Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-13
SPIRIT OF THE MOB
Ut Breaks Out in the National
Capitol's Shadow.
RIOTOUS SCENE AT THE INQUEST

On the Ford's Theatre Disaster-Clerk' 5
Raise the Cry Hang Him ~ and Make a
Rush for Colonel Ainsworth-Attempt
to Deprive Him of the Right to Face
His Accusers-The Colonel's Cool De-
meaner-TestiInony Taken-indignatiOn
Meeting.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-The American
mob spirit seems everywhere-even under
the shadow of the Capitol of the country
that holds itself up as the example and
model of the civilization of the ninteenth
century and of whose citizens Joe" Cham
berlain-not having read the papers while
here said that what most i'm
pressed him was their reverence
for law and order For the fact
is that there was mob in nearly
all that the name implies in the coroner's
court during the eNamAltion of witnesses
in the Ford's theatre buildings case.
Thornpson Not IA Good Witness.
The inquest was held in Willard hall,
and as matter of course Colonel Ans
worth, who has been accused by people
who are quick 70 accuse OF being the man
responsible for the disaster. was there. The
very fact that ne had been accused gave
him the right to be there-especially as his
accusers we're present also. DR.. Schaef'er,
the deputy coroner OF the District, con
Quoted the inquest. The jury, which was
sworn in saturday, consisted OF 3. II. W ar
ner. :. /. Kellogg. J. =. Sihley, Frank l..
Harvey. William Ayre. Jr., and Charles
+. Schneider. and included architects and
builders. One cf the principal and most
vigorous witnesses was Smith Thompson,
but he was q poor witness, too, for his ha-
tired of Colonel AinswOrth was entirely too
visible, and il was he who bitterly de
nounced the Colonel IT meeting held the
night of the disaster.
Testimony OF some Witnesses.
Benjamin Reiss. q clerk IN. the building
had heard talk OF the building being dan
gerous. Charles Troutnan. Crother clerk.
had been warned not TO 20 on a certain
portion OF the floor, but never heard of any
protest going to the authorities on that ac-
count. Then came Smith Thompson. He
had heard warnings about the safety Of
the building frequently, frequently"
said he Servants on the stairway. sta
toned there by Colonel Ainsworth, had
warned the clerks to 20 easilyup he stairs
Concerning the one stairway in the thea
tire building Mr.. Thompson said it was not
sufficient for the rapid exit OF one-half of
the clerks with safety IN going down the
stairway he had heard cicrks TO call out:
Bitter rceIin. Against Air,sworth.
Just at this stage IL Thompsor's testi-
mony there was a strange scene illustrat-
ing a bitter feeling against Colonel Aims
worth. y majority of the spectators pres
ent at the inquest We're clerks who were
employed in the old theatre building. Mr..
Warner, one of the jurors, asked the wit
ness what was the feeling of clerks in the
theatre building towards their superior of
ficer. Colonel Ainsvvorth.
THAT of abject FEAR answered Thomp-
son. impressively.
A slight buzz and shifting of chairs fol-
lowed; then a-slight clapping of hands. a
lieutenant of police present held up his
hand 70 stop the attempt at applause. but
he was too late. A burst of hand clapping
followed that lasted a quarter of a minute.
1t came from the portion of the room
where most OF the clerks We're sitting.
a Little Jail Seems Ncedful
Then in reply to questions from juror
Warner as 10 whether the clerks were
afraid that if they mentioned the danger
Gus condition of the building they would
be discharged-if there was that feeling of
fear Thompson answered fervently, 1T was
it was and that it even extended to
Jacob Frech, Colonel Ainsworth's right
bower" as Thompson called him. And just
then came n note from Colonel Lamont,
secretary of war, which would seem to
have made il quite practicable for protests
to have been made without man losing
his place. I.amont's note simply said that
he was informed that the impres ion en-
listed that clerks would testify at their
peril. OF course this was not SO, and he
gave his word that no employe of the de-
partment need fear to tell the truth.
Testimony on the Other Side.
Carter, another clerk, had heard that the
building was unsafe. d. II. p. Brown was
fearful of replying to a question as 10 the
danger of protesting against working in
the building, not on account of Colonel
Ainsworth who had done him two favors.
but of Mr.. Frech. He finally replied that
clerks feared discharge if they protested.
Then j. II. Smith, another clerk, had heard
of the danger of the building. The gas
escaped and clerks protested, and Colonel
Ainsworth, instead of demanding their of
fetal heads in a charger. had gone to the
building to investigate No clerk who had
protested had been discharged. He also
contradicted other witnesses by saving that
everybody in the building had confidence
in Colonel Ainsworth. Any feeling that
might have been developed was not direct
ed to Colonel Ainsworth, but to other Of
ficials-particularly Jacob Freech. The
talk against Colonel Ainsworth had been
confined to few ''old soreheads."
OUTBREAK OF THE MOB SPIRIT.
Attempt to Drive Col. Ainsworth from