St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-20
Col. Ainsworth, Contractor
Dant and Two Others
Held Responsible.
Gov eminent Censured foI
Sins Of Omission by
the Jury.
Warrants Of Commitment
Will Be Issued by the
Coroner Today.

WASHINGTON, June 19.-lt was de-
cided by Coroner Patterson today that
Col. +. c. AinswOrth should not be
summoned to appear as witness be-
fore the coroner's jury investigating
the cause of the Ford's theater disaster.
This decision was precipitated by b. III.
Warner, one of the jurors, in stating
that several of the jurors would like
the coroner to issue subpoena for Col.
Ainsworth to give testimony at the in-
quest, not merely in regard to his own
connection with the theater accident,
but with reference to other parties cOn-
cerned.
III see 10 reason" said Mr.. Warner,
"why he should be treated differently
from other witnesses. Four of the jury
favor having him before us; the other
two are Indifferent. lnasmuch as state
ments that this jury is prejudiced
against him have been made in the pub
lie press and elsewhere, we think he
should be made to appear"
Coroner Patterson said that he did
not believe that the presence of Col.
Ainsworth would i'll anyway assist in
determining how Frederick X. Lotus
(over whose body the inquest is being
held came to his death. Nothing could
be gained by summOning him in his
official capacity, and, as Col. Ainsworth
was not willing TO appear as an ordi-
nary citizen. he thought nothing could
be gained by calling him.
Sold Dant Good Cement.
Mr. Warner stated that he wished to
say for the jury, IN reference to tho
statements of prejudice in the minds OF
several of its members, that up to the
time of the inquest proceedings began
the jury had the highest regard for Col.
AInsworth, but he had luterjected him.
self upon them as defendant when he
| was not accused.
| The testimony this morning was prin-
! cipally in reference to the character OF
| the material used by Contractor Dant in
| doing the work beneath the old theater
| building.
William Commack, dealer In cement.
testified he had sold Dant the cemenI
used by him in the job. 1t was the best
quality in the market, and the witness
| had had it under cover for nearly year.
| Witness admitted that he delivered the
cement at Ford's theater. lie was
shown some of the sandy substance
| used as, mortar in under-plnning the
piers beneath the old building, and gave
| it as his opinion that il did not contain
the kind of cement he sold Dant. 1t
was very poor mortar, lie said. a
| builder named Robert ClarksOn testl-
| fed that the building, as 1t now stands,
| is in dangerous condition.
Interest in the eifor Is OF the jury Ia
IOA TN Ci Al ifNy or
| the collapse OF the building rested was
| intensified when Capt. Thorpe, chief Of
| the supply division, war department,
was called to the stand. From queS-
| tions asked last week by members of
| the jury it was apparent that they had
| an idea that Capt. Thorpe was
In Some Way Responsible
| for the work beneath the building. He
was questioned as TO the bond given by
! Dant. The testimony created quite
| sensation. There was no bond, said
| Capt. Thorpe. One had been drawn up,
| but Dant had come to him and said the
man who was going on his bond was q
| brick contractor, aud thought he ought
| not to 20 on. Witness had consulted
| with Col. Ainsworth and Dant had been
told to go on without bond. Mr.. Warner
asked a series Of questions in regard to
Mr.. Coyert's duties, and the witness
| said he should certainly consider that,
| as superintendent, Covert should have
reported any danger in connection with
| the building. He should have reported
to Col. Aims worth. Did not know what
Covert's specific duties were. Col. Aims
worth, said the witness, was IN charge
| of the building and responsible for 1t.
Frank L. HOPKINS, sand contractor,
testified that he sold Dant the sand for
use in mixing mortar at the theater
building. Dant asked for the best quail
ity aud it was given him. Shown some
! of the mortar taken from the ruins, Mr..
| Hopkins said 1t did not contain the sand
| furnished by him. James A. COnnor. a
| newspaper reporter, said that SuDt.
| Covert had told him that Col. Ainsworth
was directly in charge OF the work be-
meath the building. Nothing sensational
was developed after this. Five witnesses
testified, tue last being Butler Fitch, an
elderly white-haired clerk OF the record
and pension division, who said he
Came to the Conclusion