Newspaper Page Text
25 CTS. A MOfiTH
VOL. 1. No. 12
CHICAGO 1W MOURNING
THE LOSS OF HOI DEID
Two Hundred Funerals Held in One Day
--Entire City Bowed in Silence-
Business at a Standstill-- -
Many Bodies Yet
Unidentified
(By R. E. Norton.)
CHICAGO, Jan. 2.—Beneath a gloomy
sky in oppressive silence and an atmo
pphere which seems ominously laden with
death, Chicago is today a veritable city
of mourning. Whole streets which are
usually resonant with the clang of com
mercialism, whose pavements are wont to
be thronged at this season with merry
makers, whose towering buildings are ac
customed to the cheer of throbbing ac
tivity, are so silent that the rattle ot
funeral trapping.* bears with in a sharp
and sudden shock. Funeral after funer
passes until the grim buildings themselves
seem to be forming an alley-like guardway
to the vast gate of the death. The pave
ments are either deserted or habited only
by those who stand with an expression ot
hopeless, oppressive and pathetic griet.
They have changed the scene to one 6{
funereal solemnity and of universal woe.
No sound of ringing sleighbell is heard,
no shout of mirth, no glad exchange ot'
holiday greetings, but silence awful in
desolation or perhaps broken by a moan
of despair.
The street gamin has forgotten in this
environment of gloom to call his wares.
Cable cars give no tongue to gong, and
the very bells of death toll with monoto
nous regularity their muffled strokes in
unwonted usage.
Almost a city of the dead, Chicago is
today in the blackest and most profound
grief, nor can its vital heart-throb be
more plainly told than in the words most
frequently heard, perhaps, from one who
lost neither kin nor friend, "My God, the
little children." In this mournful retinue,
this seemingly endless procession, devoid
of even that customary pageantry of
death, almost all of those silent passengers
are encased in small, even diminutive, cof
fins, telling again but too plainly of the
niteously futile struggle made by little
hands and feet for life, only life and
mercy. Mercy from fear of the maddened
throng that crushed them to death with
cruel feet like cast-off blossoms or dying
flowers. Probably it is this which makes
cold-blooded business men, officers familiar
with scenes of violent death, careless ones
who laugh and hardened outcasts Btood
for once in one common tie, that of grief.
The newspapers contain pages of the
death list, columns of burial notices, and
today they tell vet of more. Yesterday
face sof pedestrians bore a dazed 100 Wit
the unrealizing. Today, with comprehen
sion vivified by the funeral panorama with
out precedent, those same faces are seared
with sorrow's brand. Obedient to Mayor
Harrison's proclamation that this be a day
of mourning, even those business houses
which bear no crepe telling of death
brought home to them have closed their
doors. That maelstrom of market, the
•-board of trade, is silent.
Bat a short time ago Chicago stood at
the -stroke of noon for two full minutes
uncovered, traffic stopped and silence
reiened while that loved and martyred
president was, in a distant city, lowered
to hjs grave.
Today, at a like time, Chicago stood in
winter, hatless, immovable and bowed for
five minutes, while hundreds of its own
were laid away. Mayor Harrison's procla
mation to thiß effect was not necessary
to bring home, although it was
issued t!''» morning, for, as Dr. Hirsch
said in address last night, "Through the
walls of one thousand homes in this our
mourning city sobs resound and are echoed
on the merciless wind that scatters the
voice of the bereaved throughout the
world."
Two hundreds funerals in one day, and
yet there are a few places of monotonous
activity—the motgues. Processions which
are by this time/composed of haggard men
and tearless women keep up a weary round
of search. Following an instinct which
neither time nor civilization effaces, they
long to see their own dead.
The morgue scenes no longer bear, indi
viduality. It if* now a uniformity of vain
passing of the r©W« <>£ still forms, broken
only by a short sob iis father, mother,
sister, friend or brother reaches out' a
trembling hand prefacing the passage of
GOD WILL NOT
•" DECLARE WAR
ST. JETERSBURG, Jan. 2.—lt is re
ported that the czar and Minister of
enirog Affairs Lanadrafi both declared to
day that nothing so far has happened ne
ce««itating war between Russia and Japan
The Tacoma Times.
that white sheet whose symbolism is iden
tified with the visit of death.
As each new funeral notice is announced
weary attendants at the morgues begin
to long for the close. They realize that
in that great array of charred bodies are
few who will ever again be known by
name. Identification comes more slowly
today and is nearly at an end. The -rief
does not diminish, nor the effacement of
horror. The sackcloth is heavy and the
ashes heaped high.
SEATTLE MAN BEREAVED.
SEATTLE, Jan. 2—Perry Moore of this
city has lost nearly his entire family as
a result of the Chicago tire.
His father and mother, whom he left
well and happy some months ago, are both
dead, two ot his sisters penslied in the
ill-fated theater and his brother-in-law
and his niece and nephew are also among
the victims ot the disaster.
Air. Moore v from Hart, Mich., but at
different times spent many months in tins
city, lie originally lived in Chicago, and
when he left Michigan aud came West
his wife, with her child, Nveut to that
city to visit her husband s relatives. It
was her intention to come to this city
within a short time and join Mr. Moor*.
The first intimation Aloore had that any
of his relatives were in the ill-fated thea
ter at the time of the fire was when he re
ceived, at noon yesterday, the following
telegram from his sister, Mrs. George k.
bond of 4123 Indiana avenue, Chicago:
"Pa, Kittie, Nell, Joe, Mate, Sybil, Lu
cile and Koland were all burned in theater
last night. All found but Mate and Kit
tie. Do come. Your sister, 1.1 L.1...
When he first received the dispatch Mr.
Moore was too stunned to appreciate its
full porport. His first thought was that
someone had perpetrated upon him a grue
some practical joke. VV hen the full sig
nificance of the news did come to iiim lie
was, of course, prostrated. He could
scarcely answer any questions that were
put to him and acted as if dazed.
RELEASED ON BAIL. .
CHICAGO, Jan. 2.— W. J. Davis and
Powers, proprietors and managers of the
Iroquois theater, and George Williams,
<ity building inspector, who were arrested
last night on a criminal charge of man
slaughter on complaint of Arthur Hall,
■vho lost his wife and three children and
4 maid in the holocaust, appeared before
■a justice this morning and gave bonds in
the sum of $10,000 each.
MESSAGE FROM KAISER.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan. 2.—Presi
dent Roosevelt received the following ca
blegram from the kaiser today:
"Aghast at the news of the terrible ca
tastrophe which befell the people of Cni
cago, the empress and myself wish to con
vey to you how ueeply we feel for the
American people, who have been so cruel
ly visited in the week of joy. Please con
vey the expressions of our sincerest sym
pathy to the citizens of Chicago. May
Providence in the coming year shield you
and America from such accidents."
WILL REACH 600.
CHICAGO, Jan. 2.—The revised list of
Iroquois victims as given out by officials
this afternoon shows 558 identified, 28
unidentified. The total death list, includ
ing those who died at home from injuries,
will probably reach 600.
CHICAGO, Jan. —Mayor Harrison ha»
closed 19 amusement resorts in this city,
including some of the most popular play
houses, until they provide asbestos file
curtains. , An inspection revealed the fact
that nine qf .the 19 places had made any
pretense of complying with the building
law in regard to fire curtains. Some l.ad
cotton and others inflammable burlap cur
tains. . v
The city is filled with funeral corteges'
and there are not enough livery horsei to
supply the demand.
INVESTIGATION.
OHIC-AGO,' Jan. 2.Up to noon today
562 bodies were identified. A new order
for additional arrests was made thin morn
ing, which can be used providing the in
vestigation now being made shows facts
sufficient to warrant ; them. The order
in operative against ushers who, it is
charges by persons escaping from the the
ater, barred the way to exits and ordered
the crowd to remain seated. One witness
this morning Raid that in the gallery the
children mistook the tiny flames creeping
along the scenery for a part of the dis
and that Russia will not declare war as
matters stand at nresent.
SCHOOL BOARD
Thfl school board met this morning in
the CentraJ nehool to organize a new
board. The laws of Washington require
that they shall meet to elect officer* on
the firnt Saturday in (He year. The officer*
elected are as follows: I'resident, ML L.
TACOMA, WASH., SATUEDAY EVENING, JANUARY, 2 1904
|>lu,v. They laughed and clapped their
liunils in delight.
Ushers on that floor are said to have
run out upon discovering the tiru. without
making an effort to get the children out.
At downstairs exits, survivors say, men
were compelled to knock the ushers down
before the doors could be opened.
Twenty persons were arraigned this
morning and thoir cases reset for some
time after the inquest. No testimony win
board from tour members of the company.
They are principal witnesses, but their
bond has been reduced from !|<s.oo<) to
¥ 1.000 each.
Twenty chorus girls are under surveil
lance to prevent their departure from the
cit'\
ALL U/OSED.
CIITCAGO. Jan. 2.—The mayor, at the
request of the building commissioner, will
this evening order all theaters in the city
closed indefinitely until the laws are fully
complied with.
-DOWI^ 1 IN FIRSTCLASS SHAI'J':. () N THE EVE OS< MY TRIP ABROAD. TO TAKE A FALL OUT OF INIQUITY."
Clifford; vice-president. Dr. William E.
liurkhart; secretary, (i. V. Whitty; a»
siatant secretary, Miss Tessie Wood.
SCANDAL
WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan. ».- The in
terstate commerce commissioners; have or
dered a full examination of the accounts
of (he commission on the of
the information that the boijka are in an
irregular cotidtioin. The treasury depart
ment today, by request of the- commis
sions ; sent Special Experts Chase, Ambrose
and Faylor to the oltiee where the exam
ination of the accounts is to begin.
Clerk* nnd accountants refute to di»»cu«s
the matter. The department I'mndjes be
tween $250,000 and $300,000 annually.
startedladly
Taconia policemen are making life a bur
den for the drunk ami dinorderly perrons.
Four men, giving the names of 8. McLean,
H. 0. Sohmer, James West and C. Dick
ens, are in the lockup as a result of too
free an indulgence in the flowing bowl.
CAR THIEVES
Two Northern Pacific freight cars and
the warehouse of the engineer's depart
ment here were visited by thieves late
Thursday night. From the ears they took
a quantity of matting and from the ware
house' a number of tools. The theft wan
reported to the police yesterday afternoon
by Detottive Cummings of the Northern
Pacific. ;
■IMB ATTEMPT TO
HOLD UP TRAIN NEAR 101
CARNIVAL
OF CRIME
I SEATTLE. Jan. * 2.—The carnival of
crime that nag been in progress in Se
attle for weeks was still at its height last
night. ' Two highwaymen; who wefts evi
dently old timers at the business, held up,
and robbed William Johnson, an employe
of the. Hill Brick company, of $37. The
thugs approached their victim from oppo
site directions and met him, one on each
side, at the corner of j Twelfth avenue and
King street. They disappeared immediate
ly after the robbery and no trace of them
has been secured.
RES
GNEO
. OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 2.—President Burt
of the Union Pacific haH tendered his res
ignation. He given no reasons. The com
pany: lias innueil" an announcement saying
that the resignation will be acted upon in
the near future. : Burt has been engaged
in actiwduty for thirty yean without
rest or'recreation, lie contemplates an
extended trip with his wife, but ha« no
other plane. . '" :'-V"" /\ \
It la currently reported in railway cir
cles. that the cause of the resignation was
a disagreement with Harrimim over 'a
piecework system in the nhopH. Hurt is
a strong advocate of the system and it
•wa# that principle which was involved in
the i;fi:€'iit strikes. Harrinum has ordered
the'system abolished. ■•'•;-•
Hurt is credited with bring the Union
'Pacific; out of a chaotic condition to its
present state of efficiency^' •• '. ;"
•''H'.f Thorn, vice-president of .the Texas
Pacific, is mentioned as; his | successor.
LOOKS WARLIKE
TOKH), Jan. 2.—The Japanese iiqua/1
ron of six new cruiten now near Naga-
Kiki ha« been ordered, it is reported; to
proceed tomorrow to Korea. It in ru
mored that it intendH to seize Manlmmpo.
STRIKE GROWING
CHICAGO, Jan. 2.- The tngineett of 40
(skyscrapers arc out and tin- Dumber in in
ng hourlV. Nim-unioniwtH are beg
ging to be put in the Meant places. If
Northern Pacific Passenger Train From
Portland is Flagged by Bandits
But Engineer Does Not Come
to Full Stop-Sheriff
Denholm in Pursuit
Mounted bandit* made a futile attempt
to hold up Northern l'aritic pMMBfK
train No. 4, from Portland, at Roy this
the engineers can't win the wtrike alone
they will ask the aid of the Bremen, ele
vator men, janitors and sorubwomsn,
FIRES DESTROY
DRUG BUILDINGS
COLUMBUS <)., Jar;. J.-The I'oiuna
'Drug company's new brick building lie/c
was destroyed by lire thin morning, with
a loss of $150,000.
QUEBEC, Jan. 2.—The Morin wholesale
drug house wa« burned to the ground
thiH morning. The lows will amount to a
quarter of a million dollars,
HUMANE RULER
BERLIN, Jan. 2.— Dining the kaiser*!
New Year reception v, the commanding
officers of (lie .-1111!" today lie made a
speeoh urging Hie mppression of cruelty
against common soldiers.
AMMUNITION
IS SHIPPED
, TRIESTE,, Jan. 2.-Three .carload, of
ammunition .were shipped from here to
Japan today,; and larger quantities me
to follow.
NKW YORK., Jan. B.—Km today dam
aged die famous "Little Church Around
the Corner."
IJ>fT)EI>EJM)ESf7\W
yiLL THINGS
ONE CENT
morning, The station is 21 miles south of
Tacoma, at the edge of the prairie which ,
stretches for miles in ■ southerndirect M
tion.:: One of the bandits flagged the train 1- '
with a light.. He did not exhibit it.how
ever, until the train was bo n«ir that tho
engineer could not stop.' He slackened the
speed of the .engine and' nu.w.'. that v
the men who wcro trying 'to slo]i ilir ■,
train were armed with rides. lie could not
stop as he passed them and ; they'called ;
to him to do so, at the game time leveling
their rifles,
Whan the train bad paaaed and the en
gineer saw that an attempt to hold up'the
train had been made he again put on' all
steam and arrived in Taeoma. i short time
later. . •
Seeing thai their attempt wan foiled'
the bandits quickly mounted their horses
and rode away, Near Roy is a pine grove ,
and it is supposed that the would-be train ''
robber) look advantage of'this to get away. 5
The , engineer; claims to .; have ' seen only *-
one clearly, and would probably recognize •
that fellow if he should see him again \ /
When the train arrived in Taooma Sher
iff Denholm was imtilicil. ; This afternoon,
with Special- Agept Gumming -of the
Northern Pacific and 'the engineer of tlic
train, lie left for the eccne of the at
tempted hold-ui>.
At the local offices of the Northern Pa
cific thia morning the report, m at first
denied, but later it was admitted that ■•
attempt had been, made to ,, hold up the
train. \. " • ''; '
JAIL BREAKER
APPREHENDED
Detective M. K. Hubbard of Seattle
came to Tacoma today after Frank Ganctt, ••
colored, who it wanted in Seattle : i"i '
breaking jail. \ lie wag arrested here.yes- B
terday ; while drunk." At the polio Wa-" ■
lion he gave the name of-Frank: linker.'"
From the description received from Seattle ±:
the Tacoma officers' recognised him an the
much wanted Ganett and the Seattle I of- |
ficcrs were notified of his arrest. "• ■ ■■'■'.
Ganett was arrested in Seattle-Decem-K'
ber 36. , A couple of daya later, with four":;
other prisoners,! ho broke out of jail and H
had been at largo,until; apprehended,byi£;
the;Tacoma officers.: tintoWM
SUSPENDED
': SAN FJtANCISCO. Jan. 2.—Mayor
Sriiuiit/ today impended from office Heg
iwtrar Walsh because the latter started to
«hip election ballots to Washington in the
Kahn-Liverna^h content when he was iub'
poenaed by Speaker Connon of the house
of re|in:-eiilativCH.
RATE WAR
PROMISED
A rate win between Mm Tacoma-Olym
pia steamer* promises to start in a lew
days. -Agent Newton of Olyntpia an-''
i.ounces for the McDonald line that whenj:
the steamer Greyhound toot* her whistle
the fare will be 10 cent* from the capital'
city to Tacoma, ami 35 cent* to Seattle, *'
and that the ,Mtmuimh will cover! the ';
Greyhound's time.
Captain Wilson of the j '.'Pup,",' when
queotioned regarding |,j H uchedule, chewed
his cigar and said, "Wait."
