The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-18
Indianapolis NewSbOyS in
 Fatal Struggle.
FOUR DEAD. MANY INJURED
Cry of 'sFire" Started the
 frenzied Melee.
Crowd Struggling ts Obtain share sf Free Tickets to Thestre--werk of Rescue by the Pe-
 ncemen.

Indianapolis. April 17.--Frenxied by a false alarm of fire several hundred eager newsboys struggling to obtain theatre which were being distributed by travelling representative of pat ent medicine company stampsded in q marrow stairway in the Masonic Tenn pie tonight. crushing the life out of four boys and 1t Is believed fatally in- turing several others. The dead:
 Morrissey, Ed. aged IF: Schicgert, Louis. aged Is; Laurel. Carl. aged 13s Williamson, Homer, aged Ii.
 A partial list of injured includes the names of twenty-six boys of when August Avertree, aged 13, and Calvin Collester, aged 13. and Guy James. are believed to be in serious condition.
 Long before the time appointed for the distribution of the tickets the stairs of the Masonic Temple at the southwest corner of Washington Street and Capitol Avenue were crowded with a pushing. yelling crowd of newsboys. each anxious to be first to recsive his passs When the distribution began the excitement became more intense and the efforts of several policemen who had been detailed to prevent trouble were Lnavailing.
 The Cry of ~Firey'
 It is alleged by Q witness that one of the boys. in the endeavor to hasten the exit of those who had received their passes shouted 'hreT
 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 Sev- eral seconds when from some cause those nearer the top fell headfong up- on the struggling mass at the bottom. Immediately policemen from the cen trai station who responded to a riot call began the work of rescue
 -Four of the boyss were dead when extricated from their position Ut the bottom of the stairs. Others believed to have been fatally crushed were talk en out as fast as they could be dis sntangied from their frenzied compare ionrs and ciung to each other in des- ] peration.
 | The immense crowd of people from | the business district, attracted by wild rumors, jostled about the bottom of tns stairs and hampered the work of ths police and ambulance corps. The dead were hurriedly placed ir ambulances and sent to the morgue foI identification. The fatally injured were sent to the city hospital and the city dispensary while many who re- ceived only slight injuries were made comfortable in carriages and sent to l their homes.
 Owing to the excitement which pre- vailed about the scene of the accident and the prompt efforts of the officers to secure immediate medical attention of the injured. 1t will be some time be- fore the exacct number of the casual ties can be ascertained.
 After the injured had been taken from the scene of death and the crowd had left the sidewalk. the sight pre- sented by the stairway and walk ir front of the door and in the upper hall way was gruesome in the extreme Blood trickled down the steps. frag' ments of clothing and flesh were | strewn here and there.
 The catastrophe evidently had littl' | effect on about 400 of the ''newsies.' who instead of returning home to re lieve the minds of anxious parent. went to the theatre.