The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-01-18
IDENTIFYING THE DEAD
Heartrending Scenes in Morgue
at BOyertOwn.
DEATH LIST REACHES ITO

ny lheir FEATURES, As Most or
Them Arc Scared and Burned to a
Crisp.
Boyertown. Pa. Jan. 10 - Bearing
up bravely under the awful blow
blow which it received in the destruc-
tion OF the Rhoads Opera House by
fire on Monday. this thriving little
borough came to a full realization of
the fact that one Fifteenth OF its pOpu-
lation was wiped out OF existence by
the holocaust. The figures compiled
by Coroner Strasser show that there
are 10 dead as a result of the FIRE /
The list includes one fireman. who lost
his life fighting the fire. and one man. !
Jacob johnson. who died from injuries
received in the blazing playhouse. OF
the les bodies or remains that lie in
the improvised morgues lis have been /
officially or partially identified by sor
rowing relatives or friends.
The private morgues in the town
were not OF sufficient size TO receive
the bodies OF those taken from the fire
ruins. and the public school was also
used as a charnal house. Here where
a number OF the victims went daily 70
their studies, the bodies were laid out
in rows. Each bit OF jewelry OF frag-
ment of clothing picked up in the
blackened ruins was tagged. Is were
the charred and blackened bodies. or
such portion Of them as remained. and
all in search OF missing loved ones
were permitted to pass through tho
gruesome rows 10 make Identified
tions. Few of the bodies could be
recognized by the features alone "a
in most cases the upper portion OF the
corpses were scared or burned to
crisp.
The scenes at the morgue were
heartrending. Children of tender
years we're in some cases called upon
to assist In making the Identification
OF parents who went to an untlmely
death in the fire and panic. feeble men
and women were racked with anguish
as they came upon some distorted
body in which they recognized the
form OF a lost son or daughter.
Before any OF the bodies were re-
moved from the morgue Coroner
Strasser empanelled the following
Jury TO view the remains and the
scene of the devastating fire and to
sit at the inquest: Edwin Schultz.
president OF the Farmers National
bank. which was destroyed with the
opera house; Levi Becker William II. !
Fox. Irwin p. Ehst. William Y. Levan,
all of Boyertown, and Daniel X. Hoch, |
OF Reading.
After the jury had been sworn IN |
they made an inspection of the ruins |
and went through the morgues. No |
date has been fixed for the inquest.
Coroner Strasser opened an office IN |
the Mansion house and established a |
bureau OF Information. where he grant |
ed death certificates and signed insur
ance papers. In this connection the |
representatives OF scores OF insurance |
companies are in Boyertown paying |
of claims as fast as they are present |
ed. Coroner Strasser says that not /
more than twenty-five of the entire |
number OF bodies removed from the |
FIRE have heads. There are several |
trunks that will probably never be !
identified. as there were several !
strangers in the audience that wit |
messed the play.
While searching in the ruins one OF |
the workmen dug up a big leather |
wallet. Without opening 1t he turned |
It over to the coroner. who on examin- |
ing the contents was very much sur
prised to see that II contained $1100 |
IN large bank notes. There was moth |
ing In the wallet to show to whom II |
belonged
The sight that met the gaze in the |
az ha
was one long TO be remembered. Rows
Of bodies lay In orderly succession |
around the hall on the first floor.
Eager eyes were strained to catch |
q glimpse of the bodies through the |
doors and windows. At frequent IN |
tervals there were startled cries OF |
recognition. as some one in the crowd |
caught sight OF a body about which |
there was distinguishing marks which |
identified II as that of a relative or q |
friend.
In one corner lay the charred remains |
OF once beautiful girl. tied in a sheet.
There was beside Il the headless form
OF man, who. the day before, was in
the prime OF life. At the other end OF
the room lay the body of nine-year-old
boy. whose face was darkly colored.
At his side was the armless figure of
a middleaged woman. Gently they
were led by policemen or perhaps by
male relatives who accompanied them
to the body OF the first victim. and
then on down the line. AS fast as each
body was recognized a tag was placed
on II with the name. The heap OF val
uables and clothing was wrapped up
and labelled and placed at the head.
Despair marked the demeanor Of
scores who came from the morgues.
and who were unable TO identity these
whom they had lost In the theatre
Gre They will never have the salts
faction OF burying their own dead, but
must be content to have them placed
n the ground at the public interment
which is to be held the latter part
OF the week.
The remains OF four young women
lay side by side. The arms OF one
were burned of at the sockets. The
head OF another was severed. The
right hand OF the third was fixed to