Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-28
THEATRE PANIC
PROBE STARTED
Reward of $500 for Man
Started Stampede.

C~anonsburg, Pa, Aug. 2S-The popu,
lation Of this town and the surround
ing district is still terror struck by the
disaster in the Morgan Opera House,
causing the death of twenty-six per
sons and the injury Of at least forty
others. A reward has been offered by
the management Of the theater for
the apprehension Of the man whose
cry of ''Fire!" started the stampede,
which ended in the disaster. The Pc
lice fear that If he is captured q mob
may form, for the population IS in
such a frame of mind that 1t is sure to
take the law into its own hands and
wreak its vengeance on the culprit.
A report was circulated that a sus-
pect had been arrested. In less than
five minutes 1000 persons started on
the run for the little lookup, but were
told that it was all q mistake and that
no arrests had been made. The streets
are crowded.
Canonsburg has not yet recovered
from the shock. Street cars and trains
brought in crowds of $1,000, Many Of
them made a rush for the opera house
to search for souvenirs. Stick pins,
finger rings, bracelets, watch chains,
wearing apparel Of all sorts and ever
pieces of human fingers were found in
side and outside the building. Several
riots took place among he souvenir
seekers, and the police were called out
to quell the disturbances.
The scenes in C%anonsburg are heart
rending. Frantic parents walk the
streets ~wringing their hands. There
nre thirty-two persons hurt in the
stampede under the doctors care.
More than ten others also are known
to be hurt. Most of the dead have
been identified and the bodies removed
to their homes In Canonsburg. A score
Of funerals will take place today and
tomorrow. Undertaken are busy sup
plying the collins and arranging for the
many burials. The %coroner's Jury ar
rived in C%anonsburg from Washington,
Pa, and began careful investigation.
Members Of the Jury declared that
they are ready to make a rigid IN
vestigatfon Into the disaster and to
place the blame on those responsible.
The inquest will not take place until
Thursday.
The police declared that they had
evidence to convince them {
hat the cry of "Firei' which caused 1
he panic, was given by two boys in S
he gallery and that they would likely :
e taken into custody today. Il
John Mccullough, the moving pic y
IRE operator, had just thrown the title U
{ the next series of pictures on the nj
.reen, "a Little Child Shall Lead al
lem," when the film exploded and hs
3 asbestos cabinet was filed with on
ME. The audience was totally IN tn
are of the accident, and the oper- Wa
IT heroically fought down the flames 20
extingutshed them. But he made
fatal mistake Of throwing open the
9r- Of bis CABINET ana LhasIhNb~
First Aid to the Iniuredn-
lied fire, and the 800 persons IN the
turned in their seats, saw
e smoke, jumped to their feet and Ii
ade q frantic rush FOR the one door of
ay leading to, the narrow eight foot v
piling down on 200 people II
in the passageway awaiting
he end of the performance to take the Il
places of those who had seen the show. t
Immediately the narrow stairway ,
was packed and jammed ten feet high
with the dead and dying, the shrek
ing injured and the screaming unhurt,
while the crowds Of townspeopIe rush
ed to the scene and added their mad
dened yelling to the din of disaster
and death.
AS the injured persons were carried
from the building they were attended
on the sidewalk by physicians. Every
physician for miles around had been
summoned They gave first aid to the
injured and then placed them in
charge Of the relatives who crowded
the street seeking to learn. the fate of
their friends and kindred. Mrs. Min
ME Lemon of Lawrenceville, Ind, who
was one of those who ESCAPED the
stampede, is a raving maniac In he
Canonsburg hospital as a result of her
experience.
Many Of the bodies were gathered
together at the main entrance of the
building and, followed by dazed, grief
stricken crowds, were taken to the
morgue.