Chicago's Awful Theater Horror Part 56

Wife of Wm. H. Hoist, and daughter of ex-Chief of Police Badenoch, who, with her three children, Allan, Gertrude and Amy, perished in the fire.

She was identified by her husband by means of her wedding ring and a diamond ring.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GERTRUDE HOLST, 2088 VAN BUREN STREET, CHICAGO.

Gertrude was ten years of age and with her younger sister, Amy, and her older brother, Allan, was a pupil of the Sumner school. All were burned in the fire. The picture was taken some time ago when she was a flower girl at a wedding.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: AMY HOLST, 2088 VAN BUREN STREET, CHICAGO.

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. H. Holst. Amy was seven years of age and a pupil of the Sumner School. She, with her mother, brother and sister, was a victim of the fire.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. CLARA RUHLMAN, CHICAGO.

The mother of Mrs. Sidonic (Herman) Fellman, who was burned in the fire with her son-in-law and his mother.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: HERMAN FELLMAN, 3113 VERNON AVENUE, CHICAGO.

Mr. and Mrs. Fellman attended the matinee with their little girl, twelve years of age, and their mothers. All except Mrs. Fellman and her daughter perished.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. BERTHA FELLMAN, CHICAGO.

The mother of Mr. Herman Fellman, who, with her son and Mrs. Herman Fellman's mother, were victims of the fire.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MYRON A. DECKER, 3237 GROVELAND AVENUE, CHICAGO.

Mr. Decker, who, with his wife and daughter, perished in the fire, was a prosperous real estate dealer, 65 years of age. He had a particular horror of fire and seldom attended a theater. Only one member of the family survives, a daughter and bride of a few months, Mrs. Blanche D. Kinsey, wife of Carl D. Kinsey, of the Chicago Beach Hotel.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISS MAYME A. DECKER, CHICAGO.

Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Myron A. Decker, who, with her parents, met her death in the fire. She was thirty-three years of age.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. MARIA E. BRENNAN, 608 FULTON STREET, CHICAGO.

Mrs. Brennan was the wife of P. G. Brennan, connected with the stereotyping department of the "Chicago American." Before marriage she was Miss Maria Hogan. Mrs. Brennan and her boy were lost.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JAMES PAUL BRENNAN, CHICAGO.

Jimmy Brennan, as he was generally known, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. P.

G. Brennan, and, with his mother, was burned in the fire. He was eleven years of age, st.u.r.dy and bright.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. ETTIE EISENDRATH, 10 CRILLY COURT, CHICAGO.

Mrs. Eisendrath attended the matinee with her talented little daughter, Natalie. When identified they were found locked in each other's arms.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: NATALIE EISENDRATH, 10 CRILLY COURT, CHICAGO.

Mrs. S. M. Eisendrath and her daughter, Natalie, ten years of age, were both lost in the fire. They were in the first balcony and were smothered and crushed. Natalie was a bright child and an especial favorite in church entertainments.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. BARBARA L. REYNOLDS, 1286 E. RAVENSWOOD PARK, CHICAGO.

Mrs. Reynolds, her daughter, sister and sister's two boys attended the theater together. When entering the auditorium she remarked: "What a death-trap!" Soon afterward she and her little daughter were burned. Her sister and boys escaped.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOSEPHINE E. REYNOLDS, E. RAVENSWOOD PARK, CHICAGO.

The daughter of Mrs. Reynolds who perished with her mother in the theater disaster was only seven years of age. Both were burned beyond recognition.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MYRTLE SHABAD, 14 YEARS OLD. 4041 INDIANA AVENUE, CHICAGO.

Myrtle and her brother Theodore, attending the grammar grades, were at the matinee with a girl friend, Rose Elkan. They all met death in the fire.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THEODORE SHABAD, CHICAGO.

Theodore was a bright boy, eleven years of age, and, as stated, formed one of the merry party of three which met their fate on that terrible afternoon.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. ANNA H. DIXON, 100 FLOURNOY ST., CHICAGO.

Mrs. Dixon attended the matinee with her two daughters, 15 and 9 years of age respectively, all being lost in the fire. She was the wife of A. Z.

Dixon, a well known West Side grocer.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DORA L. REYNOLDS, 421 E. 45TH ST., CHICAGO.

Dora attended the fateful matinee in company with her mother and her cousin, Ruth Stratman, of Dodgeville, Wis. Both the girls were burned to death. Mrs. Reynolds being the first to cross the plank to the university building.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEAH F. DIXON, 100 FLOURNOY ST., CHICAGO.

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Z. Dixon, fifteen years of age, who with her mother and younger sister, was burned to death in the Iroquois theater fire.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: EDNA A. DIXON, 100 FLOURNOY ST., CHICAGO.

The younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Z. Dixon, 9 years old, who with her mother and sister, lost her life in the holocaust.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WALTER BISSINGER, 15 YEARS OLD, CHICAGO.

The son of Benjamin Bissinger, the real estate man. The boy had an unusual poetic gift. He attended the theater with his cousin and sister, Miss Tessie. The latter only was saved.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISS TESSIE BISSINGER.

Who was in the gallery and made a heroic but unsuccessful attempt to save her brother, Walter Bissinger, the Boy Poet of Illinois, and her cousin, Jack Pottlitzer, of Lafayette, Ind.]