Evening star., 1923-12-27


general alarm. but their apparatus
was stalled in the mud of the insti-
tuition grounds, and it was with great
difficulty that the fire was fought.
Bed ticking, blankets and clothing
were laid in the mud to provide
traction for the fire trucks. and some
literally We're brought up by man
power.
1t was thought at first that all
persons had been taken alive from
the burned building, and it was only
when fremen began exploring the
smoldering ruins that the first body
was found.
some of the patients broke from
the lines being herded to safety and
dashed j. back into the flames to OBJ
tain Christmas presents and other
possessions. but it was thought all
again had been brought out Three
patients locked themselves in a
closet and were saved, fighting, by
policemen. There were a number
of other heroic rescues by the police.
attendants and inmates suffering
with the milder degree of insanity
Blame for the deaths in the fiimsy
building will be fixed by joint in
vestigstion OF five official agencies
working with Oscar Violin. Cook
county coroner. c. H. jenkins di1
rector of the state board of public
welfare. will have charge of the COM
DIned agencies reporting to Mr.
Woin. which will include the state
departments voluntary investigation,
the county board. County Judge
kareckfs investigation and that of
the United States government on be-
half of the Veterans Bureau con-
corning its patients at Dunning.
The institution recently had been
crowded beyond its limits by an in
Hux OF patients from the county
courts, psychopathic hospital and from
county institutions. and the frame
constructed years ago for tubercu-
losis patients, had been pressed into
service.
The Dunning asylum has had. in
Guiding that of last night, eight fires
since March. 1910, but none of the
others was OF any serious consequence
Death List Unchanged.
check of the dead and missing
this morning made little change in
OF uAouH eIs ueslusAeS 'ssInSy eul
be dead, twelve of them unidentified,
and ten others unaccounted for. ReIa-
tves reported the arrival at their
homes of three of the patients.
Identification of a body today as
that of John Bennett brought the
identified dead to five.
All of the dead and missing are
Chicagoans. according to the records
of the institution, except Thomas
Hall. among the unaccounted for,
whose address was given at 900 East
Washington street, Syracuse, y. Y.
DR.. d. d. Coffey. superintendent of
the hospital, suggested spontaneous
combustion as the probable cause of
the blaze. Floor polish was stored
in a closet Of the building in which
the fire started, he said.
The building was to have been
wrecked next year." DR.. Coffey said.
II have been trying to wreck it ever
since / became superintendent Two
and a half years ago I got 100000
from the state to make some i'm
provements and / haven't got a cent
since"
Coroner Wolff, who arrived at the
scene of the tragedy shortly after the
first bodies were taken from the
ruins, declared today that the origin
of the blaze was mystery.
County Judge Jarecki indicated he
would launch a vigorous investiga-
ton of the crowded condition of the
| institution.
Laurie Hoff and Otto Brand were
the first two inmates to reach the
zone of safety from the burnine
structure. Each has a wooden leg.