Evening star., 1911-08-28
INCITER MAY BE ARRESTED
Name Of Person Suspected Is Not
Made Public, However.
CORONER's INQUEST THURSDAY
Investigation Ordered by State De-
partment Is Under Way-In-
jured Are Recovering.


blems of mourning f1uttered from more
than a score Of houses in this thriving
village today. indicating where the full
force Of the blow following Saturday
nights panic in the Canonsburg opera
house had been felt. For the most part
they were white ribbons. showing tina,
children made up in large part the VIC
tins Of the terrible happening.
All the bodies had been taken from the
improvised mortdaries to their former
homes. and preparations were made for
the funerals. many Of which will be held
today and tomorrow. Little white hearses
were called into action, and twenty-six
caskets arrived from Pittsburgh.
1t was rumored early in the day that
an arrest would be made by Coroner
James T. Heffran, but the name of the
person under suspicion as the cause OF
the panic was not made public.
Deputy Factory Inspector James r. Pat
terson today began the investigation or
dered by the state department, and will
hasten the work. in order that his report
may be ready for the coroners inquest
to be held Thursday or Friday next.
Say Opera House Was Unsafe.
Persons acquainted with the situation
declare the opera house was unfit for
public exhibitions. and they say 1t has
been known for some time 1t was un-
safe. It is expected these facts will de-
velop as the inspector progresses in his
work. Measurements of the exit and
door were taken yesterday by members
Of the coroner's jury.
Mrs. Minnie Lemon Of Lawrenceville,
ILL.,. who was visiting in Canonsburg and
went with her friends to the moving pic
ture show, Is slowly recovering her rea-
she was taken after the panic. She was
caught in the wild rush to the stair
way, but by some unexplainable COM
bination of circumstances was not in
jured. 1t Is now believed her mind will
be fully restored.
OF the injured Mrs. Wilbur Lane, who
was taken from. the bottom Of the pile OF
dead in the doorway. after her children
had been killed, win also recover. She
collapsed when told Of their deaths.
school Opening Postponed.
:. The school bells which were TO have
rung this morning to announce. the
opening of the fall term were silent.
OF the twenty-six lives lost, eight OF
them were pupils in the schools. Yes
terday IT was announced there will be
no sessions during this week.
: Today many persons are relating their
experiences and giving details Of mar
row escapes when the maddened crowd
dashed for the stairway. One Of the
most thrilling is told by Nellie Gibbs.
sixteen years old. When taken from
the pile at the door she was clinging
to the lifeless form OF her baby sister.
Margaret. They had gone to the show
with their father. and at the first alarm
the older girl caught the child by the
hand. In the rush for the, steps Mar
garet stumbled and fell. -
Nellie stopped to pick her up. The
moments delay was fatal, and both
were swept to the bottom. Crushed
under the mass OF humanity. the girl
held tightly to her sister. feeling all
the while that the little one was dying
end would come. She said she prayed
until she lost consciousness.
Aim to Prevent Repetition.
Bradley Williams Of Youngstown,
Pa. a suburb of Canonsburg. is at
home in a serious condition as a result
OF the panic. Williams was caught in
the crush and thrown down the steps.
ne dl$utSO Oh lOp VI q AOTC16uCIs WIN
begged piteously for Williams to re-
lease him. Williams was unable even
to help himself. The foreigner, fran
tic from fright and pain. seized Will
liams' arm with his teeth and tore the
fleshS badly.
1t developed today that Lulu Fisher.
who with her intended husband, Sidney
Rittiger, was killed at the doorway, after
they had together bought the wedding
ring, is not resident Of Glen Camp
bell, Pa. but of q community said to
bear that name in Indiana, although 1t
cannot be located. The body has not
been claimed.
Burgess W. H. Dunlap said today that
some action would be taken at a meet
ing of the town council to be held next
week toward preventing similar disas-
ters. An ordinance will be enacted regu-
lating fire escapes. passages and en-
frances to all places where the public
gathers. There are no building restric-
tions now with the exception OF a law
which prevents the construction OF fire
fra M in the business district