St. Paul daily globe., 1886-05-16
EXONER ATED.
no Blame Atrach he'd to Inspector Par
aice..Canf. Cross s.ViMdicated.,,

NO Blame ; trac heu TO nspcctOr Far-
eice--CaDt. Cross s'EiNdicated.'
The special committee from the city
council met yesterday morning 10 lnvestl-
gate to what extent Building Inspector
Pardee might be considered responsible for
the Bracket block disaster. AS Mr.. Par
dee had already been eXonerated by the
same coroner's jury that first charged him
with dereliction of duty, nothing remained
for the council committee but to second the
motion 1t was first proposed to examine
the testimony taken before the coroner'S
Jury, but here City Attorney Cross inter
posed himself with the announce
ment that he should insist upon
the committee investigating him also.
Mir. Pardee had stated that he had expert
enced great difficulty in getting an opinion
of any kind out of the city attorney" and
the cOrOner'S jury in eXonerating Mr.. Par
dee had found that he had been greatly
hampered in the discharge of the duties of
his office by "a defective building ordinance
and the opinions of his legal advisers -
These charges Capt. Cross insisted should
be looked into. and he threatened to bring
i'll the heads of the departments of the city
government to furnish 4 certificate OF char
acter as to the
EATa-LIhE FIDELITY
and highly satisfactory way in which he
had invariably furnished legal advice when
it was needed. c. II. Benton. vino appeared
as counsel for Inspector Pardee, arose in
the interest of harmony. and in few we'll
chosen words placated the irate Cross, flat
tered the committee. and made it pleasant
all around. He said substantially that
Mr.. Pardee'S statements did not refer to
Capt Cross i'll connection with the Bracket
block, and Capt. Cross denial and eXpana
ton were not at all inconsistent with his
assertions. He certainly thought that the
testimony was abundant to eXonerate Capt.
Cross and was willing to cOncede his faith
fulneSS. Capt. Cross here stated that if
Mr. Benton would give the assurance that
the only fault Mr.. PaYdee had to find was
that he was referred by him (the city at
to:ney) to his assistant, Mr.. Carleton, he
was satisfied. Mr.. Pardee then gave Mr..
Benton authority to say this; and the latter
repeated the statement. Capt. Cross then
withdrew his testimony and triumphadtly
retired with his ''vindicatien." Mr.. Ben
ton next made some brief remarks in behalf
of Mr.. Pardee. asking that he should 6e de-
ciared entirely blameless by the committee.
This had practically been done by the sec
ond coroner's jury, but ne desired to have
the eXoneratiOn
MADE OFFICIAL.
The testimony at the inquest showed
clearly that no new building had been be-
gun, and there is no section of the ordi-
nance which regulates the manner in which
building shall be taken down. The in
spector was powerless to bring any
action. The first coroner's jury
had probably included him among those
held as responsible for the accident because
it did not understand the duties of the in
spector nor the attending circumstances.
1t was of
THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE
TO Mr.. Pardee that any suspicion attached
to his official acts should be cleared away
in order that his reputation as an architect
should be preserved. his integrity as an of
1icial vindicated, and to secure him from
being made the victim of INSCRIPTIONS at
torneys, who might seek to induce per-
SONS injured by the accident to
bring suits for damages against him.
When Mr.. Benton concluded the committee
started to read the testimony, but Aid. Sly
objected saying that he did not consider
the evidence as at all pertinent as to whether
Mr.. Pardee had done his duty. Mr.. Pardee
was obliged to act in accordance with the
provisions of the ordinance, and there was
nothing in the ordinance in relation to the
tearing down of walls. He moved that
Mr.. Pardee should be declared as exon
Grated from all blame and the motion was
seconded by Aid. Barrows. Aid Mareck
thought that this course was wrong. The
committee had been appointed to
investigate and tell what it
found, not to give opinions
He wanted to know if it was within Mr..
Pardee's power to have stopped the tearing
down of the party wall under the amend
ments of the ordinance. Aid. Sly said the
walls were down before the amendments
had been properly published. AIr. Pardee
stated that neither the old nor the amended
ordinance gave him power to stop the
taking down of a fire wall. He could not
even stop the taking down of the rear wall,
which is now being done. This settled it.
and the committee. after unanim ously
adopting Aid. Sly's motion to exonerate,
adjourned.