Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-19
COL. AINSWORrH AND THE CLERKS.
He Did Not Cultivate Any Feeling of SYM
pathy With Them.

COL. AINswORrH AND THE CLERKS.
He Did Not Cultivate Any Feeling of SYM
pathy With Them.
At the coroners inquest into the causes Of
the fatal disaster at Ford's Theater, after The |
STARS report closed Saturday, Mr.. Imbrie, |
chief OF the second floor in the old building. |
continued his story as to the rules and customs !
that prevailed in the Office. He did not con-
slider that any system OF terrorism MAIN
tanned. Still. he did not consider that any |
feeling OF sympathy existed between Col AIMS |
worth and the clerks.
Mr.. Warner in his questions to the witness |
characterized this feeling Of sympathy as 1.-THE
sort that should exist between employer and !
employee"
Mr.. Imbrie went on to say that while there |
no personal sympathy between Col. Aims |
worth and his clerks. the feeling with the ma |
jorlty OF the latter was one Of loyalty to him
far official acts went. Personally they did
not approve of his methods. His purpose was
10 get much work out of the clerks as the
rules OF the office would permit.
NO FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH THE CLERKS
Mr.. Warner continued to cross-examine the
witness to show that the clerks were afraid Of
Col. Ainsworth and to show that there was
none of that pleasant relationship existing in
the Office that should exist in II wel-conducted
business house. Mr. Imbrie admitted that If q
private business run in such cold
blooded manner the clerks would probably
leave III body. The chief Of the bureau never
attempted to establish friendly relations with
his clerks. Mr.. Imbrie asked whether il
a clerk went to Col Answor in person no
would not endanger his position in the Office.
| He said that Col. Ainsworth did not have the
| authority to discharge and the case would go
to the Secretary of War.
But could not man be discharged on some
hay ground of inefiiciency?" asked one of the
! jurors.
Mr.. Imbrie s,id that the civil service rules
would protect tine man. As to the case OF Mr..
I Potter, who discharged for inefficiency
when he had such n good record, he admitted
that there must have been some violation Of the
civil service rules unless there was something
more in the case than appeared in the record
day.
d. r.. PULLMAN.
ID. II. Pullman, who had the contract for
excavating the thca.er building. followed Mr..
Imbrle ms a witness. He said that this was the
largest building he had ever dug under, though
he had excavated for number of new build
incs. He had excayated Tor underpinnng be-
fore this time.
On examination by Mr.. Thomas, attorney for
the District, the witness stated that he also ran
small way in the livery business besides being
an excavator. He made frequent visits to the
work on Fords Theater building, but had no
skilled man in charge when he was away. He
did not consider that the building needed any
! snoring up while the excavation was going on.
That was not his work. and he did not know
anything about it. On the morning of the ac-
, cident he not at the building, and the work
was in charge of careful colored man who
was getting wages of 80 a week. Witness got
/ lac m Il Uuth IS n
only part Of the work was to excavate, and lie
was told by Mr.. Dant where he was to dig. He
was to dig from the front toward the rear. They
left three or four feet Of earth about the
, piers.
Mr. Pullman went on to tell how the direc-
tions for the work given. and said that
when he left he told his men to do whatever the
bricklayers told chem to. He was not present
, when they dug under the pier. He never
. thought that his men were i'll any danger while
they were at work. and did not know that they
had any plan laid out to how they would
escape In case there was an accident.
e THOUGHT sAssE AND COVERT WERE sUPERIN
TENDESTs.
2 The witness said he knew i. was customary
: in underpnning wall with piers to shore then
up. He presumed that this was done for the
purpose OF holding up the building. In thi
instance. however. he did not realize that III
was undermining pier that was unsupported
: ! He considered that Mr.. Sasss and Mr.. Covert
. performed the customary duties of supern
teadents of building. although neither one o.
them had very much to say to him. He did no
regard himself as working under either of them
,, He was under Mr.. Dant. but 1t was to Mr.. Sasst
that he went when he wanted portion OF tn,
, floor roped off. They regarded everything al
> safe enough while the work was going ahead.
Mr.. Pullman was asked number Of ques
: tons about conversations he WAS alleged t.
!, have had with different clerks. He remem
!, bered the conversations, but did not remembe
u having heard any Of them express apprehen
sion rs to the safety of the building. He re
!, | membered that one OF them spoke OF the worl
> OF underpinning the Washington monumen
. under direction OF Col. Casey. The contrac
, he had for the excavation was made directl
: with Mr.. Dant. and he had never heard tina
- there had been sub!etting OF any part Of tn
a contract by Mr.. Dant.
V WI. sIMMs.
9 A colored man named VIM. Simnls was pu
;, on the stand and caused some little Amusement
: by the manner of his testimony. but lie thre'
e but little light the matter On one occasio
10 he RENE mbered being told not to run up tn
n stairs of the old building. bat 1t was evident
not the witness that was wanted and he wa
Y excused.
e John J. Swami. n young electrician. told OF
o visit he made to the building to make IL
II spection preparatory to putting in the electri
a lighting system. He was in the excavation an
n noticed that part of the pier undermined
10 He understood the construction OF tho building
and considered this method of making the r,
he pairs a dangerous one.
= At o'clock an adjournment was taken unit
Is IL o'clock this morning.
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