The 1903 victims

Emma R. Taylor (b. 1872)

Emma was thirty-one years old. She was James Taylor's second wife, married in 1868.  She and James had one child, Rene Mary Taylor, and Emma was stepmother to three sons from her husband's first marriage. Emma's remains were identified by her daughter-in-law, Estella E. Sheetz Taylor. (Estella, her husband, Albert Taylor, and their son, Kenneth Taylor, lived at 1222 Morse Avenue with James and Emma.)

James Martin Taylor (b. 1844)

At age sixty, James was twice the age of Emma. His body was identified by his son, Albert A. Taylor (b. 1869).  Another son, Ralph Taylor, was in the navy at the time of the fire and for some time could not be reached to learn that his father, stepmother and stepsister had died at the Iroquois Theater.

Rene Mary Taylor (b. 1892)

Rene was twelve years old. She was only child of James M. Taylor and his second wife, Emma R. Taylor. She attended the Field elementary school.  One of her classmates at the Field school was also an Iroquois victim.  Thirteen year old John V. Clayton also lived on Morse Avenue.

Frances "Irene" Swartz (b. 1891)

Twelve-year-old Frances was a friend of Rene Taylor. She was the daughter of Dr. Thomas and Mary Swartz, and younger sister of Marjorie Swartz.  She attended the Doolittle school in Chicago.  Other Iroquois victims who attended Doolittle elementary included Thomas Remington, Hazel Regensburg.

Marjorie / Marguerite Swartz (b. 1883)

Marguerite was Irene Swartz's older sister. She was the daughter of Dr. Thomas and Mary Swartz and a student at the Washington Young Ladies Seminary in Washington, DC, home for the Christmas holiday.  She was also a graduate of the American Conservatory of Music.

Phoebe Irene Fort (b.1858)

Phoebe was a 1881 graduate of Cornell. She had been the principal of the Myra Bradwell School in Windsor Park since its founding. She was the aunt of the two Swartz girls, Marjorie and Frances.

A triple funeral was held for Frances, Marjorie and Phoebe at the Sixth Presbyterian Church on Thirty-Sixth and Vincennes Avenue.

Mary Swartz lost too much

The Swartz girls' parents did not attend the matinee but thirteen years later their mother, having lost both her children (Frances and Marjorie/Maruerite) and her sister (Phoebe) at the Iroquois, then her husband early in 1916, drowned herself in the Potomac River in Washington. She was Mary Fort Swartz (1861–1916) and her husband was Dr. Thomas Benton Swartz (1856–1916).

They had married in 1883 and in 1903 had lived at 143 35th street in Chicago. Thomas was born in Pennsylvania, Mary in Michigan. She was the daughter of Daniel Fort and Clemma Hoag, with eight siblings, including Phoebe Irene Fort (above).

Discrepancies and addendum

In some reports Mary Fort Swartz's maiden name is said to have been Ford but the 1900 census and genealogical records show her as a Fort. In one report her husband's name is said to have been F.B. Swartz but, again, the census and newspaper reports at the time of the fire said he was Dr. Thomas B. Swartz.

Another Iroquois party included a sixteen year old girl named Flora L. Taylor but I've not been successful in learning if she was related to James Taylor.

Need:
Pictures of Francis Swartz, Mary & Thomas Swartz.
Confirmation that Ream Taylor was Irene Taylor.
* There may have been two more in this theater party.  In one newspaper report this group included victim Carrie Sayre, who was also reported to have attended the theater with Alma Gustavson.  Both Sayre and Gustavson were school teachers.

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