Chicago School Afire Long Before 1st Alarm |
CHICAGO, Dec. 11 - (UPI) - The janitor of Our Lady of the Angels School testified Thursday that the tragic fire was blazing 17 to 22 minutes before the first fire alarm was turned in. |
James Raymond's testimony on the second day of an inquest into the Dec. 1 disaster increased the mystery surrounding Chicago's worst fire tragedy in 55 years. Ninety-two children and nuns were killed. |
Raymond, 44, a tense, lean father of seven children, insisted he saw wisps of smoke and a red glowing window in the basement of the school at “between 2:20 and 2:25” on the afternoon of Dec. 1. |
He said he dashed into the neighboring rectory, shouted to the housekeeper “call the fire department quick,” and then ran into the school. |
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Sgt. Drew Brown of the police arson squad, hammering away at the janitor's story, asked, “Are you sure the call was made by the housekeeper?”. |
“I'm not sure,” Raymond replied. |
Fire department offficials have insisted the first alarm on the fire was not received until 2:42 - 17 to 22 minutes after the time Raymond said he saw the glowing window. |
Fire trucks were at the scene within two minutes after the alarm came in. But by that time children were leaping in flames from second floor windows or dying in the smoke and heat which swirled into the classrooms. |
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Raymond, who had five of his children in the school, fought to save the students until he was knocked out from behind. It was believed a fireman hit the janitor to prevent him from running back into the school. |
Raymond appeared at the inquest with his left arm bandaged and a lawyer by his side. He has refused to take a lie test on his attorney's advice, claiming he is still in a state of shock. |
The lawyer, John J. Hogan, protested Thursday that Raymond is still “not physically and emotionally able to give an account of the events of Dec. 1.” |
Hogan also objected when the coroner's jury forman asked if Raymond had ever been under a doctor's care for physical or mental ailments. |
Raymond's testimony left several key questions unanswered. |
He did not explain how he fixed the time when he said he saw the fire. |
He was not clear on whether a steel door was closed between the school's boiler room and the stairwell where the fire apparently started. |