| From the Los Angeles Herald, September 22, 1905 |
CORONADO HOTEL IS BURNED TO GROUND
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Fire, supposed to have originated from defective wiring in the basement, totally destroyed Hotel Coronado at 607 Coronado St., with a loss of $60,000, at 3 o’clock this morning.
Miss Louise Johnson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Milbank Johnson, narrowly escaped losing her life. . . .
The little daughter of Gail Borden, the condensed-milk manufacturer, also had a very narrow escape, being rescued in her night clothes by other guests.
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There were 80 guests . . . at the time . . . . Some of the people having rooms on the second floor jumped from their windows.
The alarm was turned in about 2 o’clock, but it was fully an hour before the Fire Department was able to get the hose connected — too late to do anything but save the buildings next to the hotel from taking fire.
Just before the fire was discovered in the basement, under the room of the
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proprietress, Miss Helen Mathewson, all of the lights in the building went out.
This substantiates the theory that the fire was caused by defective wiring. . . .
The neighbors threw open their houses and gave the homeless ones shelter for the night. . . .
The hotel was a three-story mission-style building owned by Russ Avery and Judge Bordwell. . . .
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The new mayor cleans house
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From the Los Angeles Herald, December 29, 1905
Cross-Examination Disproves Charges
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. . . for twelve hours, with short intervals for hurried meals at noon and in the evening, the Fire Commission listened to the charges preferred by Miss [Helen] Mathewson in connection with the fire that destroyed the Hotel Coronado . . . .
With attorney Herbert Cutler Brown representing Miss Mathewson and attorney [Earl] Rogers defending Chief [Walter] Lips, the tediousness of the investigation was relieved by bright sallies of wit between the two attorneys, but these little breaks . . . did not prevent the members of the commission [from] casting ominous looks at Mayor McAleer . . . that plainly denoted they would like to know what had ever induced them to accept the payless, thankless job of a fire commissioner. . . .
Miss Mathewson’s charges are directed against Chief Lips and Engine Co. No. 11, chiefly, and are as follows:
• Failure of engine company to respond promptly to the fire alarm.
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• Failure to have steam up and ready for work when it did come.
• Inattention to duty at time when the fire was most dangerous.
• Ignorance of location of fire plugs.
• Incompetency in handling the fire.
• Failure to have sufficient hose.
• Failure to use hose to the best advantage.
• Failure to take proper care of hose after fire was put out and permitting it to lie in the street several days after being used.
. . . nearly every one who was examined declared he had taken to account of the time. . . . A few had had the foresight to consult their watches and the estimates of time . . . varied from five to twenty minutes. . . .
Miss Mathewson . . . declared it was “ages” before the first engine came . . . .
Just once during the entire day was attorney Rogers a little uneasy, and that was when the prosecution introduced an unexpected witness . . . .
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This was Allen Eager, 819 Coronado St., who made the startling statement that Chief Lips did not arrive at the fire until 3:10 o’clock in the morning. . . .
“Did you see the chief drive up to the fire?” he was asked.
“Yes, it was 3:10 o’clock by my father’s watch, who was standing beside me at the time. The chief drove a sorrel horse to a light buggy and was accompanied by a man.”
Chief Lips then whispered to attorney Rogers, and the attorney took the witness.
“Do you know assistant chief O’Donnell when you see him?” he asked.
The witness admitted that he did not, and the assistant chief was called from the witness room. His testimony was that he was the man who had driven . . . a sorrel horse and [was] wearing brass buttons.
“That merely shows the witness cannot tell one Irishman from another” was Mr. Rogers’ only comment.
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From the Los Angeles Herald, December 29, 1905
Mathewson Testimony About the Fire
Gets Pretty Hot Itself
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When Miss Mathewson was put on the stand and attorney Rogers took her in hand for cross-examination, he found he had caught a “tartar.”
“Never again as long as I live will I cross-examine a woman!” said Mr. Rogers in mock despair, and he clutched large handfuls from his already thin hair.
Attorney Rogers found his chief difficulty in Miss Mathewson’s feminine contempt for such facts as are admitted into evidence and her disposition to argue every question to which she took exceptions.
“How long was it after the
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fire alarm was turned in before you saw an engine company on the ground?” asked the attorney.
“Oh, it was ages,” asserted Miss Mathewson, tragically and emphatically.
“Very probably, very probably,” asserted Mr. Rogers. “But about how long was it as we mortals reckon time in minutes?”
Miss Mathewson was compelled to declare she did not know. . . .
In her testimony, she took occasion to say that Fire Chief Lips had insulted her the following day.
[He said:]
“It seems to me you are making a terrible holler about this fire.”
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“I answered that I thought I had occasion to make a holler, and he said:
“This isn’t the first big fire you have been in. You had another just like it in Colorado Springs.”
[Miss Mathewson testified:]
“I was unfortunate enough to be in the Colorado Springs fire, which has since become historic, and I am not a Mrs. O’Leary,” referring to the origin of the big Chicago fire.
Attorney Rogers intimated that he might bring up some connection between Miss Mathewson and the Colorado Springs fire that would not redound to the credit of Miss Mathewson. . . .
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Is this the sorrel horse?
Were these men slow on the job?
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From the Los Angeles Herald, December 29, 1905
Commission decides not to smack Lips
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. . . Less than a minute after the attorneys in the investigation of Fire Chief Lips had concluded their summary . . . the commission unanimously acquitted the fire chief . . . .
[Herbert Cutler Brown, the attorney representing Miss Mathewson, said:]
“I expected to have other witnesses here, . . . but they said they would lose their jobs if they gave public testimony. . . .”
In his summary of the evidence for the defense, attorney Rogers made the startling statement that the entire investigation was nothing but an opening gun . . . by grafters to regain
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control of the Fire Commission. . . .
“This department buys hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of goods every year.
“We all know that there were times when there was graft in this department, and lots of it. Since Chief Lips got in there has been neither graft nor the suspicion of graft. . . .”
[Mayor Owen C. McAleer said:]
“I think this investigation was directed solely at myself.
[He added:]
“There is not a man at this table today who has not been approached, directly or indirectly, with offers of money bribes in buying supplies.
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“I myself, as the mayor of this city, have been shown $80,000 a year if I would do certain things; and because this commission and the mayor are trying to give an honest business administration we are criticised.
“Why? Because we will not allow ourselves to be used. . . .
“Our firemen will strain every nerve to do more than their duty. . . . upon every fire alarm that they respond to they take their lives in their hands.
“What is the result? They are criticised for their endeavors to do their whole duty, while but half-paid men.”
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Two Helen Mathewsons
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According to Kevin Roderick of L.A. Observed, the Helen Mathewson of the Hotel Coronado was not the same Helen Mathewson who was Dean of Women at UCLA.
He said he learned this through census records while researching a book he is writing on the history of Wilshire Boulevard.
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| From the Los Angeles Herald, December 13, 1905 |
Coming Attractions
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Henry W. Savage’s standard musical comedy, “The Prince of Pilsen,” will come to the Mason Opera House for its second engagement of three nights, commencing tomorrow night.
The popularity of this musical comedy has been deserved by reason of the worth of the musical garniture give it by Gustav Luders, the charm of the story provided by Frank Pixley and no less by the high standard of
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equipment and presentation maintained.
Its many song hits, such as The Message of the Violets, The Tale of the Seashell, Pictures in the Smoke and Heidelberg, have been borne on a wave of popularity all over the country . . . .
Largely the original company remains.
Louise Willis is the widow; Arthur Donaldson the original prince; Ivar Anderson
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continues in his original role of the lieutenant; Pauline Huntley will enact the part of Jimmie; dainty Marie Welsh will be seen as Nellie Wagner.
James E. Robe will supply the comedy of Francois, and J. Hayden-Clarendon will be Arthur St. John Wilberforce.
Marguerite Ferguson, she of the twinkling feet, will lend interest to the soubrette role of Sidonie, and bright and clever Ruth Peebles will typify the erudite Vassar girl.
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| From the Los Angeles Herald, December 13, 1905 |
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Los Angeles history
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