St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-13
FRIENDS ARE FURIOUS
Building Inspector Johnson's
Side Think Injustice Done
Him
In the Dual Verdict Rendered
by the Recent CoponeP'S
Jury.
Sanbopn for Circuit Judge
Heartily Doomed by the
Local Bar.
The Association Elects OFF,
GERS and Decides Upon a
Banquet.

The dOuble-headed verdict of the cor
oner's jury on the recent accident. to-
gether with the report of the committee
of the trades and labor assembly, is cre-s
ating a great deal of discussion, and
charges of unfairness and prejudice are
heard on every hand. 1t is claimed that
the Passavant committee were preju-
diced from the start and violated their
oathS when they failed to render YER
diet in accordance with the testimony
submitted, which was unanimously that
the wall was safe one, with the excep-
ton of Barnard's testimony, who is
painter, and not an expert witness.
Barnard was chairman of the committee
of the trades and labor assembly APP
pointed to investigate in regard to the
accident. Building Inspector JOhnSOn'S
friends claim that this committee was
appointed to carry out a purpOSe-that
or bringing in a report censuring the in
Spector, for the purpose of creating
prejudice against him among certain
members OF the common council. and
that the committee did its work as in
structed. and brought iii report CEN
surfing the only person of all concerned
who had no authority in the premises,
and therefore could not be held re-
sponsible. They claim that i'll the re-
port and resolutions no allusiOn what
ever was made to the owner of the
building. nor the contractor who had
employed the men OH the work, and
that it was biased aud unfair in every
way. They claim that this committee
was not one one of experts; that i'll JUS
tice to all parties concerned they should
have waited until the verdict of the cor
/, IDfo
making their report, which should have
been based on competent testimony;
but instead of doing this, that the re-
port was made up before half the teSti-
mOny was in, and was published in
an evening paper of Friday
for the purpose of prejudIcing
the jury, if possible, should they
see it before giving their verdict. Mr..
JOhnSOn'S friends also claim that the
appointment of this committee was
brought about by emisSarieS, who
have been playing this card for all it
was worth, and that the nature of the
report indicates very plainly the pur
pose of the committees appointment,
and that, on this account, it will have
exactly the opposite effect from what
was intended, and will strongly react in
Mr.. JOhnson's favor.
The claim is made that one of the
Jurors had, before any testimony had
been taken, endeavOred to prejudice
another juror against the building in
spectOr, and that lie had been selected
to serve because of his known antipathy
to Mr.. johnson. The friends of the lat
ter are highly indignant over the whole
matter, and say that such electioneering
methods as these are so deSpicable that
they will utterly fail of their purpose.
A reporter called on Mr.. johnson,
who expressed much surprise that the
trades and labor assembly should have
adopted such a radical report and resO-
luton they did. He says:
81 cannot conceive how any fair-minded
committee could possibly have singled me
out as the person i'll the slightest degree re-
sponsible for this calamity; have no power
to cause wall to be torn down. | can only
see that it is properly built; my functions are
only advisory in such a matter. have no
power either to compel an owner to tear
down wall, or to prevent contractor from
putting men to work on the premises and
such being the fact feal that the committee
has treated me most unjustly. Of course the
given the matter an impartial and thorough
investigation. and adopted the report and
resolutions as is customary in such cases.
but feel sure that the assembly will. at its
next meeting, recind these resolutions which
are so manifeStlY unjust to me- as they are
not based on competent evidence in regard to
the stability of the wall, or knowledge of
my duties and powers, and cannot believe
that the assembly will knowingly do such a
gross injustice as fail to rectify such an I'M
just action as this
''Was the building erected since Won have
occupied the office of building ipspectory'
mo. II was built about two wears before
The otlce OF building inspector was created"