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Three Owens family victims
• Forty-year-old Mary Luella Murray Owens(1859-1903) of Wheaton, IL.
• Nine-year-old William Murray Owens(1894-1903) of Wheaton, IL.
• Forty-five-year-old Dr. Charles Owens(1853-1903) of Wheaton, IL.
Last in the party to die, eight days after the fire, Charles Owens in his
last days described his Iroquois experience either
to a newspaper reporter or to one of his two brothers-in-law who in turn described it to a newspaper
at Charles death.
He showed great presence of mind by telling the people around him to
keep their seats. His words had a quieting effect
upon his neighbors in the audience, but when the
heat became unbearable Dr. Owens stood up and said:
"Fly for your lives now, everyone for himself and
may God help us all.
"With these words, the aged man picked up his little
boy in his arms and rushed with him up the center
aisle. He fought his way toward the door until
partly overcome by the smoke and partly
by the crowds of terror-stricken people he fell to
the floor. He regained his feet and joined the
struggling humanity.
"Again he was overcome and sank to
the floor, unconscious. The cooler and purer air of
the floor revived him and he arose for the second
time, but this time could not find his son. He
stayed behind to look for the boy when he fainted
again and was carried from the building by a
policeman.
"After regaining consciousness Dr. Owens walked unaided to a near-by
drug store where he procured bandages and
restoratives. With these, he hurried back to the
scene of the disaster and resumed his search for his
family. Despite his will, he found himself too weak
to work, and despairingly called a cab and was
driven to the Chicago Homeopathic hospital, of which
he was formerly the house physician.
"The physicians at first expressed hopes of his recovery,
but when the doctor was informed by his
brothers-in-law, J.F. Dodd and D.H, Battenfield,
of the death of his entire family,
including his wife and only son, his
grief was unbounded and he gradually
declined until last Friday afternoon
death came to the relief of the
grief-stricken man."
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Four Dodd household victims
• Forty-six-year-old Ruth
"Emma" Murray Dodd (1857-1903)of Martinsburg, OH.
• Thirteen-year-old Ruth Murray Dodd(1890-1903) from Martinsburg, OH. Reportedly Ruth's body was identified by Dr. E.S. Coe.
• Fifty-five-year-old Sarah Day (1848-1903) from Martinsburg, OH. Some newspapers described Sarah as a nurse and others as
a maid. Absent reports of a family member in poor health or young children, she may have
been more housekeeper than nurse. One newspaper reported that she was
"colored." Her body was found on the stairs in the Iroquois lobby and carried out by police officer Albert F. Simsrott.
• Thirty-nine-year-old Viola
"Ollie" B. Kidwell(1864-1903) from Martinsburg, OH. Reportedly Ollie grew up with
the Murray siblings and was in 1903 employed by the Dodd family, in an unknown capacity. Ollie was a dressmaker, as was her younger sister, Kate Kidwell (b. 1863). Ollie, Kate and their brother, James
Norman Kidwell (1859-1923) were the children of Samuel Kidwell (1820-1907) and Mary Nellans Kidwell (1830-1912).
Dodd family remaining (none of which are known to have been at the Iroquois): Husband and father, James Foster Dodd
(1858-1926) and daughter Mary Anna Dodd (1880-1962). Mary Anna married a newspaper publisher in Danville, OH in 1901
and had a daughter the year of the Iroquois fire. James was the son of Dr. Stephen Baldwin Dodd (1820-1863) and Sarah
Ann Sinkey Dodd (1818-1891). As a young man, James was a traveling sewing machine salesman but soon turned to
inventions. In 1880 & 1883 he patented two envelopes, in 1888 a mechanical pencil, in 1908-1910 two adjustable hats,
in 1915 a perpetual calendar and in 1922-1925 several devices for use at gasoline stations to display amount and price.
James Dodd's great grandfather fought in the American revolution.
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