Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-19
THE VERDICT.
Responsibility for The FOrds
TlGat1r Horror.
THE JURY's DECISION.
Officials Held for Criminal
Negligence.
THE GRAND JURY NEXT.
Col. Ainsworth Blamed for the
Disaster.
WARRANTS FOR ARREST.
MeSSrS. Dant, &Se and Covert Also
held.
Col. Ainsworth Blamed for the
Disaster.
WARRANTS FOR ARREST.
MeSIS. Dalt SSS and Covert Also
Held.

The inquest in the case OF the Fords Theater
disaster came to a close this afternoon and the
jury has fixed the responsibility so FAR as its
decision can fix it.
The jury came in at ~4:45 and the room was
crowded Attorney Thomas read the verdict
The text of the verdict is as follows.
District of Columbia, to wit:
An inquisition taken at Wizards Hall. in the
city Of Washington, in the District aforesaid,
on the 18th. 10th, 18th and 18th days of June,
1893, before me, Dewitt c. Patterson, coroner
for said court, upon the view OF the body OF
Frederick B. LOTUS, then and there lying dead,
upon the oath of Frank L. Harvey,
Charles F. Schneider. Brainard H. Warner,
Joseph A. Sibley, Charles l. Kellogg and Will
lam Ayre, jr., good and lawful men
of said District, who. being sworn upon the
Holy Evangely Of Almighty God, aud charged
to inquire when. where, how and after what
manner the said Lotus came to his death. do
say upon their oaths that the said Frederick B.
Lotus came to his death on the 9Th day
by him received on his body and head by
reason Of the falling Of portion of the
floors of the first, second and third story of the
building known as Ford's Theater building.
On 10th street. between f and F streets north
west, IN the city of Washington. d. c., then
used by the United States government for the
record and pension division Of the War Depart
meut; that said building was on that day occu-
pied by several hundred clerks engaged and
| employed in governmental work In connection
with their duties in said division, and among
the said clerks SO occupied and engaged was the
said Lotus on the second floor, and while said
building was SO occupied the cellar
thereof was being excavated and enlarged by
one George W. Dant for the purposes Of &C.
commodating IN electric light plant for use
in said building under contract with NJ. r.
Thorp, chief OF supply division. War Depart
ment, on behalf Of the United States;
that the floors Of said building were supported
| by iron beams resting on columns which rested
on brick piers beneath the first floor thereof;
that the said Dant excavated the earth around
and beneath the base Of said piers
without having in any way shored
or protected the said piers. or any Of said
columns, whereby and by reason whereof one of
said piers fell and caused the fall of one or
more OF the said columns and portion OF the
first, second and third floors Of said
building, including the portion of the
second floor where the said LOTUS was 80 en-
gagged in his duties, and the said LOTUS was
thrown and carried down with said falling
floors to the said cellar and Was thereby then
and there crushed and killed; that Freder-
lex C. Ainsworth was the officer in charge
| of said building and the said clerks, and that
VIM. G. Covert was superintendent Of said
building inand that FrancisSassewas themechan-
ical engineer and fireman Of said building,
and the latter, although not an arch
itect or civil engineer, prepared the
plans and specifications for the enlargement OF
said cellar. and the said Ainsworth, Sasse and
| Covert, and each Of them knew, or ought "a
have known, that the said Dant was engaged
in excavating said cellar and UNDERMINING
said piers, and that he had not shored
the columns and beams Of said building, OF
taken any other precaution to prevent the fall
thereof or of said floors, nor did they,
| the said Ainsworth, Sasse. Covert or either Of
them take any precaution to prevent the
fall of said floors while the said Dan,
was engaged in underpinning said piers or col
umns 30 as to protect the said clerks from loss
Of life or limb by reason thereof, but
! he said Frederick G. Ainsworth, William