Evening Star Newspaper, January 10, 1927, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. S, Weather ¥air tonight and tomorrow; contin- ued cold. Lowest 20 degrees. Temperature—Highest, 30, at noon today: lowest, 22, Full report on page 3. ¥(Closing N.Y. Stocks No. 30,204, 1ost oice, Bureau Forecast.) temperature about at 6 a.m. today. and Bonds, Page 10 Entered as second class matter Washington, D. C. @b -WASHINGTON, WITH SUNDAY MORNING "EDITION D. C., ¢ Foening Star. MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1927—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. * Associated service. The only evening paper in Washington with the Press news Sunday’s Cireul (#) Means Associated Pres: Saturday’s Circulation, 101,395 111,428 TWO CENTS. lation, COOLIDGE GIVES PROOF OF MEXICAN PLOTTING IN NICARAGUA REVOLT Message to Congress Defends Use of Naval Force and Support of Diaz Government. DECLARES SHIPM CAME FROM MEXICAN PORTS Says Some Even Be - longing to Government and of Having upervised by Offic Been BY G. GOUL President Coolidge in a spe stated the pol the revolution-torn 1 of there. The part played by Mexico and Me> revolutionary the President. “I have the most government of ¢ conclus Nicaragua. ats carrying thes in Mexican ports, and some of having belonged to the Mexican Without charging that the M the revolution in Nicaragua. the order the evidence which has come to this Government that the Sacasa government has ‘been aid In the House the President’s m sage was received with applause on the Republican side, members stand- ing. The applause on the Democratic side was more limited and only a few rase. Borah Withholds Comment. The Senate heard the message in silence, But at the conclusion of the reading Senator of Idah chairman of the relations committer, who acked the ad- ministration's regarding Nica- ragua, moved the message be published = public document, as weil as in the Congressional Record. The chairman of thé” foreign rela- tions committee said that the Senate was entitled to discuss the - guan situation, but that he would not do so at this time because of a tacit understanding he had with Secretary Kellogg to wait until after the Secre- tary had appeared before his commit- tee on Wednesday. He did not know at the time he had thiz understanding with the Secretary that the President was to send a message to Congress, Senator Borah said. Senator Bingham of Connecticut, tepublican, launched into a defense of the administration’s recognition of the Diaz government, and replied to the sisms of the administration made Saturday by Senators Heflin of Alabama and Wheeler of Montana. both Democrats. = Charges that oil interests were back of American inter- vention Senator Bingham insisted were idle since no had been dis- covered in Nicardgua. President Coolidge said that in some fnstances it appears that the ships rrying munitions to the S - Srnment in Nicaragua were fitted out with the full knowledge of and the en- couragement of Mexican officials. In one case, he said, an expedition was commanded by a Mexi erve office The President recited the fact that Sacasa, head of the revolutior ernment, at the end of after spending some time in City, went back to Nicaragua and placed himself at the head of the in there and declared him- dent. Quotes Diaz Note. A note from the government of Pres. tdent Diaz of Nic a by the United S date of November 15, ernment is quoted by the In it President Diaz said “Upon assuming the presidency found the republic in a very difficult situation because of tHe attitud sumed without motive by ment of Mexico in open Hlity N It must be cl r to that, given the forces which th government disposes of, its wlements of attack are irresistible for this feeble and small pation President Diaz called upon United States for aid in prote American and foreign lives in country. Frequently dent Coolidge under ed to th President. rn- to u the ting his that Presi of sinee date, sidant to the and has the aid rev informed this (¢ which Mexice is : 10 the nd has stated that ause of the aid g revolutionists t property of s and other fore Mexico Did Not The P'resident placed an embarzo on the of arms to Nicaragu ference ut Corinto wis b the factions looking 1o an ac He said that the other central can republics had agreed 1o co-operate in this matter, but that “the Mexican Government did ot adopt the sug: stion to put on an embargo. E Rathe “the M Government had informed the Ameri- can Ambassador at Mexico City that in N manufacturing plants in Mexico for making arm. end ammunition the matter had little ractical importance The | dent made It " recently raised the embar ?fi‘: ipment from the Uni States to the ove cause he was revolutionists from Mexico. “1 deemed it vent the rece cordingly the Secrctary of State pofied the Dinz government Teenses would be i v th of arms And purchase count ‘llzj?n:-( frank. statement £ the dent_regardin ifitics of Mex- ~(Continued on Page 4, Column 1) unable 1 Mexico to th Agree. pointed out that he shipment clear that he ms Diaz were receiving unfair,” he nized export d in United icaragua and gave his reasons for using the armed forces of the Nation to protect American lives and property ve evidence,” s ! ®that arms and munitions in large quantities have been on several | occasions since August, 1926, shipped to the revolutionists in Ameri- | exican arms | ENTS OF ARMS ar Indication of Be- ials D LINCOLN. ial message to Congress today States Government toward an arms in aid of the is dealt with particularly by l id the President, | ¢ munitions have been fitted out the munitions bear evidence of government.” exican government has fomented President gave in chronological ed from Mexico Text of Message By President on Nicaragua Crisis message 1o Con. gress on the Nicaraguan situation fol- lows in full: “While conditions in Nicaragua and | the action of this Government per- taining thereto have in general been i made public, I think the time has ar- rived for me officially to inform the Congress more in detail of the events leading up to the present disturbances and conditions which seriously threat- en American lives and property, en- | danger the stability of all Central America, and put in jeopardy the rights granted by Nicaragua to the United States for the construction of a canal. It is well known that in 1912 the United States intervened in Nica- ragua with a large force and put down a revolution, and that from that | time to 1925 a legation guard of American marines was, with the con- sent of the Nicaraguan government, kept in Managua to protect American | lives and property. In 1923 representa- tives of the five Central Ame! countries, namel. Rica, G ma Honduras, gua, and Sal- vador, at the invitation of the United | States, met in Washington and enter- into a series of treaties. These treaties dealt with limitation of arma- | ment, a Central American tribunal for arbitration, and the general subject of peace and amity, The treaty las referred to specifically provides in ar- ticle II that the governments of the contracting parties will not recognize any other government which come into power in any of the five| republics through a coup d'etat or revolution and disqualifies the leaders of such coup d'etat or revolution from assuming the presidency or vice pres- idency. The President's may | Quotes Article I1. “Article 1T is as follows: “Desiring to make secure in the re- publics of Central America the hene- fits which are derived from the main- tenance of free institutions and to contribute at the same time toward strengthening their stability, and the prestige with which they should be surrounded, they declare that every act, disposition or measure which ai- ters the constitutional organization in any of them 18 to be deemed a menace to the peace of said republics, whethe it proceed from any pliblic power or from the private citizens, “onsequently, governments of | the contracting parties will not recog- any other government which v come into power in any of the republics through a coup d'etat a revolution against a recognized government, so long as the freely clected representatives of the people creof have not constitutionally r d the country. And even e they obligate themselves owledge the recognition if sons elected as J | dent. vice president or chief of state designate should fall under any of the | following heads: 1) If he should be the leader or | of the leaders of a coup d'etat or volution. or, through blood relation- ship or m e, be an ascendant or | descendant or brother of such leader {or leaders. ) If he should have been a s ry of state or should have held | | some high military command du | the accomplishment of the coup d the revolution, or while the el s being carried on, or if he should | wve held this office, or command | | within the six months preceding the coup d'etat, revolution, or the elec- i 5 urthermore, »gnition be z ment which ar power of a citi in e shall | govern- | election to | ly and un-| the Con- | | stitution of his country as cligible to | election President, vice president or chie state designate. “The United States was not a party " (Continued on Page 4, Column 3.) no from = - King Ferdinand Better. | BUCHAREST, Ruma anuary Lo @ rdinand appeared in much bette ealth than on his last public anppearan when he left the i1 palace today to review two regi ments. On his way to the review he | chatted animatedly with members of his entourage. ‘ { the bel | Febr: { tive-Elect James T. Igoe of Illinois, .M. C. Hargrove, purchasing officer. | contract price calls for 11.76 cents a ! financed the original contract up un- sonal direction. H | da i a result, {FALL AIDED IN FIGHT | changed. TAPS. 16,400 MORE TAGS ARE ON WAY HERE D. C. Officials Halt Plans to Let Auto Plates Con- tract to Maryland. With definite assurance that all of ted 1927 automobile identifica would be delivered early in ary, District officfals today halt- ed plans to turn the contract over to the Maryland Siate Penitentiary, the second low bidder. According to the latest reports, which have beea verified by the of- ficlals, a shipment of 15,400 pairs of tags is now en route from Chicago and promises have been given that shipments of equal amounts would be delivered every 10 days thereafter un- til the contract, which called for 100,000 pairs, has been completed. The tags on their way are due to arrive tomorrow, but the supply will not then be adequate to start issuance | to motorists, according to Wade H. Coombs, superintendent of licenses of the District. Assurance that the tags would be delivered without further delay was given District officials by Representa- tion ts who has taken over the contract, and agreed to complete it at a_possible personal loss ranging from $5,000 to $6,000. Mr. Igoe conferred this morn- ing with Mr. Coombs, Maj. James R. Lusby, District disbursing officer, and Story of Delay. An intriguing story of the delay in the delivery of the tags was told by Mr. Igoe who came to Washington especially to give personal assurance to the officials that he “would be a good sport” and complete the project, despite an already sizable financial loss which undoubtedly would mount because he is producing the tags at a cost of 18 cents a pair, whereas the pair. Mr. Igoe explained that he had til last month, when the manuf turer departed. Then he undertook to turn out the tags under his per- Work in Small Shop. Although the tag manufacturer vho was given the contract by the District had one of the largest shops in Chicago several years ago, M. Igoe sald he was attempting to manufacture the tags for the District in a small, one-room shop. Mr. Coombs now has received 36,- 000 of the 100,000 pairs of tags o dered. The 15,400 expected tomorrow will increase this figure to 51,400, and the additional shipment which Mr. Igoe has promised would arrive 10 s later will make it possible to le- gin distribution to Washington mo- torists, Mr. Coombs pointed out As lie has set January 20 the tenfative date for starting the issuance of the tags for pleasure ve- hicles. BY HEART STIMULANTS By the Associated Press. 31, PASO, Te: January 10. Physicians attending Albert B. Fall s planned to continue the use of it stimulants to maintain a normal blood pressure. The former Secretary | of the Interior, who has been ill at |. home here with pneumonia for .ported in a serious ay. afford, who haswittended | out his illness, said the patient's age, | v be called satisfac: A heart stimulant was admin- istered last night and early today his condition was reported as un- his two week condition Sz Dr. H. T, . Fall throu isidering tion m DRIVERS WARNED AGAIN. Automobile operators’ permits num- bered from 1 to 20,000 will be auto- matically outlawed February 1, and motorists caught using them will be subjected to & maximum fine of $40, Traffic Director M. O." Eldridge again warned todi Applications for the new permits re coming in too slow, Mr. Eldridge d, with the possible result that many drivers are likely to be without legal permits Febr Applications_ for should be made the tafic director pointed permits ible, out, in the new s soun as | dent Coolidge has eliminated sausage from the breakfast menu at the White Tlouse. This was learned to the disappointment of most of the 14 members of the Massachusetts del egation in the House who were tb President’s guests at breakfast this morning. In the place of fricd country sau sage, for which the White House h attained a certain national promi- nence, at least since the President in- augurated® his early morning /break- fast conferences, the President has substituted fried hum. The President is represented as having banished sau- sage from his table, at least tempo- rarily, upon the advice of the White House physician and other intimates of the President, who attributed his increase in welght to certain things which he was eating in an unsparing manner, sausage being among them. Hot buckwheat cakes, which have always occupled a prominent place on the Coolidge breakfast menus during the Winter season, were suggested for elimination, but the President still has them for his breakfasts each morning. Although the President confined his breakfast guests toda to the con- gressional delegation from his own State, no especial business was dis- PRESIDENT DELETES SAUSAGE FROM WHITE HOUSE BREAKFAST Gain in Weight Causes Physician to Order Lighter Diet—Executive Clings to Cakes, However, and Adds Ham to Menu. cussed. The company was together in this manner merely for soclal and goodfellowship purposes. were in this company dway. Andrew. hrought were Stohbs, i Dallinger, Underhill, Do am, Luce, Frothingham, M Gifford. This included the Democrats in the Bay State delegation as well as the Republicans. The only mem- bers of the delegation not on hand were Representatives Bowles, who represents the President’s home town, and livan, Democratic member from Boston, both of whom were absent from the city. Despite the few extra pounds he has acquired in the past month or so. the President is considered by those about him to be in physical shape. The President him: self very recently expressed himself as feeling in the very best of health, His eyes are clear and the color of h eeks and lips is good and his work and cares seem to have little if any effect upon his appearance and general physical condition. Never- theless, since getting himself in suck fine physical trim last Summer while in the Adirondack Mountains, he has siven considerable concern to his eight and has been rather faithful in an attempt to keep it below 160 pounds. FOREIGNERS FLEF CHINESE INTERICR Conditions Growing Steadily Worse in Upper Yangtze Sections. By the Associated Press. PEKING, January 10.—Official for- eign dispatches from Hankow reach- ing here today said anti-foreign con- ditions, while somewhat ez were growing steadily worse in other interior cities along the Yangtse. All American women and childr being moved from Ich up the river from I , and the British were evacuating all mission- aries from accessible points in three states Hupeh, Hunan and Szechwan, Although the Can‘onese soldiers had left the British concession at Hankow, they were in an ugly mood because of not having been pail for several months, and it was feared they might run amuck. More American women and children were ready to leave Han- kow as soon as transportation wa; available. All foreigners had left Kiukiang, 150 miles down the river from Han: kow, some of them still being aboard the American gunboat Penguin there, Kiukiang refugees reaching Hankow were being put aboard ships which were to turn back down the river to. ward Shanghali. Business at Standstill. The Kiukiang concession was tirely in Chinese hands, all barric having heen destroyed. he Hankow British conce: on was being ruled by a provisional commi: sion of five members of the National- ist government, with a special Chinese police force for keeping order. Both troops and pickets were withdrawn. But foreign repre trust the Cantonese assurances for their safety. The non-British foreign banks had reopened and the British finance houses were hoping to resume business soon. The entire city, including the Chi- nese section, s suffering from a com- plete economic paraly There much unemployment among the n; tives, and readjustment necessarily will be slow and painful if it comes ‘at all. PRAISES BRITISH MARINES. en- des American Woman Lauds Self-Posses- sion in Face of Mob. | SHANG anuary 10 (#).—The first graphic story of how the British marines held order that any delay in the issuance will not inconvenience motorists hold- ing the permits numbered from 1 to 50,000, temper in the nd in- sults from the howling mob of Chinese ~(Continued on Page 5, Column ntatives refused to | SENATE ORDERS BROOKHART PROBE Accused of Being “Paid Lob- byist” Before Interstate Commerce Committee. Jnvestigation of rumors that Sen- ator-elect Smith W. Brookhart of Towa is “a paid lobbyist” of Cyrus 5. Woods, nominated for the Inter- state Commerce Commission, was or- dered to ¢ by the Senate. The inquiry will be conducted hy the interstate commerce committee, which now is holding hearings on Mr. Woods' fitness for office. Efforts to have the investigation by the judici- committee were defeated, 49 to 33, Senator Stec] Democrat, lowa called the attention of the Senate to the rumors by reading a telegram which he sent to Col. Brookhart at his home in Washington, lowa, last aturday. In this he said that Brookhart's campaign manager and the president of the Iowa Federation of Labor had sent him telegrams urging that he support Woods, ““The: telegrams give color to these reports, Senator Steck’s telegram suid. ) Before the matter was brought up in the Senate Senator Brookhart made a statement that he was op- posed to the nomination of Woods, and that if his campalgn manager, Maj. Frank J. Lund, and the labor federation president, J. C. Lewis, had (Continued on Page 2, Column SINCLAIR PLEA DENIED BY U. S. SUPREME COURT Request for Review of Contempt Proceedings Growing Out of 0il Investigation Is Refused. Harry F. Sinclair was denied a re- view today by the Supreme Court in his contempt of the Senate case, grow- ing out of his refusal to answer in- quiries of the Senate oil committee, In refusing today to consider the appeal, the court gave no explana- tion of its position, merely announc- ing that his petition for a review was denied. Whiile the action of the court will force Sinelair to go on trial in the local courts on the contempt charge, it will not preclude him from later asking a review should he be con- It is the practice of the United tates Supreme Court to refuse to pass on constitutional questions until all avenues of relief have been closed in the lower courts, 3 splendid | RANDOLPH-MACON AGADEMY BURNED: [0STUDENTS HURT Front Royal Institution Scene of Thrilling Escapes and $250,000 Loss. PRINCIPAL OVERCOME BY SMOKE AND HEAT Only Gymnasium Remains of Huge Structure Ravaged by Flames Starting in Basement at 5 A M. RONT ROYAL, Va., Ten boys were injured, seriously, In a fire whi destroyed the main building of Randolph Macon early this morning, entailing timated by school authorities ve of them Those badly injured were taken in automobiles to Winchester Memorial Hospital, 30 miles from here. They rank Whalen, Lyon Village, Va.; broken leg. Henry Weaver, son of Henry B. Weaver, 1346 Ingraham street, Wash- ington; twisted ankle and injured back Jack Johnson, New York, leg and arm broken. - Kenneth G badly burned. Joachim Navia of Nicaragua, face injured when he missed a blanket in a leap from his thipd-story dormitory. Other students are being attended by volunteer nurses at a hotel. They include: Fred Shirtenleibe, New York. James Valentine, New York. Worthington Seese, Philadelphia. Edward White, Pittsburgh. Reginald Ettlinger, New York. These boys, most of them about 15 years of age, are suffering from minor burns and sprains. Principal Under Treatment. Dr. Charles L. Melton, principal of the school, is under treatment of a physician suffering from the effects of smoke and heat sustained when he aided in rescuing students from the burning building. The fire was di covered about 4 o’clock this mornin and the big building was destroyed within two hours. Firemen could do es of Hollins, N. Y., little except to place ladders against | the grand juries that no ene occupied | 2bout 1,100, and it the building, enabling many of the boys to escape who were trapped in the third story. About 20 gtudents dashed threugh the front door to safety, while others were forced to climb to the roof to escape the chok-! ing smoke and were taken down by firemen. Several of the boys overcome by smoke were dragged to safety by their companions, other cadets made their exit from the building by leap- ing from the windows and sliding down links of bed clothes hastily knotted together. Prof. Robert P. Darden aroused many of the younger boys and took a leading part in the rescue work. The students, numbering 186, most of them clad in thelr night clothes, stood about with bare feet on the snowy ground as the school burned. A new gymna- sium. but a few feet from the main building, escaped damage. Trustees to Meet. . Chalmers, secretary-treasurer school ing of the trustees will be held Thurs- day at Ashland, Va. It is planned to t construction on a new building s soon as possible. In the meantime, the boys are bil- leted in the town, citizens of which are lending every assistance to the school & i it is planned to hold classes odist Church. Private homes will shelter the cadets until the new dormi- tory is completed. The fire aroused virtually the entire population of this town, 2,500 persons and volunteer committees of citizens hastened about with automobiles tak- ing the half-clad boys to their own homes. Officials of the school, as well as the students, are warm in their praise of the kindliness evidenced toward them by the townspeople. Stories told by the boys indicate many instances of individual heroism. Roommates risked injury to save each | other, it was said, and several of the boys injured could have escaped un- marred had they not paused to aid comrades groping blindly in the smoke- filled building. Mr. Chalmers stated that the build- ing was valued at $250,000, and car- ried insurance amounting to $106,000. School authorities made a definite check on the student hody early this morning to make sure that none was missing, and another assembly has been ordered for 4:30 o'clock this afternoon. The academy, a preparatory school for boys, is one of five affiliated insti- tutions in Virginia constituting the Randolph-Macon system of colleges and academies. It was established in 1892, being under control of a self- perpetuating board of trustees under auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. It prepares its stu- dents for the Randolph-Macon College at Ashland, Va. The academy last June had a teaching staff of 11. The buildings and grounds were valued at 50,000; the scientific apparatus, 000, and the endowment fund, Parents Rush to Scene. Dr. Henry S. Gamble, 1329 Gallatin street, is on the way to meet his 16- year-old son Billy, who escaped the fire which destroyed Randolph-Macon Academy at Front Royal, Va., by sliding from his third-story room, on a rope made of bed clothes. Young Gamble’s roommate, Henry B. Wenver, jr., 16, son of Henry B. Weaver, 1346 Ingraham street, in- jured his ankle?dropping to the ground from the end of the bed clothes, about 20 feet, it s reported. Mrs. Weaver is hastening to her son, ac- companied by another son, John, who also is a student at the academy. John had a bad cold, which won him a week end leave at home. ‘Washington boys at the school be- sides his brother and Gamble fnclude Charles F. McKenney, son of Harry McKenny, Takoma Park; Arthur Wesche, Eddie Burdette, Charles Wood, George J#mes, Carl Zanner, L. Kimball, H. Kimball and Cadet Van- kirk. Radio Programs—Pages 22 & 23 announced that a meet- | in the Meth- | Must Serve Year EARL CARROLL. CARROLL SENTENCE 0 PRISON UPHELD U. S. Court of Appeals Says He Must Serve Year—Sorry, Says Producer Here. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January Carroll, theatrical producer, lost his appeal today from a sentence of a | vear and a day in Atlanta Peniten- | tiary for perjury committed in con- nection with grand jury investigation of a “bathtub party” in his theater, United States Circuit Court of Ap- | peals today affirmed both the verdict | of guilty and the sentence imposed | by the lower court. Carroll was brought to trial last | Spring after newspaper stories had | been printed saying that at a Wi | ington birthday party at the Earl | Carroll Theater Joyce Hawley, a show | girl, had served champagne to male guests from a bath tub on the stage in which she was seated undraped. Before two grand juries Carroll swore that no one had occupied the bath and that the beverage it con- talned was not intoxicating. Four | counts of perjury were laid against him and he was found guilty of the 1o counts which related to his telling 10.—Earl sh- the bath tub. He was found not guilty in telling the same juries that o liquor was served at the party. * Sentenced to Year. He was fined $2,000 and senteénced {to a vear and a day on each count, but the terms were made to run con- currently. He was released in $5,000 ed in his defeat today. Carroll was indicted about April 1 and found guilty on May 27 and sen tenced on June 3. The bathtub party took place in {the latter part of February shortly jafter the Countess Cathchart gained admission to this country after being detained at Eilis Island on a charge of moral turpitude. Carroll her play, “Ashes of Love” and she Among_other prominent the party. Amon (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) BRYN IS ABSOLVED IN SEIBERT DEATH Norwegian Minister’s Son Says He Stepped on Gas Instead of Brake. After walving diplomatic immunity and telling a straightforward story of how his automobile figured in an ac- cident at Connecticut and Florida avenues on the night of December 22, Johannes G. Bryn, son of the Nor- wegian Mini absolved from blame in the death of Thomas Seibert, , 1817 Nineteenth street, his” com- panion, by a coroner’s jury sitting at the District morgue in the Seibert | death this afternoon. | _Seibert, who, together with David eveland avenue, son_of Representative Alvin of Kentucky, wi passenge Bryn on the night of the accident, died at Emergency Hospital on De- cember Both Bryn and Barkley were hurt in the accident After hearing the testimony“of a number of witnesses, the coroner’s jury promptly return a verdict of a | cidental death. | __Testifying in his own behalf, young (Commlfl on Page 2, Column 1) BILLS EXEMPT BELL FROM MILITARY DUTY Capper and Zihlman Measures De- signed to Retain Engineer Com- missioner on Duty in Capital. Bills designed to permit the Presi- dent to keep Col. J. Franklin Bell as Engineer Commissioner of the Dis trict, regardless of the militar; under which he would have to feturn | to auty with troops some time this Summer, were introduced in the Sen- ate by Chairman Capper of the Sen- ate District committee and in the House ty Chairman Zihlman of the House District, committee today. Existing law requires that officers who are detailed to positions in the Government must serve one year out of every five with some combatant branch of the Arm: Under this law Col. Bell would have to leave the District government in une. { bail pending the appeal which end-| had | was at the time preparing to produce | was one of the principal guests at| rmy i civilian | 17 CHILDREN DEAD, TOLL OF FIRE AND PANIC IN MONTREAL PICTURE THEATER Screams End Happy Laugh- ter as Fear-Mad Young- sters Are Crushed in Stam- pede for Door—35 Injured. PARENTS JAM MORGUE TO FIND LITTLE VICTIMS Crowded Stairway From Balcony Groaning, Shrieking Mass as Trapped Boys and Girls Fight for Safety—Firemen Cut Hole in Wall to Get Bodies. Becomes | By the Assdciated Press. _MONTREAL, January 10—Vic~ tims of a movie disaster more tragic than ever flickered on the silver screen, 77 children lay dead today, crushed or suffocated by a fire stam- {pede Sunday in the Laurier Palace, a theater in Montreal's east end. | This morning 68 of the little vice {tims had been identified at the city i morgue, while 8 others still awaited recognition. Autopsies established that 60 of the children died from | asphyxiation, 11 were crushed and 5 lost their lives from a combination of asphyxiation and burns. | Thirty-five children injured in the 'rush were reported at the city hos- | pitals fo be recovering and not to be {in_any further danger | Mayor Martin has issued a messaze | of condolence to the hereaved parents | of the victims and the Montreal Th jater Managers' Association has open- j ed subscriptions for a relief fund of jat least $10,000. | The tragedy was caused by fear, as the fire which started the rush for the exits was comparatively trivial. Theater Well Filled. The Laurier Palace Is at No. 1683 | St. Catherine street east. It is a two- { story building, with a stone and brick front, and has heen in operation sev- jeral years. The seating capacity is I < well filled yes- i wlrd "dwu.hi thuhusun:ulnrga number of children in the audience. also attended. o The place has four exits, two at the [front, Into which the stairs from the jbalcony lead, and two at the side, jopening into a lane which leads to a | side street. | Sunday's performance, featuring a comedy film, “Get 'Em Young"—dead- Iy irony in the light of the disaster | that was to follow-—was barely under way when there was 2 flicker of flame nd a belch of smoke from the projec- {tion room beneath the balcony. Some one saw it—accounts differ as to whether it was a small boy or an usher—and the dread ecry of “Fire was raised. Bedlam ensued. The jcrowd. drawn from the surrounding ench-Canadian and foreign district, fled for the exits. Those on the ground floor seem to have reached the { open without great difficulty. Stampede for Stairways. Those in the balcony, terrified by the billows of smoke and the heat of the flames below, ran for the two tairways, down which they struggled, ng and shouting. An usher suce ceeded in restoring some order to those stampeding down the west side stairs, but on the east a terrible panic developed, and it was here that the worst of the tragedy occurred. The side of children and aduits flow- ing to the street level was suddenly halted. Some one had fallen. With panic redoubled, those behind, feeling the breath of the fire upon them, surged downward and the stairway became a near-solid mass of groaning, shrieking humanity. Children were borne under foot to be trampled. Others were caught and crushed by sure of the sur. rounding others, simi. iffocated. Those wght by the flames. ving from the St. j(‘.\lh(-nnp t station, found | the stairy xtricably Jammed, with the lowermost part of the mass only a few steps fromy the main floor. Attempts to relieve the pressure by !pulling at individual members of the | tangle were unavalling. Firemen tied |a rope about the body of one child in the hope that it was the key-log of the jam, but were unable to budge it. Smash Hole in Wall. in the r | Firemen, | | Then, as the quickest way through, they smashed a hole in the street wall and formed a human chain, passing the victims through the opening. In the rear of the mass an usher, W. W. Pare, fought heroically, but futively, in the blinding smoke and intense heat to save some of the | pinfoned children. He dragged nine {little victims to a window over the entrance canopy and thrust them out in the hope that some were alive, None survived. Almost overcome by | the smoke himself, he crawled on to | the canopy and was taken to the i street by firemen. Meanwhile holes had been chopped through the stairs and undey the jam | of bodies. As the victims were taken fout by the firemen and volunteers they were removed to nearby stores or dwellings to protect them from the biting cold. ‘Ambulance surgeons flit- ted from one to another, rendering first aid. The more seriously injured were rushed off in ambulanc Fif- ! teen died in one hospital alone. The fire was soon extinguished, but for hours afterward the ambulances red between the temporary hos- pitals and the general institutions or bore their pitiful burdens to the city morgue. t Parents Rush to Morgue. | Moving scenes were enacted at all ) these places, but particularly touch- !ing were those at the morgue, where, through the afternoon and night, fathers and mothers and elder broth- ers and sisters appeared, passing along the rows of bodies searching foi their loved ones, From the coroner’s court, above the morgue, those who had been deprived of hope went to the office of the cor- oner to receive the fatal blue slip al- lowing them to remove the bodies of their dead. Almost all of the children identified (Continued on Page 3, Column 2 For several weeks there have been | discussions of the possibility of having * Col. Bell retained in the Distrigr go ernment for a Jeuger period, ’