The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-16
BODIES NUMBER III
Continued from Page One.


of the borough. who was one OF the mem
bers Of the company giving the enter
tainment
Feared for wife.
Il am mighty sorry that assed the
curtain he said i did not do il be-
cause was afraid but because 1 wanted
10 see If my wife was in danger I heard
the connection Of the people in the audi
enceI and I knew from the actions of
those Upon the stage that something
unusual in the front of the house was go
ing On. II was then that stepped TO the
righthsHd side Of the curtain and raised
il a foot from the stage and peered out
upon the audience. From every chair
there stared at me terrOr-stricken coun-
tenances
Il lifted the curtain higher. I stepped
upon the front of the stage People IN
the rear Of the hall started for the exit
to the street Their footsteps drowned.
for an instant. the kissing Of the picture
machine. The noise Of those leaving
caused others in different parts of the
| house to turn I'm their seats suddenly.
Then, realizing that If they rushed
simultaneously for an outlet there would
be a horrible loss Of life, I held up my
/ hands and shouted IT is all right Don't
| leave your seats
The Flames Leaped Up.
For the first time I looked down into
/ the orchestra pit. A piano. which play
ed during the first two acts OF the per-
Torrance. was there Beside Il on the
floor / had Haced a nickel oil lamp with
the wick turned down. had laid il
there to prevent any one from knocking
IL off the piano.
"In a tiny fame. which grew, however,
+ at every second. flames bounded I'D 70
me, standing upon the edge OF the stage.
How such a thing had happened I
can only conjecture. am sure that no
ICarclessness on my part caused it 70 upset
or be So fixed that it would set fire TO
the woodwork"
Efe then gave graphic story Of the
panic. AS he told IT, his frame shook
with sobs. His wife was one OF the
victims.
Fairview and Union cemeteries to-day
were a sad sight All bodies must be
buried in three days, and volunteer
relief corps was summoned. Men in
shirt sleeves. with the SCOT and CRIME
OF their work at the theatsr death trap
stlll on their hands and faces. were di-
V.ded into groups. and were busily en-
gagged throwing up dirt So small is the
population, and so widespread the dis
aster, that many a relative dug the grave
Of bis own kin.
Bridal Party Killed.
With the charred bodies Of the brides
maid, best man. and 100 intended guests
FOR her wedding. planned weeks ago.
lying IN the temporary morgue, less than
Two squares from her home. Miss Ger
trude Wren. daughter Of ". IS. Wren,
viii be married tomorrow afternoon. The
bride is verging 0u insanity from seeing
the opera house swept hy flames and
knowing that scores OF her friends were
meeting their end.
The dead bridesmaid was Miss Edna l.
Boyer. Miss WTens most intimate girl
friend The intended best man for the
wedding was Lewton LichteL Each was
ip the cast Of the company giving the
entertainment
Despite the protestatons Of her parents
and Of Harry L. Gadel, OF Larned,
Kaus., who Will. become her husband.
Miss Wren insisted that the ceremony be
J performed.
II cannot postpone the wedding" she
said. The fate OF Miss Boyer and Nj
/ Lichtel. two Of my best friends has CON-
/ pletely Unnerved me I am afraid if I sit
at home and brood over the tragedy
viii so mad. Therefore, insist that the
wedding occur as planned
Clash with ConStabuIary.
/ Troopers of the state coustabulary and
members Of the relief committee clashed
at one Of the morgues tonight The
committeeman demanded that identified
bodies be handed over TO the families.
Under instructions from the coroner. the
/ troopers refused To do So
The committeeman insisted. The Incl
dent became closed matter the next
minute. when the sergeant OF the squad
on duty replied, See those men? Wei.
/ so ahead and take the bodies RE J5,-...s-
/ ed 70 the oak sticks the troopers carried
None Of the bodies was removed until
late tonight when the coroner's orders
/ permitted the removal.
Arrest Alleged ChouL.
Late tonight Trooper Pulitzer. Of the
| cOnstabulary, arrested Carl Holman of
this place. He charged him with the lar
ceny of q gold watch from the body of
Mrs. Nuss. The theft occurred, the
trooper declared. while Hoffman aided in
/ the work OF carrying the dead from the
ruins to the morgue. Coroner Strauser
corroborated the troopers charges. and
declared that he had half a dozen wiz
/ nesses.
Following the arrest of Hoffman, both
| Coroner Strauser and Burgess declared
that any one found looting the corpses
/ of iewelry or money would meet with
/ rigorous prosecution