS
Herbert Bissell, aged IA.
Talmadge Walters, aged 8. back bad
~ injured.
Fred Walters. aged 10. arm broken.
Roy Underwood aged 10.
Guy James, probably serious. 50
Edward Holloran.
Edward Nancy, head badly injured.
Roy WaShburn, badly bruised ana
rut.
CHARLES Thurston.
Jesse Overstreet. -
Ernest Ryan.
Ivan l3!Ode.
Harry Bennett.
Harry Jonacher.
Wilbur Bursett.
Fred lSeSter.
Louis Clark.
- Middaugh.
Charles Moss.
Eddie Daniel.
Carl Ernest.
Joe Wilhelm.
Oscar Sattinger, seriously injured in
ternaly.
Fred Groves.
Charles Caser.
Herman Knapp.
Unidentified boy at city hospitai,
about 10, brown eyes: unconscious, in
jnred internally; will probably die.
Some One Shouted Fire.
Long before the time appointed for
the distribution of the tickets the stairs
of the Masonic temple, at the south
west corner of Washington street and
Capitol avenue, were crowded with
pushing, yelling crowd of neWsboys,
each anxious to be first to receive his
pass. When the distribution began the
excitement became more intense, and
the efforts of several policemen who
had been detailed to prevent trouble
were unavailng. 1t is alleged by
witness that one of the boys, in the
| endeavor to hasten the exit of those
who had received their passes, shouted
/ "Fire!
immediately those at the top faced
| about, and with almost superhuman
strength began to force their way to
| the bottom of the stairs. Shrieks and
physical encounters followed for a
few seconds, when for some cause
those from near the top fell headlong
! on the struggling mass at the bot
tom. Immediately police from the
centra! station, who responded to
riot call, began the work of rescue.
Four of the boys were dead when ex-
treated from their position at the bot
| tom of the stairs. Others believed to
have been fatally crushed were taken
out as fast as they could be olsen
tangled from their frenzied compan-
ions, who fought and chung to each
| other in desperation.
Great Crowds Gather.
TIE immense crowd of people from
the business district, attracted by wild
rumors. jostled about at the bottom
of the stairs and hampered the work
of the police and ambulance corps.
The dead were hurriedly placed in
ambulances and sent to the morgue
for Identification. The fatally injured
were sent to the city hospital and the
city dispensary. while many who re-
ceved only slight injuries were made
comfortable in carriages and sent to
their homes.
me Mystic lie MaSOnS lodge was
meeting in the chambers in the build
ing when the panic occurred, and many
of the boys were rescued by lodge
/ members.
Was Horrible Night.
/ Mothers, fathers and relatives Of the
boys focked to the place, and, frantic
with grief. they forced their way into
the dense crowd. With the aid of at
least fifty policemen, doctors lodge
members and other rescuers it required
fully three quarters of an hour. to re-
move the lads to the conveyances
4 which carried them to their homes or
to the hospitals. Relatives who did
not reach the hall before the boys were
taken away swarmed to the different
hospitals and dispensaries, and men
had to be stationed at these institutions
to keep the crowd from breaking into
the rooms where the lads were being
cared for.
After the injured had been taken
from the scene Of death and the crowd
had left the sidewalk the sight pre-
scented in front of the door and in the
upper hallway was grewsome in the
extreme. Blood trickled down the
steps. Fragments of clothing and flesh
vert strewn here and there.
The accident evidently had little eff
feet on about 400 Of the boys, who af-
ter the excitement was over went to
A the theater att+ ~ 3-5t.i