in 1903 the iroquois theatre fire in chicago claimed the lives of almost 600 people. carl prinzler was supposed to attend a show at the theatre that fateful day, however, other business dealings called him elsewhere. in this era, it was common for theatres and the like to lock interior and exterior doors to prevent non-paying persons from entering. this also inhibited persons on the inside from exiting. this was the case during the iroquois theatre fire. all doors were locked and/or bolted which prevented patrons from exiting, causing most to be burned alive or succumb to smoke inhalation.