CINEMA DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 3 January 1930, Page 6

CINEMA DISASTER

RELIEF FUNDS STARTED.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

LONDON, January 2.

Paisley Town Council decided to head the relief fund with a grant of £IOOO guineas and to defray the funeral expenses of the victims. In addition to this many public bodies have initated relief funds, as a majority of the families affected are of the working class. » An enquiry is to be held and one point on which stress will be laid is whether the rear exit gate was locked. It seems established that this was open before the performance, but it was locked when scores o'f children endeavoured to escape. Scenes at the mortuary where long rows of victims are lying, bear, evidence of the struggle. Torn clothes, bruised arms and legs, and feet without boots or stocking are to be seen. The funerals will be on Friday.

CINEMA MANAGER ARRESTED

(Received this day at 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 2,

Charles Dorward, manager of the Glen Cinema, Paisley, has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide.

FURTHER PARTICULARS

(Received this day at 10 a.m.) LONDON, Jan 2.

The Paisley Town Councillors personally visited the homes of the bereaved parents to inquire if a mass public funeral was desired. It was decided it would be better for the parents to carry out their own arrangements, the Council merely providing the needy with grave sites.

There i were pathetic scenes, at the mortuary when many volunteers engaged in preparing for burial the bodies of the little victims broke down under the ordeal and had to be replaced by others. Hearses conveying the bodies to their homes passed between long lines of weeping men and women.

All the injured are progressing except one with a fractured skull whoso condition is critical. The relief fund has reached £3OOO including the gift of £IOOO from a Paisley draper. Five families lost two or more children.