Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-13
TOLD BY CLERKS,
Continued from First Pdge.)


at the southeast corner of the well hole He
heard a crash. looked up to the west side aud
saw the ceiling coming down at an angle Of
about forty-five degrees, Witness thought the
whole building was coming. He was standing
at the time, and got about three, seconds
start Of those at the desks. He made for the
door in the rear, which opened inward, and the
clerks were pushing against it and there was
some trouble in getting it open. The witness
got through the door and dropped down un-
derneath on some masonry work ana got away
from the building.
NO SNORING IN THE EXCAVATION.
The witness had been in the excavation
under the building. The clerks had orders not
to 60 down out of their rooms without permis-
sion. The witness saw no timbering or
snoring up. Witness had gone down,
he was little venturesome. The
witness said the masonry arch underneath
appeared to him to extend only about half way
The clerks considered the building unsafe. 1t
WAS common rumor. At the time Of the Met
zerott Hall disaster he had read an editorial in
THE STAR condemning the old Ford's Theater
and the government printing office as death
traps.
In reply to Mr.. Warner the witness said he
had come feeling against his superiors.
"Why?" asked Mr.. Warner.
FEELING AGAINST HIS sUPERIoRs.
"My dignity and manhood were insulted
Saturday morning." said the witness
"How?"
"By being ordered out to work in the debris
that was wet with the blood Of my comrades"
said the witness.
The witness said he went down Saturday
morning to inquire about his friends. Mr.
Brown came to him and told him to 90 to work.
Others were told 80 also. but they refused to
work, and soon the order was revoked and an
other order was issued that none of the clerks
who wero ia the 10th street building
should be required to work mentally, or physi-
caliy. When asked by the coroner if he would
have been influenced in his testimony if Col.
Ainsworth were present, he said he would have
preferred not to be there, but at the same time
he did not believe it would influence his testi-
mony. The witness was questioned consid-
erabiy about the appearance of the work in the
excavation when he visited it.
W. t. RICHARDSON.
". 7. Richardson was the next witness sworn.
He lives at 1927 G northeast, and is a clerk in
the office. He was on duty when the building
fell. The witness was proceeding to tell in re-
ply to questions of the coroner when Mr. War
ner suggested that it was unnecessary
to take the personal experiences Of
every witness. One Of the jurors suggested
that they might give to them experiences up to
the time they got out Of the building. Witness
went on saying his desk was on the floor, and
described how he was buried under the falling
debris and his scrambling out with a friend
He was badly bruised.
Mr.. Warner again suggested that the testi-
mony was not relevant to the points the jury
desired to determine.
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
In reply to the coroner the witness said he
h,d no personal knowledge as to the cause of
81,
and others for several years that the build
ing was unsafe. Witness said Mr.. o. b.
Brown was the chief clerk of the
building Mr.. Colbert WAS the superintendent
OF the building. Witness saw Col. Ainsworth
in the building every day. He used to go
through and go down in the basement in the
rear. Witness said he saw Col. Ainsworth
dead line" and stop some time looking
up at different points on the ceiling. The wit
ness said that he had been treated rather
roughly three years ago in the matter of leave,
but did not think his prejudice on that account
would affect his testimony. He did not know
superiors about the condition OF the building
HARRY BRANDON.
Harry Brandon of $50 A street northeast, q
clerk in the Office. was next called. He was on
the third floor. He learned after the accident
of petition of employees who desired
to be furloughed or transferred
on account of the work going on.
He had felt that the building was insecure, but
did not suppose the danger was imminent
From what he had heard he believed
that there was a feeling among the clerks
that would have prevented them from
reporting to their superiors their fears about
the building. There had been messengers sta
toned on the stairs who cautioned the cler ks
to go down carefully. This was
first done about ten or twelve days ago.
There was no fire escape on the building and
employed. This opened on the stairway which
was common to the three floors.
PETITION For RELIEF
Witness had heard in a general way about the
petition asking to be relieved, and did not
know who had circulated it, He had
heard of the order given Saturday morning to
clerks TO go to the pile Of debris on street and
hunt for the papers. Witness had no feeling
before the disaster against his superiors. Wit
ness knew that there was a very unpleasant
feeling among the clerks toward the chief of
the division.
Mr. Harvey asked the witness what were the
grievances of the clerks.
The witness said they complained generally
Of unjust treatment and of being COM
PEELED to work in that crowded
and unsafe building. Witness did not
know OF any evidences Of insecurity about the
building. He knew nothing of the construc-
ton Of the building, but he had An uncomfort-
able feeling in the building. His apprehensions
were increased when they began excayasing
under the building.
FRANK RANDOLPH.
Frank Randolph was the next Witness No.
80 Grant place was his residence. Had
been employed in the ruined build
ing ever since 1890. The feeling
toward the heads of the bureau. he said, was
not cordial. and especially this SO toward
the chief clerk. Jacob Frech, who treated men
as dogs and not men. He was tyrannical and
overbearing. DR.. Ainsworth, so far as his per.
soaal experience went. treated his clerks in.
dividually as men. Mr.. Frech did not but
acted as if they we're animals.
cor government clerks?" said DR.. Schaeffer.
"Yes, or worse, replied the witness.
Mr.. Randolph testified that DIR. Ainsworth
knew of the feeling toward Mr.. Frech and when
a Congressman had demonstrated DIR. Ainsworth
had said that Frech was necessary to him to
keep the clerks in order.
EVERYBODY AGAINST FRECH
Mr.. Warner asked il there was ANYBODY in
the building friendly to either DR.. Ainsworth
or Mr.. Frech. The witness said that SO far as
Mr.. Frech was concerned he had never
heard but one clerk say good
word for him, and that clerk had said he was a