The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-14
"a QUIET DAY AT THE INQUEST.
NO Fresh Outbreaks Against Col.
Ainsworth by the Clerks.

Washington, June 13.-Chief Justice
Bingham of the supreme court of the dis
trict issued an order this morning requir-
ing the acting coroner to show cause at
o'clock this afternoon why Col Aims
worth should not be allowed to be repre-
sented by counsel at the inquest.
The inquest continued publicly at Will
Hard hall this morning. In order to pre-
vent repetition of the trouble of yester-
day Lieut.. Amiss and a squad of police
were on hand. Col Ainsworth was not
present. Judge Jere Wilson, who volun-
teered his services in the interest of the
employees of the record and pension divi-
sion, was greeted with applause by the
clerks when he entered the hall.
LIMIT ON THE QUESTIONS.
Juror Warner, who stopped the out
break against Col. Ainsworth yesterday,
said that after conference with his col
leagues, he desired, in the interest of
getting at the facts quickly, to request
that the questions be confined to several
points, as follows:
l. To prove the death of the party in regard
to which the jury was sitting.
2. Testimony as to the condition of the
Quilting UGfOTG the recent WOTk was D6Eu1l,
8. Whether the recent work added to the
unsafe condition of the building.
4. Who is responsible for the disaster and
the death OF the party we are now lnquiring
into.
5. Whether such condition of feeling exists
between the employees of the building and
their superior officers or between any other
parties as results in the suppression of testi-
mony. We (the jury think this about covers
the material points involved in this case
The deputy coroner decided that, al
though there were eighty-six persons de-
sirous of being heard, only witnesses
who could testify directly as to the points
named should be questioned.
THE EXAMINATION RESUMED.
The examination of other clerks en-
ployed in the wrecked building then pro-
ceeded. Their evidence was cumulative
upon the points brought out most strongly,
that it was common talk among the
clerks that the building was unsafe; that
this talk had increased since the excava-
tion in~ the basement begun; that the
clerks had not uttered complaints through
fear of consequences to themselves, and
that there was a general fear and dis
like of Col Ainsworth and his two
principal subordinates, For the first
time to-day it appeared that petition
had been prepared asking that the clerks
be furloughed while the excavation was
in progress, but that the clerks refused
to sign it through fear.
The session was short and was inter
rupted by the service upon the deputy
coroner of the summons to appear before
Judge Bingham to answer Col. Aims
worth's petition to show cause why he
should not be represented by counsel.
MANY BUILDINGS INSPECTED.
AS a result of the inspection of the
4 4
of the public service, the Winder building
on Seventeenth street, an annex of the
war department, has been pronounced
safe, but unfit for the purposes to which
it is devoted The Bush building, an an
mex of the postofIloe department,
and the Atlantic building, an annex
to the interior department, are pronounced
unsafe because overWeighted by rapidly
accommodating records, files, etc. The re-
cords and pensions division of the war de-
partment will be quartered in the Union
building on G.. street, between Sixth and
Seventh, the lower floor of which is oc-
cupied as the city postoffice.
Several clerks employed in the wrecked
theater building have been recorded as
missing. They have all been found at
their homes in the suburbs or adjacent
villages suffering from injuries. All are
now accounted for.
The petition filed by Col AlnsWorth for
q mandamus to compel the coroner to
permit him to be present with counsel
gives in detail a statement of the condi-
tion of the building and his participation
in the work, which is the first statement
bearing directly upon the case he has made
since the accident. The document is very
voluminous. DistrictAttorneyBu filed
a demurrer, claiming that Col. Aims
worth's petition did not set forth any
matter that entitled him to a writ of
mandamus Col. Ainsworth's IS counsel took
the position that Col. Ainsworth was in
reality on trial and, being assailed, was
entitled to all the safeguards given by the
law. The court took the question under
advisement until 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning.