The Evening critic., 1884-03-13
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER


terdny-The Evidence at the Cor
oner's Inquest.
The Coroner visited tho Seventh Pro-
cinct Station this morning at IL o'clock for
the purpose Of holding an inquest over tho
bodies Of the two victims of the caving in
of an embankment yesterday morning.
A jury composed of Squire W. G. Harper,
John ID. johnson, w. r. Daley, James p.
Wiseman, Samuel Slater and ]. w. Speake
was secured and the remains of the colored
man, Edward Crump, were viewed by tho
Coroner and jury, who afterward drove to
the house Of the other victim Cornelius
Fitzpatrick, No. 1416 Third street north
west.
The jury afterward drove to the scene of
the calamity and viewed the embankment
and the place where the men had been
buried.
In the meantime curious crowd gath
cred around the station-house, and one after
another, persons of all ages,
Prompted by n Morbid Curiosity,
walked in and looked at the remains of tho
colored man.
Before noon the Coroner and jury re-
turned, and proceeding to tho officers room
on the second story, the investigation of the
circumstances Of the sad disaster was COM
menced.
Nathan Parker, middle-aged colored
man, who gave his occupation as sand
screener," was the first witness, and testl-
fed that he had been screening sand yestor-
day on the grade near tho scene Of the
disaster, when Edward Crump, Cornelius
Fitzpatrick and Henson Bell were under
the embankment digging sand. ~ saw dc
bank n startin', an
HoiIered and MolIered,-
n IL l..tI H.
| lieve there was any danger until too late,
| an when dey run out do bank was falliu',
| an Fitzpatrick and Crump was buried"
| The witness said that he had known
| Crump for three years, and that he was the
| most experienced and daring of all "de
workers in de hole" and never believed
that he was running any risk and laughed
at the danger. HE couldn't como ont o.
dc hole when he saw any clean sand, an he
has been buried up to do neck bofo' dis
| time by tho bank fallin' on him, but it
never hurt him nor scared him."
| The witness said that he had oft3n heard
Crump's fe]low-workmen and his employers
demonstrate with him and curse him for
running so much risk and exposing himself
to danger, but that
Crump Persisted in Going in Under
the Bank
and keeping at work as long rs there was
any clean sand in sight, and paying no at
tention to the most manifest danger.
The foreman, Michael Brennan, had very
often cautioned Crump against staying too
long under the bank and had told him that
us he was experienced and knew the dan
ger, no must take care of himself The bank
was dangerous all day yesterday, and the
witness called the attention of the men to
the fact that dirt was falling all day, bnt
they evidently thought the bank would
fall in way that would give them an OPP
portunity to escape, and they were regard
less of the danger. The workmen always
followed Crump's Judgment, as he was a
veteran sand digger. The foreman was not
| present at the time of the accident, but had
been there for short time in the morning
Henson Bell was the next witness He is
also colored laborer, and was the only
man of the three who were at work under
the bank that escaped. He said that when
the alarm was given he started to run
away, and the bank fell, burying Fitz
patrick and Crump and burying him up to
the waist. The boss, Michael Brennan, had
warned the men in the morning that they
must be careful and look out for the falling
bank. The men sometimes broke or the
top of the bank before beginning to dig fo
sand, but in this case had not done co.
The next witness was Michael Brennan
who was in charge of the excavations o
sand. The witness visited the place wher
they were at work early yesterday morn
ing and saw no special or unusual danger
: but when he was leaving he
Cautioned the Men 10 be Careful
and look out for the bank. This warning
was customary with him, as he was Away
careful and had never before had an acct
II dent to his workmen. He had never urget
workmen to go into the pit when they die
not wish TO, and had often cautioned then
that they were running unnecessary risk
Witness put implicit confidence in Crump'
knowledge and experience and virtually
put him in charge Of the work il
the pit yesterday, as the witnes
was experimenting work in the concret,
yard about square away. 1t was Crump':
business to examine the bank and lookou
for it, and if no failed to do so it was hi
own risk. Tho witness denied that he hat
ever discharged or abused man for refus
Ing to work under bank, and also denied
that he was responsible for a failure to OK
anime the bank.
After the examination of Mr. Brennan
the room was cleared and the jury began Il
discuss the evidence and decide upon YER
dict.
The Verdict.
The verdict of the jury was that the dc
ceased came to their death about IL o'clock
March IL, near the corner of New Yorl
avenue and North Capitol street, by the nc
cidental caving-in of bank from which
they were getting sand, and from the cvi
| dence the jury SEQ no reason to blame an.
one connected with the work.
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