The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-12-27

Ponce In auIOInODlleS ranged Ine
country for q number Of insane pa
tients who escaped in the mad confu-
sion following outbreak of the fire in
the fiimsy frame building after dinner
last night.
The known dead were: Elijah Car
raker. So. an attendant; Mrs. Mary
Carraker, so, wife Of Elijah; Lowell, IL
year-old son of the Carrakers; Michael
Ledwith, 43, a patient. Chicago; John
Bennett. 3S, patient. Chicago.
Officials said they would not be able
to make up the complete list Of dead
until the escaped patients are found.
Many of the bodies were burned be-
yond hope Of recogniuon.
Tho list Of men not accounted for,
including the twelve unidentified vic
tins, follow: Thomas J. DonOhue.
SO; Otto z. Wolff, As; Thomas Hall,
eO3 Z. Washington ST., Syracuse. n.
Y; Wojak Swickocz. Al; Gustav Burg
hardt. 81; George Howellett. SO;
Joseph Farley. %; James R. McEl-
lott. sc; Adolph Koller. 81; Henry
Schenler, 81; John Sullivan, SO;
Michae! Tracy, 72; Thomas Hogan.
"a; Charles Allaby, SO; John O'Don
nell. 2S; David Ward. 81 All except
Hall were from Chicago.
Practically All Insane
Practically all the victims were in
sane. The others were epileptics. DR.
Daniel G. Coffey. superintendent Of
the institution, said.
- Herman Hacker, an epileptic, gave
the alarm Of fire. He had finished
his dinner earlier than the rest and
had gone to his room when he noticed
smoke coming from a closet He
threw open the door and a huge
tongue Of fame shot out Hacker ran
through the building shouting fire.
A mad stampede followed.
From the 600 patients in the dining
room rose a terrifying chorus of howls
and shrieks. They ran about like
maddened animals. Some leaped from
windows, taking glass and sashes with
them. Most of the others made
rush for one narrow exit ignoring sew.
eral other avenues OF escape Here
the pile of humanity kicked and
showed and screamed, the weaker go
ing down under the super-strength Of
their fellows.
Still others ran aimlessly about the
hall.
Smoke Fills Room
BY this time the flames had bitten
into the fiimsy walls and were rapidly
eating their way into the huge room
Smoke bnlowed into the room
woman attendants-Mrs. Anna Haze
vens, Mrs. Margaret Gum and Mrs. !
Hannah Saunders. They were on
duty in a nearby pavilion whom the
fire siren walled It's warming.
None of the three remembers clear
ly what followed. All they recall is
a nightmare of fighting madmen, of
suffocating, acrid smoke, leaping !
flames. the noise Of which cut with !
the sound of ripping cloth through !
howls Of the men. BY snperhuman
efforts they restored a semblance of
order and what was left of the pa |
tients into line mad marched them out |
into the night.
II remember very little" said Mrs. |
Heavens. II almost collapsed when !
the cry of fire was made. l ran into |
the pavilion and found the patients in !
a panic. Flames were shooting up all |
around us and the smoke was bad. I |
don't remember much except that we !
finally got the men out"
Break for Liberty
Once outside, some of the patients
made a break for liberty. Male at
tendants and residents of the vicinity, |
aided by few policemen, gave CHASE |
the mud and rain. Some of I
the patients were captured after a |
others gave up on being cor
nered.
In the meantime, fire alarms had
been sent to Chicago proper and near
by villages. Scores of pieces of fire |
changed to the scene. Some |
of the machines sank to their axles in |
the yielding mire, and firemen and |
residents literally pulled and showed |
them to the fire.
Riot calls were sent in and scores
Of policemen arrived. Chief Of Po-
lice Collins of Chicago took personal |
charge Of the men. Flivver squads
Joined in the hunt for fugiuves.
Other police were put on guard at
the score of other buildings of the in
stitution to prevent a panic among |
the 5000 other patients.
The men who died were found in |
bedrooms on the second floor, where it |
was believed they ran to save little |
trinkets presented them on Christmas.
Died to Save VaIuableS
The Carrakers were believed to have +
to their rooms to save some |
valuables when they were trapped.
Three of the maddened patients
locked themselves in a lavatory of /