Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1904 — GREAT HOLOCAUST IN CHICAGO. [ARTICLE]

GREAT HOLOCAUST IN CHICAGO.

600 Lives Lost In Fire In The New Iroquois Theatre. MRS. SADIE LEOPOLD WOLFE AND PAOUNE MOSSLER ARE AMONG THE VICTIMS SELMA LEOPOLD HAS NARROW ESCAPE.

One of the greatest horrors of modern times was witnessed in Chicago Wednesday afternoon at about 3:15 o’clock, when by some as yet unexplained cause the stage settings of the great scenic production of Mr. Blue Beard in the New Iroquois theatre on Randolph street, between Dearborn and State streets, caught fire and of the 2,000 people, most of whom were women and children, packed into the play house, 578 are now dead and many more missing and injured. The cause of the fire was either from the explosion of one of the calcium lights or a crossed electric light wire. The alleged asbestos curtain failed to work and the fire swept out from the stage causing a panic, and all rushed for the exits. To add to the horror the lights went out in the theatre and the exits were nearly all found locked. This forced the frenzied crowd to the main entrance, where hundreds were trampled under foot and suffocated. Others were suffocated in their seats by the smoke and poisonous gases. Only about onehalf the 578 bodies recovered from the building have been identified at this writing. A great many never can be identified owing to the unrecognizable condition of the bodies. Only the inflamable part of the theatre was damaged, and in a brief fifteen or twenty minutes the fire was out, leaving behind one of the most sickening sights ever witnessed by mortal man.

This great horror in which 600 people are now dead and hundreds more of injured fill the hospitals, some of whom will die, leaves a house of mourning in Rensselaer. The day before Christmas Mrs. Ray Mossler’s little daughter Pauline, and Mr. and Mrs. Simon Leopold’s little daughter Selma, aged about 11 and 9 years each, went to Hammond to visit their aunt, Mrs. Sadie (Leopold) Wolfe. On the day of the burning of the ill fated theatre Mrs. Wolfe took the little girls to the city and all attended the afternoon matinee at the New Iroquois. Mrs. Wolfe also had with her the little six or seven-year-old daughter of Mr. Kaufman of Hammond, a partner and brother-in-law of Mr. Wolfe. In taking the bodies from the theatre Mrs. Wolfe was found with the little Kaufman girl clasped in her arms. The latter was dead but Mrs. Wolfe was still alive when found but later died in St. Luke’s hospital. The body of the little Mossier girl was not found by her relatives until about noon Thursday, when it was found in a morgue on State street. The latter body was not disfigured, owing no doubt to its being found underneath several others that had protected it, but Mrs. Wolfe’s body was considerably mangled. A nurse girl from Hammond who was with the party also lost her life. Little Selma Leopold succeeded in escaping and made her way to the home of friends in the city. It is said that the party occupied seats on the first floor, near the door, and the little Mossier girl went back after reaching the door and practial safety to get her wraps, and it is supposed that Mre. Wolfe returned with her.. Mose Leopold, Ben Fendig and Ray Thompson went to Chicago Wednesday night after news of the accident had reached here, and the remains of the Mossier girl were brought back Thursday evening. The time for the funeral has not been decided upon at this writing, owing to the fact that the services will ta conducted by a Jewish lUbbi, but it is thought will take place pet haps Sunday morning from the Leopold resi-

dence, and the funeral of Mrs. Wolfe will perhaps take place Sunday afternoon at Hammond. Mrs. Sadie Wolfe was 24 years of age, and was the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Leopold of this city. She was married to Leo Wolfe of Hammond in June, 1901, and leaves a little girl about eighteen months old. Pauline Mossier was about 12 years of age and was the only daughter of Mrs. Rachel (Leopold) Mossier, widow of Will Mossier, well known here and at Remington and Kentland, where he was engaged in business at one time. The Leopold home is indeed a house of mourning, and the sympathy of the entire community goes out to them in their great sorrow.

Other Rensselaer people were in Chicago and had intended going to this theatre on this fatefnl afternoon, but for various reasons did not. E. L. Hollingsworth, cashier of the First National Bunk, with a Chicago banking friend, had procured tickets. The friend was detained and they did not go. George Strickfaden, John Walker and Louis Harmon also intended to meet at a certain place and go from there to this theatre, but one of the party failed to arrive in time and the trip was abandoned. Mrs‘W. F. Smith was visiting in the city and had made arrangements to attend this particular matinee with her two children, but later gave it up. Messrs. Hollingsworth, Harmon, Walker and Strickfaden saw the dead removed from the building and were witnesses to many of the heart-rendeing sights connected therewith. It was a sight never to be forgotten.