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Two victims of the 1903 Iroquois Theater fire were the nieces of one of Chicago's most successful manufacturers, Richard T. Crane. They were the
daughters of Richard's sister, Kate
Crane Gartz. Richard and his brother, Charles Crane,
were founders of R. T. Crane & Brother, Chicago manufacturers of plumbing iron and fixtures.
Crane became active in the
Iroquois Memorial Association and hired fire expert
John Ripley Freeman to investigate the fire and its causes.
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Newspapers revealed Crane's engagement to a young ingénue three months before the Iroquois
fire. Two years later Emily Hutchinson became
his bride, Crane's third wife. Society was scandalized:
he was seventy-three and she was thirty-five.
According to the 1910 U.S. Census, there were
twelve people living at the wealthy industrialist's 2541 Michigan St.
home, including a secretary,
seven servants, and a staff artist.
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