Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-13
.,NEXCITED INQUEST
c.prns at the Blame for the Wash
instOn Disaster.
Al ,INSWORTH THREATENED
ro,,t Nobbed by The Government
Clerks Present.
.plyG IIIM!" THEY CRY.
.. rarely Averted by tho ssif-Pos-
..oofaJur Juror-indignstion Meet
,,s-rroios, to tho President
nj ,lNSWORTH THREATENED
.plyG lIIM!" THEY CRY,
...,eraph TO tae pispatch.l

t,,cgraph 10 TIE Dispatch.l
.......-,S. -. c.. June 12.-The in
,.-the bodies of the victims of the
Theatre disaster was commenced
..tt. Willard Hall. Mr.. Ainsworth,
....n.. record and pension division.
..l,,l placed on the defensive by
.l..-- -auons that he was response
...c presence Of clerks in the old
.... Was in attendance without an
!bout one hundred persons
,..s,aI most Of them clerks of the
.Ie-t vension division.
. - phor from the War Depart
-...s.Ia preventative of the District
-. ...,.- .fcc had seats at the coroncr's
o.. ..,..y coroner called the Jury TO
...-f .-faced the invest cation by a
.-.r, taat holding an inquest in q
fs vas something of an expert
b., AM D. admOnished the public pres
=. .. .,... perfectly quiet. There was
.r ,ila.. he said. The jury would
-i.. Vol 20 get ut the facts In the
sfstcd that the inquest was 10
..f...r tho remains Of j. A. Chaplin.
...f ,,.olina. whose body had been
.... &c fIat purpose.
...s. rsITY oF THE BUILDING.
.......n Hciss. clerk of Class 1. re-
.r ..| D. lsion division. War Depart
.. .n..,oi IN the old theatre build
t..'.r j . witness called. He had
.-r be- said, GA the morning Os
.-a N account OF business aud
.., ont when the building fell.
several years heard rumOrs
.. iuGiue was unsafe. He had
..... Ausworth in the building n
. -tu. treviops % the disaster whIlo
.4..fl.G was IN progress.
utuah, a clerk in tho old
.- .sh .-n desk was on the first floor.
-. f.a fall Of the floors and his
ila -aid he knew InstInctlvely
...,,.. .1c. yA;Ion had caused tho acci-
witness had been warned not TO
--.. e rppci-oh space. but to his
s-. L.. 10 orders bad been issued
.-l. 10 .curity Of the building ex-
.. ., ul ii,ial warning. He saw no
81. .ra- of the hrst floor. He bad
.. .te 51psd Of space called The
.rr..' lhc day before the accident
IA, -.sl o!Ouei AinswOrth examining
...!-CH soace infinitely, and he
Le vent down stairs 10 see the
..oa. Colonel AluswOrth came
p. very lay while the excavation was
.t... TIE old employees Of the build
f,. bun II was shell and " a
,4Q.'
If, BITTER THOMPSON.
.'l Tho lpspn. "A clerk in the theatre
~. WI made bitter speech de-
,rc CC.Dnel Ainsworth at the relief
.... "a lday. testified that when the
-.rt occarred he was at his desk a,
.. 1 the second floor 10 the rear of the
,.ell. the part Of the building which
-,t fal. In describing his experience
.. tLat nero was no hre-escape on
hiding and only one door for en-
and eTt.
Il YOU ove- beard any warning about
'eirway p asked the deputy coIo-
.-e-uenily. frequentlv," said the wit,
.. "Serv uts oT messengers OF Colonel
..7.rta'- who were stationed on the
-,,r. not ilGel a. with bated breath
81. vase lionel Ainsworth's orders that
. ..e- should 90 easily on tip-toe up
..vn the stairs. | do not know the
.. Il - servants or messengers.
.. v-- "a ed Henry. a colored man.
fuldlnG was known TO sll Of tho
-.ss, q q afh-trap. but our bread and
--- 3epar led on working there. SO
c.Y.d ", dor Only this morning |
..,-l 70 letter from a frienG--a lady--in
.I be ld she recollected distinctly
.. sai.l tw) wears ago that | was gong
'. s--a;A-' rap"
D.. vltnes SAID that he had been a civil
..r'. Every day be went below stairs
.a.. he'd he progress OF the eXcava-
iie saw % pillars or props used IN
.t. uv ,rA first floor while the excava-
,..- lo.ul on. IL was matter Of COM
.s.LtLs1 work WAS dangerous and
.. v-clerr mad warned him not TO 90
. Hc bal heard that Mr.. Gage, one
'.. v.ciu. had applied for leave OF ab-
lrrg he progress OF the work IN
t.ernen.. but that II had been re-
3lr Clge, he understood, was APP
-.ye Of ianger.
r.rrrug he one stairway IN the thea
B.. lus. tir. thompson said II was not
-...' f.r ne rapid exit OF one half the
-. with ,afety. In gong down the
~.. be- lad heard clerks call out,
l... la,e. ile stairs are unsafe"
ffRLIN AGAINST AISswoRTa.
'..i 1t this tage in Mr.. Thompson's tes-
there was strange scene illus
..l- pit'er feeling against Colonel
.. -fL majority OF the spectators
,..t - tba inquest were clerks who
'. -. r.lyct IN the old theatre building.
l- Warner ono of the Jurors, asked the
'.... vaat vas the feeling OF clerks IN
'..tr building towards their supe-
- g. lpnCl Ainsworth. That OF
tar." l1swercd Mr.. Thompson. im-
'. yrF. 4 slight buzz and shifting OF
'. loaei: then q slight clapping OF
.. .t. sen enant of police present held
.- 'a1i 20 stop the attempt at ap--
b., hC was too late. A burst OF
-- oi tlnd- d-ciapOings followed. last
..r'e, q a minute. IL came from
' r-ou & the room where most ot
rs-., v re sitting. D.. Schfaeer
..l ..f.L lshed. Colonel AinswOTtL
T-.l D,. schaeffer then arose and d
I. ture to the offenders, after
..e her-ing proceeded;
W. rler ,alG he had asked the queS.
4u.c there seemed 10 be belief
eshLg existing between Coi0nel
p 40 every man IN the once was
.- had they made suggestion a. 10
'-.'. l. be building II would have
tei toeir positions.
' "sfuer asEod II there was such
2 f-ar that the clerks Were afraid
4.. .p.s,'tions as TO the dangerous
n .. ne building.
l- Na- dr. Warner; emphatically
H. was the answer.
' 'fli On was questioned further
'.. ireI Dg, and be said II extended
tfO Ich. Colonel Ainsworth's
bower @ the chronic pesslmist Of
.'.l..i1l.' and 10 Mr.. q. .. Brown, the
.'f. ut he building.
% ". Carter. a clerk on the third
.f '1e wrecked building. took the
Ii he' re he began his testimony
-c'cr read letter from Attorney
.'- Dllc- rendering the uae OF an
'.'.'' - g,ve professional advice in
~ ths inquiry. This Offer was
.,.. tecagse ;he District Attorney
-.''-4; mode the same offer.
tEoEc.ioy FoR wIrxEssgs.
A-4'l'r letter 10 the coroner created a
~ j, was rom Colonel Lamont, the
'.a'' q War. and read as follows:
I. 'ie nau r Of the investigation now
'i -'oss brs Ie the coroner's jury IN re-
81 l.e lOs' Of hfe on June 3. 1893. at
l-uih.strett building. which was oc-
o} the Record and Pension Once
" - Department. the DEPARTMENT -
-tl tia, gpprehensiOn exists among
p. attn n, employees that they NAV
''-ii ~ then positions by testifying be-
i.e Jury. Il seems hardly necessary
/, To- - saw that such apprehension is
-''rv rfoGndlcss: but to allay anv such
:. a. iuay eGist beg 10 inform yon that
. !. en p..pyee Of the department will en-
! .'' ha position in any way on account
sli 'uch tesiimoay given before the
..l Jury ia tins case"
.H 'arier was asked by SIR. Warner
~, ~, ,.e , feeling between Colonel Ainf-