The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-26
Fearful Force Of The Congress
Street Explosion.
TIE CORONER'S INVESTIGATION ENDED.

trophe Was the Result of an Ex-
The Negro Cook Maxwell. Dis
charged From Custody-The Evil
dence Before the Coroner The
Injured Improving.
The coroner's investigation Of the Con
gress street boarding house catastrophe
ended last night. The verdict of the
jury in the inquest over the body of Mat
Lockline was reached at o'clock and was
as follows:
We. the jury. find that Mat Lockine came
TO his death by the collapse of the building No.
20S Congress street. caused by an explosion or
other agency unknown 70 us.
The verdict was signed by Lester Hub
bell, foreman; V. s. Studer, Ed. A. Marcus,
T. B. Marshall, B. Goode, John o. Smith,
John A. Sullivan, John G. Grayson, M. T.
Quinan, I. J. Naughtin and George W.
Drummond.
George T. Schumacher dissented, but he
gave no reason other than to write opposite
his NAME dissenting" The dissenting
juror seemed to be running on a schedule Of
his own, and be took great deal of the
time of the Investigation in asking technical
questions, in an argumentative way, Of the
witnesses, and undertook to question Jury
men Sullivan and Smith, but Coroner
Dixon drew the line there. and told him he
would have to confine his questions
TO the witnesses, and let the jurors
express their opinion when they retired to
make up their verdict.
JUROR sTEINACKER's THEORY.
Schumacher seemed to have a theory
that the flooring Of the first
floor ought to be accounted for,
and sought to establish his theory that it
had been removed, in the face of the over
whelming evidence that the floor boards had
been blown away, and the stronger evidence
of Deputy CIty Marshal Kelly that he had
superintendent the removal of the debris and
had pay ticularly taken pains that no part
of the floor should be removed. and that
during night before last an officer was on
duty at the ruins to see that nothing was
disturbed.
MAXWELL TURNED LOOSE.
George Max we'll, the negro cook, who had
threatened to be revenged upon the Bull
who was arrested on suspicion Of having
been connected with the explosion, was
released from the barracks jail Immediately
after the verdict was reached, by order of
the coroner.
So far as can be learned the official in
vestigation is at an end and nothing has yet
been established except that the disaster
was the result of an explosion. What the
explosive agency was, whether it was placed
in the building by some one and for what
motive. are as much a mystery as the morn
ing after the fatal catastrophe.
THE JURY AT THE RUINS.
AT o'clock the jury met at the ruins
Solicitor General Fraser was also present
The debris had been cleared away from the
main building, and there were two or three
pieces of the flooring found in the south
eastern part of the debris and two pieces
on the west side blown loose, but partially
attached to the joist. ALI the rest of the
floor had disappeared, leaving the joists in
tact, except that at the probable point of
/. the explosion on the western side of the
building, in the hall, and eleven feet from
the face Of the Congress street wall, two of
the joists were broken downward, but the
pieces were not detached. The jury was
shOhn udAA u uOZcli idlo blttt udl De0A bdk6u
from the ruins, more or less siDged, show
ing that flash had preceded, accompanied
or followed the explosion.
The jury visited the building on the east,
occupied by Andrew jackson, where an
examination of the western wall on the first
and second floors was made. The wall,
which is thirteen inches thick, is cracked
from north to south on both floors, although
the heavy thirteen-inch eastern wall of the
building which collapsed is still standing,
showing the terrific force of the explosion.
After an inspection Of the Jackson house
the jury resumed the hearing of the testi-
mony at Justice Naughtins office.
BUILDERS STATEMENT.
The first witness called was David L.
Cohen, a carpenter and builder. Mr.
Cohen said he had made an examination of
the premises. He prefaced his statement
by saying, II don't know that l can give
any information as to how it happened, but
! am perfectly satisfied that the building
was blown up, though did not believe it
yesterday. The evidence / saw was
that the larger part of the base
ment wall was blown against the alley
way on the west side, and it couldn't have
got there any other way than by an ex-
plosion. / don't believe 1t was from gas.
/ can't account for the fact that the win
dows OF the adjoining houses were not shat
t6E6u. LUG eAplOSlOu uuob nave Doen dU
the point where the base of the wall was
blown out can't explain where the ex-
plosive was put, but l think it was where
the solid wall was blown out across the
alley way and caused the collapse"
NO DOUBT OF AN EXPLOSION.
The witness was questioned about the
absence of the flooring, the absence of
anchors to the joists and the quality of the
mortar, and he replied: "Many brick build
ings are built without anchoring the joists.
Builders do not anchor one in fifty.
didn't examine the mortar. didn't exam
inc the ruins as an expert. There is no
question in my mind that the solid wall
was forced up by the explosion"
In answer to question why he did not be-
lieve it was an explosion of gas, the witness
said: "My reason is that the inmates would
have detected the smell of gas in the house be-
fore sufficient amount could have nccumu-
lated to cause such damage. That amount
of gas would have asphyxicated the in
mates. / didn't examine the gas pipe, but
there is no reason for thinking that it was
from gas under the floor"
POLICEMAN HANLoN BEFORE THE JURY.
Stephen Hanlon, who resides in the house
I%aloinlng on the east, was next called. Mr..
snS said: 81 had just got in the house
sot some bread and water, and had
ahcn, NY pipe and had been smoking for