Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-25
lNQU|R|NG |N1OT THE SLAUGHTER,
Friday Nights Disaster the
Subject Of an Inquest.
Testimony of Witnesses and of Pyro-
technist Wilson.
Conflicting Evidence as to the Latter's
Actions Was Powder Poured Into
the Mortars? = The Pro-
ceedings In Full.

Last Friday nights terrible accident
was still subjecto OF conversation on the
streets yesterday. No more deaths Of
the wounded occurred during the day,
and they are all reported as doing we'll.
A. curious complication took place
over the disposition Of the remains OF
Mr.. Bunker, who died at the county
hospital Sunday morning, which caused
Coroner Weldon to indulge in strong
language. DR.. Brainerd, the superin-
tendent Of the hospital, signed death
certificate, and had arranged to turn the
body over to Messrs. Peck, Sharp q
Neitzke, undertakers, yesterday morn
ing. When Coroner Weldon came to
the morgue he found the body was not
there, ard began to hustle around to get
it there in time for the inquest. Mr..
Peck telephoned that he was about to
start for the hospital, and there were
some words between him and the coro
ner, the latter insisting on the body be-
ing brought to the morgue. Afterwards
DR.. Brainerd acknowledged that he had
forgotten about the inquest, and the
coroner's instructions were carried out.
THE INQUEST.
The investigation of the accident was
resumed yesterday morning at O'Clock
by Coroner Weldon.
For the greater convenience OF the
jury and witnesses, the inquest was held
in Justice Stanton's court room, North
spectators crowded the court room and
halls Of the building until adjourn
ment.
The investigation brought out some
positive testimony as to the pouring OF
powder into one of the fatal mortars by
an unknown boy, and strong evidence of
son, the manager of the fireworks, was
laboring at the time OF the bursting OF
the mortarH.
POURED POWDER IN THE MoRTABs.
The first witness called was colored
man named Charles Sumner, a laborer.
He displayed much obtuseness as to
distances, but was very positive in his
statements about what he cav.
II was standing near the scene of the
explosion" he said, land saw boy
pick up q cigar-box, which I thought
had powder in it, and pour it into the
mortars.
"The boy was about 16 or II years
old. Idon't think he was employed by
Mr.. Wilson. / think he was one of the
boys who rushed in and were firing the
bombs and things off. don't know any
more about its being powder than that
it was black stuff l saw the boy pouring
into the mortar.
II don't know whether l could recog-
nixe the box or not"
The coroner took a paper off cigar
box containing some powder, and
showed it to the witness, who contin-
ued:
s'The cigar box, I thought, was full.
I could see from the way he was pour
ing it in and scattering it around, that
it was, anyway, half full.
"That was the mortar that exploded.
was 10 or Is steps away.
"One Of the guns went off, and after
that, another one went off; all
went off close together, pretty
much. / didn't see any one
touch it off; some one said, I am
going to ehoot it, and others said, L
am going to shoot it, They were all
running away after that. The boy who
poured the powder in was there when it
went off. He was standing to the right
of it, l believe. He was four or five
steps away from it. He had on kind
of sack coat. and kind of dark
pants."
"Do you think you would know the
boy if you saw him?"
ssI don't know"
"We have summoned q number of
boys" said the coroner. "You stay
around and if you see him let me
know II
"How many lnotars went off," q
"From the explosion think there
were two"
"What we're you doing there?"
"Well, the crowd was around there.
Mr.. Wilson was trying to drive the
crowd back. He is small man. /
was inside the rope. When I came there
the rope was up. went in to see, too.
l didn't think about any danger at the
time"
aDid YOU see Mr.. Wilson at the time
OF the explosiop?"
s'There were go many. heard some
cursing at MIR. Wilson. l heard some
saw. Get back or l will club you.' /
don't know who it was. saw some
talking to Mr.. Wilson, saying, I'll shoot
YOU. and things like that.
II saw the boy pick the cigar box up
where the things were. The box was
sitting little way off on the ground
It was while the ship was going off, and
while it was light, that the boy poured
the powder in the mortar"
WHAT ANOTHER CoLoRED MAN SAW.
James Brown, another colored man
testified as follows: II live at 525
Kohler street. / am laborer. / was
down to see the fireworks when the
ship was burning / was near where
the band was standing. l did not go in
the ropes until the ship was dying out.
Then lot OF boys went in the ropes. A
man was saying, get back boys saw o
boy pick up box and say, Pm going to
shoot it, I'm going to fire it, heard q
man saying, get back boys When the
light was out you couldn't see more than
.25 feet.
They knocked the rope down. 1t was
about breast high. didn't see the boy
do anything when he picked up the box.
They were pushing and showing. l
couldn't tell the box. The boys were
outside the ropes until everything was
dying out. l said Saturday morning,
the boys took charge of the works, and
that's what think. When the wire
rope went down saw the crowd going
in aud went over too. / didn't set the
mortar explode. l know Mr.. Sumner.
He WAS nearer the bov than T was when