The daily gazette., 1882-02-23
THE VERDICT,
WHERE THE JURY PLACES THE RES
PoNsIBILITY FOR THE CHESTER CAL
AMITY. r=-.

WhhHk THE JURY PLACES THE RES
POSSIBILITY FOR THE CHESTER CAL
ANITY. r..-... -...-..
The jury investigating into the death
OF the victims Of the Chester explosion,
after Q deliberauon of five hours, rem
dered the following verdict, last even
ing, after dsliberating nearly five hours:
That the said parties came to their death
from an explosion Of some explosive
matter contained In building at Second
and Welsh streets, commonly called the
Porter Mansion, in the city of Chester,
and occupied by Professor y. jackson as
q mandatory Of fireworks aud other
combustiba aud explosive materials.
The jury also fiud that there was In q
freproof adjoining said mahufactory
from 90 to 100 pounds of gunpowder,
besides other explosive aud combustible
material. They also find that the man.
alactur0 and Keeping of such materials
and the quantity found TO have been
kept on said premises was in violation
OF the ordinance oft. city Of Chester,
relative to the keeping OF powder and
other explosive materials within the
city limits. ltaH
That the city authorities are highly
censurable In permitting the manufac-
ture OF such conbustible and explosives
within its limits, aud also TOR not en-
| forcing the ordinance In reference to
powder and other dangerous explosive
materials within the city. 1t
That Prof. s. jackson is highly can-
surAbls for maintaining 10 the midst OF
a populated district an establishment
attached with all the danger OF fire.
works mandatory; and that Charles j.
Van Horn, IN assuring the Chief of the
Fire DepArtment-that there was no fur
ther danger after the second explosion
thus leading him aud members of the
fire department into fnrtker danger, !;
also highly censurable.
Aud In view Of the above the jury re.
commended the Coroner to hold the
said Samuel Jackson and Charles j.
Vanhorn for their appearance at th'
next term of Court of Delaware cdAlnty
Signed by the jury as follows: John q
Pnce, Joseph LadOmus, w. II. Martin
Edward Barton, Samuel Greenwood ant
Daniel Robinson.
After tue verdict was made public tn
Mayor stated that the authorities had u,
right 10 enter upon Prof. Jackson
works unless complaints had been mad
Of q dangerous business having beel
carried on.
Jackson and Vau Horn were soon al
terwards ARE. ted aud gave bail for thet
appearance at tho next Court, whiel
meets IN Media on MOnda,, Marc
9th.
The Chester Times ays:
"rhe aoat that Robert Anderson wor
and IN which he met his death IL con
pletely riddled, and the Franklin FIJI
Company propo-e to have \ case mad
for 1t and the hIehLra Ca. riod by WI
liam II. Franklin. The mouthpiece {
the horn was blown off and the bod
OF the instrument badly dented. I'll
fire hat of Chief Dolton now at bis OH
ar store, IL had wreck. The fIoi
piece is broken, and the hat, aithoug
a heavy one, has long hole IN 1T naa
The top. Had It not been for the hat Oh
chief would und onbtedly have been XII
cd. Indeed, 1t seems ~ II the iire ha
saved a nudber of heads from moi
, painful IpiurIes. The heavy gum CO;
of the chief looks "a it il Lad heen she
! at with all sizes of missiles. Ii Is rI'
/ died, taltered, and torn.