Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-24
FOUR MEN INDICTED.
Ainsworth, Dant, Covert and Sasse
Presented by the Grand Jury.
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 22 DEATHS
Resulting From the Disaster at
Ford's Old Theater.
TEXT OF THE INDICTMENT.

The grand jury, In an Indictment return
! ed today, say that Col. Fred c. Ainsworth
! Contractor George w. Dant, Superinten-
dent William E. Covert and Engineer Fran
els Sasse. on the 9Th Of June 1893. "willfully
and feloniously did kill and slay" Frederick
B. Lotus. one Of the victims Of the Ford's s
Theater building disaster.
| These are the four men held responsible
| for the deaths Of the twenty-five men who
| died from the effects of injuries received in
! that terrible catastrophe and, as indicate
! In The Star weeks ago, their indictment
| sentiment Of the indictment today
was the final result Of several
weeks consideration of the matter by
| the grand jury and the examination OF
more than two score of witnesses. And it
is doubtful IL ever a case was more careful
ly and patiently considered in all its
phases than the one just concluded. The
| drawing up OF the indictment was also a
voiving as 1T necessarily did such a state
! ment OF the facts as would both technically
and yet plainly set them forth. This the
District attorney believes he has accom-
plished. and while he. of course expects
that 1t will be the subject of long and
| fierce legal battle, he Is confident that it
| will withstand all attacks and insure a
triai Of the accused parties upon the facts
The Indictment
The grand jurors of the United States Of
| America, in and for the District of Column
bia aforesaid. upon their oath do present:
That by and under an order of the secre,
Of dassa %ar OF OF the The Ssd 81 daR SR''ss
one thousand eight hundred and eighty
division of the War Department OF the said
| United States, to be known as the record
ment,'' and that a certain Frederick c.
! Ainsworth. then a captain and assistant
IN the arm "a Of the said United IN
! year last aforesaid, designated and appoint
ed as the chief officer and head of said di-
/ vision and given charge of certain build
sons employed therein. and that the said
name Of the record and pension division OF
the War Department" until the said name
a0ga oes o hs war 6S
| an act of Congress approved May 9. 1892
| entitled An act to provide for the perma-
| nert preservation and custody of the rec
ords of the volunteer armies and for other
purposes and that in and by said act of
n, said Uni5sd states, and: BY. and
senate to appont 5 in he ary fo
be chief of said division. to wit: OF the said
Sat sad act
vided that the officer SO selected and APP
pointed should have the rank. pay and al
lowances of a colonel in the army of the
said United States; and that the said
Frederick c. Ainsworth was select
Of OF he the "PH3sna aison sforesad 9 f' der ander
| and in conformity with the terms of the
| act of Congress aforesaid; and that the said
Frederick c. Ainsworth. from the, time OF
his first appointment as chief officer and
head of said division. in the year Of our
| eightynine, as aforesaid. continued to be-
and was at the time of the committing by
him. the said Frederick c. Ainsworth, and
others of the felony hereinafter mentioned,
! to wit: On the 9Th day of June, in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hun,
I ra6 nd a vt ha of off ay1I
| head of said division. and from the time of
his said first appointment es such chief Off
| day of June in the year of our Lord one
ebs fer es aod o
| have charge and control of a certain build
ing commonly known as and called "Fords
| employed therein, which building was and Is
situated on the east side of 10Th street be-
tween and F streets northwest. in the
city of Washington, in the District afore-
/ said; and which said building was. on the
said Sd day OF July, in the year OF our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty
nine. provided by the said United States
as a place for the accommodation and use
ties. of clerks employed by the said United
states. and assigned to duty in the said
ously from the said 30 day of July in the
! year last aforesaid and until the 9Th day
OF June. In the year of our Lord one thous-
and eight hundred and ninety-three. the
said building was occupied between the
hours of 9 O'Clock ante-me-idian and 4
o'clock post-rneridian. of each working day,
By large number. to wit: Four hundred
and fifty of the clerks aforesaid. while en-
gagged in the discharge of cir, duties,
under their employment by the said United
States. and that such the clerks last
aforesaid; while SO engaged in the discharge
| OF their duties. as aforesaid. were dtst-ibu-
| ted by their official superior the head. or
CHIEF. OF said division. and by those in au-
hSTy ors a. uISer nee him upon and oyer she three
them. the clerks last aforesaid, being placed
/ in such distribution upon each of the said
! three floors; and that on the said 9Th day
of June, in the yea- last aforesaid. and
/ from the, hour of 9 O'Clock ante-meridian
until m tbs The no hour of 10 o'clock antem eridian of
last mentioned hour of the said last men
toned day; portions of the second and third
/ fell, as hereinafter stated the building
/ aforesaid, was in like manner and as was
said in the discharge of their duties afore-
said:
The Building.
| And the grand Jurors aforesaid, upon
| their oath aforesaid. do further present: ::
| That each of the said three floors Of said
/ building constituted a single large room
/ having respectively a length along the
north wall Of said building of 1oS feet and
! straight line from front to rear. and a
width between the north and south walls of
said id guiding; which varied at places along
| said line of length aforesaid. from fftyo
| two feet and six-tenths OF a foot, which
| was the width of each of said floors and
I rooms, along the west or front wall OF said
| building, to slxty-four feet and nine hun
| dredths of a foot which was the width OF
/ each of said floors and rooms along the
| east or rear wall of said building; and that
| the first or ground floor of said building
had an area of more than 500 square feet
| and that the floors of said building, above
| the said first floor, to wit: The said second
! and third floors. each had an area, which
| was less by about 27S feet than the area OF
| the said first floor, owing to an opening
| about the center of each of said second and
| third floors, for the admission of light
! from the roof to each of said second and
/ first floors:
! And the grand Jurors aforesaid. upon
| their oath aforesaid, do further present :
| That the said second floor of said building
! was of great weight and rested Immediately
upon an arrangement of certain heavy iron
! beams placed horizontally, end to end and
| extending from the north wall of said
! building to the south walls thereof in lines
| which were parallel with the west or front
! wall thereof and with the east or rear wall
I thereof and upon certain other heavy iron
| beams part of the arrangement aforesaid
| ors aforesaid will call cross beams in this
! presentment by way of distinguishing them
! from the beams first aforesaid, and which
/ cross beams in the ARRANGEMENT aforesaid
| were placed horizontally, end to end, upon
| and over the beams first aforesaid. and
} which said cross beams extended from the
said west or front wall to the said east or
/ rear wall of said building, in lines which
| were parallel with the said north wall and
| the said south walls Of said building; and
so that In the arrangement OF beams and