CHAPTER ONE: THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN
“Coming from Providence”: Hartford Courant, July 5, 1944.
“the real Fairyland … ”: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus program, 1944 season.
“they want to laugh … ”: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus program, 1944 season.
“Good Salary and Expenses … ”: Billboard, May 16, 1944.
CHAPTER TWO: “THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH”
“The last word in high wire thrillers”: 1944 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus program, 1944 season.
“The air was stagnant … ”: Personal interview with Arthur S. Lassow, July 6, 2005.
“I was awestruck … ”: The Circus Fire, Connecticut Public Television (CPTV), 2000.
CHAPTER THREE: FIRE!
“We heard a roar, like the applause”: Providence Journal, July 7, 1944.
“There’s a fire over there”: Personal interview with Donalda (LaVoie) Matthews, July 6, 2005.
“I was watching the lions … ”: Personal interview with Barbara Wallis Felgate, July 6, 2005.
“I came right through the doorway”: Personal interview with Rose Norrie, July 6, 2005.
“I grabbed the hand of my niece Judy … ”: Witness statement of Margaret D’Abatto.
“[I] noticed a girl about five years old … ”: Letter from Donald Anderson to Governor Baldwin, October 2, 1944.
“When the fire broke out … ”: Telephone interview with Eugene Badger, August 11, 2005.
“My hand got torn out of my mother’s … ”: The Circus Fire, CPTV, 2000.
“My foot kind of slipped … ”: Personal interview with Donalda (LaVoie) Matthews, July 6, 2005.
“Let my little boy through”: Telephone interview with Phil Handler, July 15, 2014.
“People couldn’t get past … ”: News Channel 8, wtnh.com, July 6, 2005.
“Some dirty son of a bitch tossed … ”: McAuliffe police statement, July 8, 1944.
CHAPTER FOUR: “THE DAY THE CLOWNS CRIED”
“Tumult and wild disorder”: Hartford Times, July 6, 1944 (extra edition).
“one woman, who was joined by a man … ”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1944.
“I went back to my car … ”: Providence Journal, July 7, 1944.
“We saw a woman come running out … ”: Telephone interview with Eugene Badger, August 11, 2005.
“The circus people were wonderful”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1944.
“They were so calm … ”: Hartford Times, July 6, 1944.
“The circus animals were comparatively quiet … ”: Boston Globe, July 7, 1944.
“It was an ideal time for kids … ”: Telephone interview with Guy Cummings, August 16, 2010.
“We were repairing a meter … ”: Weinstein police statement.
“We can be intensely proud”: The Hartford Circus Fire: An Audio Recollection, University of Hartford radio WWUH, July 7, 2005.
“request for Type O blood … ”: The Hartford Circus Fire: An Audio Recollection, University of Hartford radio WWUH, July 7, 2005.
“Telephone service throughout Greater Hartford … ”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1944.
“Mom, we’re all right”: Unpublished article by Harry Lichtenbaum.
“hysteria will only add to the confusion”: The Hartford Circus Fire: An Audio Recollection, University of Hartford radio WWUH, July 7, 2005.
CHAPTER FIVE: MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL
“We had two hands and did whatever we could”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1944 (morning edition).
“Please all of you … ”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1944.
“People as a whole were well behaved”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1944.
“a couple of pinkies”: Telephone interview with Shirley Lawton, April 2, 2014.
“I’ll never forget the children … ”: Telephone interview with Kenneth Sinkwitz, July 10, 2005.
“Those were the worst times”: The Circus Fire, CPTV, 2000.
“Remember the girl … ”: Smith personal notebook, Connecticut State Library Archives.
CHAPTER SIX: “WHO KNOWS THIS CHILD?”
“Into the big drill shed”: Hartford Times, July 6, 1944 (extra edition).
“some were so stricken … ”: Boston Globe, July 7, 1944.
“please stay away from the armory … ”: The Hartford Circus Fire: An Audio Recollection, University of Hartford radio WWUH, July 7, 2005.
“I was the one who found … ”: E-mail correspondence with Bob O’Connell, July 15, 2014.
“So long as I know”: Boston Globe, July 7, 1944.
“I’ve been a cop for 25 years … ”: Boston Globe, July 7, 1944.
“This was the one that she had looked at … ”: Freeman police report, July 8, 1944.
“Neighborhood dentist in Southampton …”: Dental chart of 1503, Connecticut State Library Archives.
“Dear Mr. Hickey … ”: Letter from Emily Gill to Commissioner Hickey, July 20, 1944.
“Who Knows This Child”: Hartford Times, July 12, 1944.
CHAPTER SEVEN: WHO WAS TO BLAME?
“Seven officials and employees”: Hartford Courant, January 12, 1945.
“the armed forces had exclusive control … ”: Cohn Report, undated.
“The report finds no legal responsibility … ”: Hartford Times, January 12, 1945.
CHAPTER EIGHT: ACCIDENT OR ARSON?
“An investigation of the cause”: Report of Commissioner of State Police, January 11, 1945.
“tossed or dropped a cigarette … ”: McAuliffe police statement, July 8, 1944.
“That dirty son-of-a-b---- just threw a cigarette butt”: Report of Commissioner of State Police, January 11, 1945.
“a cigarette would have smoked … ”: Report of Commissioner of State Police, January 11, 1945.
“Coroner: Supposing your chemical analysis … ”: Hickey statement, August 10, 1944.
“At about the end of the animal [act] … ”: Pelton witness statement.
“a patch of flame … ”: Fyler witness statement.
“I sat … about two seats from the top …”: Dewey witness statement.
“Many patrons for the first time … ”: Report of Commissioner of State Police, January 11, 1945.
“Upon the testimony before me … ”: Report of Commissioner of State Police, January 11, 1945.
“It appeared throughout our investigation … ”: Letter from Lavin to Hickey, May 25, 1950.
“was always very mean to Robert … ”: Robert Segee’s confession, June 27, 1950.
“You are responsible”: Robert Segee’s confession, June 27, 1950.
“I laid down and went to sleep … ”: Robert Segee’s confession, June 27, 1950.
“The confession is not true”: Hartford Courant, March 13, 1991.
“only chance”: Robert Segee interview by James Butterworth and Bill Lewis, March 16–17, 1993.
“We was scrutinized … ”: Robert Segee interview, March 16–17, 1993.
“They wanted to clean the Goddamn book … ”: Robert Segee interview, March 16–17, 1993.
“That don’t mean nothing”: Robert Segee interview, March 16–17, 1993.
“You see, gentlemen … ”: Robert Segee interview, March 16–17, 1993.
“I think the final question … ”: Robert Segee interview, March 16–17, 1993.
“With as many people that were there … ”: The Circus Fire, CPTV, 2000.
CHAPTER NINE: A NAME FOR LITTLE MISS 1565
“The eight-year-old who was partial to hair ribbons”: Hartford Courant, March 9, 1991.
“Somebody, somewhere must have cared … ”: Hartford Courant, July 7, 1945.
“Your report was reviewed … ”: Letter to Anna DeMatteo from Connecticut State Police, April 23, 1956.
“the apple of their eye”: DeMatteo notebook, Connecticut State Library Archives.
“cheeks seemed rounder”: DeMatteo notebook , Connecticut State Library Archives.
“had on a white dress … ”: DeMatteo notebook, Connecticut State Library Archives.
“This isn’t the same little girl … ”: DeMatteo notebook, Connecticut State Library Archives.
“It may be concluded from this examination … ”: Notes from Department of State Police, July 15, 1944.
“Those changes in her appearance … ”: Davey and Massey, A Matter of Degree, 238.
“seemed rather cursory in its assessments … ”: A Matter of Degree, 236.
“appear on the doorstep one day … ”: A Matter of Degree, 269.
“One mistake at the armory …”: O’Nan, The Circus Fire, 353.
“There is no doubt … ”: Don Massey, presentation at Mark Twain Museum, July 6, 2010.