The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-28
Maddened Men Crush Wo-
men and Children in Rush
from Death Trap
MOTHER TOSSES HER
BABE FROM BALCONY
Manager Offers $500 for Man
Who Yelled FIRE Causing
Death OF IWenty-SIX
Persons

CANDNSBE re-, PA Aug. -f.-
Deeds oil almost uuAeiiesaule iAha-
manity during tine moving picture fire
panic that Resulted ia the loss Of
twenty six lives and thu INJURY TO
sixty other persons in the C1n1nsuurS
opera house last night are tojd to-
day
The terror stricken man whose
frantic and Unnecessary shriek OF
lire brought about Inc disaster -
capped uy cIanubering over the pros
Lrate heads OF his AtcL.illa----A----s,.
ard OF 5000 IS offered tonight by
j. r. Ferguson. proprietor OF the
him shoA, TOR the Identification and
apprehension oil the man. sydney
Rettiger, protnlnet~ young man "
Canonsbarg. Mas deliberately killed
by q pantc-bhnded fugitive as he
stood defending the Uses et MS nancee
and her three small brothers. kltu-
gers hanCee. Miss Lillian Fisher, VAS
crushed to death.
The appalling Toss Of life was due
in no small part Ia the ll4nslness
OF an unidentified lofelgnsr, who IN
ms eagerness 10 get down the stains
tripped and fet.. Ills arms and legs
Whtr!ed like nails. upset the balance
vi d dozen or mpTe paulC-sL stricken
fustuyes, Wno overturned others. In
q second the route had become q
Mere- mass 81 tangled humanity rah-
ing down the stairs ana pIl.ag INTO T.
heap At the bottom.
Child Thrown From Balcony.
one child vas go 90 when his ter
ror stricken mother threw him fitty
feet to the sidewalk from a balcony,
J. w Reese run in under the hal
cony and caught him as he fell The
enid was takau to the police station,
bat no enc mas yet claimed him, aad
II Is feared his mo1ler Was one or
those who persisted. The body OF
I Mis-, Harry Kelly was cg1e Of the la4I
+ 10 he removed. She was foaud AT
the bottom OF the heap Of dead anti
injured, the body OF her five- year
old son clasped tightly IN her arms
Both had been sufIoealed ~ the
weight above them.
one little sirl screamed and tug
ged at one. Of the doors leading to
/ tbs fire escapes They would not
( yield She took her chance with
/ the panicky througs in tho stalrR ay
and lost her life.
I one man Of massive physique STUN
bled about ten steps from the bot
tom. TWO little children hurried ver
closed to the panicky crowds behind.
] They piled in high heap. tsnting
ana struggling until every man, wo-
man and child in that mass lay dead.
The innocent were tramuied ike
rubbish under the fset Of tuAddenea,
I fighting. desperate men. who in their
/ excitement forgot all seuse OF man
hood.
Fire Escapes Useless.
/ Like the Boydstown panic in 1903
the trassdy Is another tale Of stair
tn.
j I'm show Was on an upper moor. Fire
escapes were provided on the front
of the building, bat they We're NOT
practical. Exits leading to them /,
is charged, were closed in such q
way that women and children were
unable 40 open thelfr. The stairway 1
offered the only recourse, and in these
occurred frightful loss OF life.
When the Aim entitled. in bitter
irony. A little child shall lead them, "
! burst into flames. the audience OF
1000 persons rushed Ike herd o.
cattle before a prairie fire for the
stair landing loading to the first floor
In a statement issued to-day Man
ager Ferguson, Of the I'm show, said
No Fire, Manager Says.
There was no fire OF any kind
/ The panic started In the rear of the
Mouse, No fuse burned out and wha,
damage was done TO the film Was
quickly repaired. The film broke.
and the hight showing through the
wire-screened curtain gave the APP
pearance of fire.
AN those who lost their lives were
caught In the crush near tho foot 81
tho stairs, Had they remained in
i their seats and gore out in the usuai
manner. all could have got GU,
through the regular exits includins
the rear stairway and fire escape.
"The building was approved by in
spectors. and had every requirement
demanded by the law. I will do my
utmost to aid the coroner and other.
In the official Investigation. / have
offered reward or $500 for the ar.
rest and conviction of the man whu
first called Are and Is responsible
for this horrible disaster
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