Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-06-15


Willard's Hotel About one hundred
people. mostly clerks Of the Record and |
tension division, were present. as were |
ulSu Colonel AiuswOrth. chief Of the |
division and MS attorney, Mr.. Perry. Tic |
highest was held over the body OF j. A. |
Chaplin, and was conducted by DR.. |
eciiaelicr deputy coroner of the District
The first witness examined was Benia-
min ResS, of the Record aud Pension De-
partment, His evidence was that for sew |
raj years he bad heard it rtmGred that the
building particularly the rear wall which |
did not fall, was unsafe. Charles Trout. |
man, Il clerk in the old theatre, whose desk |
was on the first il0or, described the fail Of |
the ilours and his escape lie said he knew |
lnStlnctiyely that the excavation had |
caused the accident. The witness knew of |
no protest having been sent by employees
III the building To the authorities about |
the dangerous condition Of the building. |
lie had been warned by ]. W. Webb. in
charge Of the first floor, not to approach
AN area on that floor which had been
fUped oil while the excavation was gong
on, The Old employees Of the building
had told HIM il was shell and "A death
trap"
WARNED OF THE DANGER.
smith THOMPSON, a clerk in the theatre
building whomadca bitterspcech lenounc
my Colonel Alnswurtt at the relief meeting
on Friday, testified that when the accident
occurred he was AT his desk at work On the
second iluor 10 the rear Of the light wall
the part Of the building which did not fall
In describing his experience he snd there
was no iife-csCape On the building and only
one door for entrance and exit. lie had
booked IN umbrella To a window sill aud
lowered himself by 1t to a ladder which
some one below him held, andthus escaped
from the building.
THE building" continued the witness
II. all IN. pIprLa "a, Ipntb
trap but ones bread and butter depended
on working there, 50 what could we do?
Only this morning received q letter from
friend. a lady in which she said she
rccollccted distinctly that | said two years
ago that was going into a death trap"
The witness said that he had been civil
engineer Every day he Went below stairs
and watched the progress Of the eN-
Cavatiun. He saw no pillars or props used
III holding up the first floor while the cx-
cavatlon was going on, 1t was matter IF
common talk that this work was danger
uus and 4 fellow clerk had warned MIN
not To 20 there. He had heard that Mr.
Gage. one Of the victims had applied for
leave ut absence during the progress vi the
work in the basement but that ii had been
refused. MIR. Gage, he understOod was
apprehcnsiyc Of danger.
AFRAID or AINswoRTn.
Concerning the one stairway i'll the the
atrn building Mr.. Thompson said it wa,
not sufficient for the rapid exit Of one-haif
the clerks with safety. IN going down the
stairway nc had heard clerks cali Take
uare. the stars are unsafe"
Mr.. Warner one Of the jurors, asked the
witness what was the feeling Of the clerks
in the theatre building toward their supe.
rior otliCer-COlOnel Answorth.
That of abject fear answered Mr..
Thompson, iulpreSsiveiy.
A slight buzz and shifting of chairs fol
lowed, then slight clapplng Of hands. A
lieutenant of police present held up his
hand To stop the applause, but he was too
late. 4 burst Of haudclapping followed
that lasted a quarter Of u inmate. II came
from the portion OF the room where most
at the clerks were sitting. DR.. SUhaeilrr
looked lstonshed Col Ainsworth grew
red. DIR. Scmetier then arose and deliv-
cred lcctured to the offenders after
which the hearing proceeded.
Mr. Warner asked if there was such a
feeling OF fear thar the clerks were afraid
To make suggestions as 20 the dangerous
condition OF the building.
ut was, Mr.. Warner; emphatlcnlly il
was. was the answer.
Mr.. Thompson was questioned further
about the feeling, and lie said it extended
10 Jacob tFech,1 Colonel Answorth's
right bower, and the chronic pessmist of
Washington" and to Mr.. q, y. Brown,
chief clerk of the building
LAMONT TNTEEPosEs
AT this stage the deputy coroner read q
letter from Secretary Lamont, The letter
said that the department is informed that
apprehension exists among the department
employees that they may jeopardiZe thcii
positions BY testitying before the jury.
This was not SO, the Secretary said, and
no employe of the department will cndan
ger his position in any way on account Of
any such testimony given before the cOro
ner' . Jury IN this case.
Jefferson w. Carter, clerk on the third
floor OF the wrecked building, took The
stand and was about being examined by
MIR Warner as TO the feeling toward,
Colonel Ainsworlh when the deput,
coroner inlerposed, The witness then wen
ON TO say that rumor prevailed amonl
the clerks that the building was insecure
and two Of the men killcd-Schreiber anr
Miledv--hud frequently spoken 10 him o
It's dangerous condition.
A recess was here taken until . clock
On reSuming David III. T., Brown anothe
clerk, testified as to hearing Of the inse
surity of the building. lie said there wa
much feeling about the insecurity OF tn
building, and great many clerks, himsel
among them, would have protested if thcl
had had courage to do SO against beini
Kept in the old theatre,
"What had the clerks to apprchend p
was asked.
"Discharge," said Mr. Brown.
coon WORD FOR ArNswoRTu.
~. Smith, a first floor clerk, had a goo
word to say for Colonel -Alnsworth. III
testified that everybody iii the building ha
confidence IN Colonel Ainswurth. An.
feeling that might have been deyelope
was not directed to Colonel Ainswortl
out TO other otlicials-partlcularly Jacu
Erech.
Other witnesses testified to the insecurt
Of the building and then occurred mo!
exciting and extraordinary scene. Will
pne of the witnesses was giving evidence
Nell-dressed man walked forward and in
voice trembling with passion, shaking Ii
list in Colonel Ainsworths lace, shouted
''You murdered my tber and you shan
tit there inlimidating these witnesses.
The man was Charles Barnes, who.
brother was a victim of the disaster.
crrible uproar ensued and continued Il
eyeral minutes. After it had subsidt
Juror Warner rose and suggested TN
Colonel Ainsworth Withdraw. "Ihere is
telling here he said, which does n
Freak out, hut which ls nevertheless pre-
mt that intimidation is being carried o.
md therefore object TO the presence
my person who is likely to be blamed Il
participation i'll this affair.
Loud applause followed MIR. Warner
lemarks and DIR. Schaeffer whispered
Iequest to Colonel Ainsworih to withdra'
He refused To do so, however, and u
oroner, turning to the Jury, said he hi
10 right 10 exclude from the hearing AT
lersou who was likely To be party to u
erdict.
THE AUDIENCE EXCITED.
Here the tempest broke in its full fur
Hang him y was shouted from dol
hroats. Every man in the spectator