The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-08-29
% ARE DEAD
Seek ManWhO Caused Panic
at Picture Show.
$500 REWARD FOR ARREST
Women and Children Were Crushed
to Death on Narrow Stairs at
- Canonsburg, Pa, When
Film Exploded.
$500 REWARD FOR AIRES

CanonIhurg. Pa. Aug. 2S.--Canons-
burg is beginning to realize tho horror
OF It's holocaust. Twenty-eight men,
women aud children lie In the city
morgue. victims. the officials say. to
the wanion lack OF foresight OF some
one when q broken elm threw a white
light on the screen IN Morgan's Opera
house, called Fire" aud started a
hundred people toward the doors, to
be ensulfed in a panic from which
only one out OF four Of them emerged
alive.
CAnonsburg wanta TO find out the
IDENTITY Of the alarmist whose cry OF
Are resulted so fatally. The manage
meni OF the theater has offered a re
ward OF 5000 for his arrest and con
yicti0n
Then, too. the coroner and his as.
sistants are preparing for the search
ing Inquiry, which is looked to to lay
bare all the facts.
Two residents Of Canonsburg are
said TO have obtained the roll Of films
and to have placed It In a safe to be
used as evidence when the Inquest Is
held.
Operator Fights Out Flames.
John Mccullough. operator of the
moving picture machine. had just
thrown the subject Of the next series
of pictures on the screen. entitled "A
Little Girl Shall Lead Them" when
the film exploded and the asbestos
cabinet was filled with flames. For
several moments the audience. num-
boring upward OF 1900, was totally
unaware of the accident. and the oper'
ator heroically fought down the flames
and succeeded In extinguishing them.
Then. his hands burned and al
most suffocated. he opened the door OF
the little box and staggered out. With
the opening OF the door a dense cloud
OF smoke poured into the auditorium.
At this moment some person yelled
Fire" The spectators turned in their
seats. saw the smoke. jumped to their
feet and then started the awful rush
for the lone doorway leading TO the
narrow. eight-foot stairway.
At the stairway they collIded and
TANNED into probably 200 other per
sons who were awaiting the end OF
the performance to take the places OF
those who had seen the show. Imme-
dlately the narrow stairway was pack
ed and TANNED ten feet high with the
dead and dying. the shrieking injured
and the screaming unhurt. while the
crowds OF townspeople rushed TO the
scene and added confusion to the din.
Whistles Arouse Town.
Within a few moments after tho
film flashed and the panic started the
fire whistles we're blown. Practically
the entire population Of the town re-
spondcd and packed in narrow Pike
street. from which the fatal theater
entrance led. All of them were ap-
parently terror stricken and could give
little aid The only cool persons were
the hremen and the several members
OF the police force.
The removal OF the dead was the
only work left for the fremen. and
in II the cooler ones Of the spectators
Joined.
Pathetic scenes followed the disas-
ter, when friends and relatives OF the
twenty eight victims sought TO Identify
bodies at McNary's and Hopper Bros.
morguos Many Of the mutilatei and
all but dismembered bodies we're gath
cred together at the main entrance OF
the building where grief stricken rela-
tive tried to identify them.
The bodies we're later removed to
the morgue While the room thronged
thicker and thicker with women alter.
nately covering their faces, they wept
bitterly as they tried TO identify miss
ing loved ones. Men brok down as they
busted themselves about the same sad
duty.