The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-06-13
aHANG HIM." THEY SHOUTED.
Cd0Dsl EinsEorih Blrely Escapes Death
al The Hands Of Pension Clerks
EXCITING SCENE At THE INQUEST
o,.r tho nody Of One OF the Victims OF the
old Theatre Coilapse-Iho inves-
ngahon Broken Up.

,rAerrNGTON. ID. c.. juno lz.-Ihe IN
.. o,.r tre bodies Of the victims Of
3D.. Ponds Theatre disaster was COM
.....l to-day in Willard Hail.
r.ard Ausworth chief OF the record
,.5,.ae.an division. who has been placed
r. defensive by the implied accusa-
.t..s u.t he was responsible for the
,.....-.. OF the clerks in the old building
,.s a.. attendance without an attorney.
A..t one hundred persons were pres
Ont most Of them clerks OF the record
and pension division.
-.arnerarhcrs from the War Department
and "a representative OF the district at
+oreys Office had seats at the coroners
table.
Tho deputy coroner called the jury TO
order. and prefaced the investigation by
statement that holding an inquest In
public ball was something Of an eX-
pertinent. and he admonishcd the public
present 20 Keep perfect quiet There was
nobody On trial. Doe said. The jury would
simply eudeavor 90 get al the facts in
th. case. IIe stated that inquest was To-
rIr of South Carolina, whose b1ly hdu
been selected for that purpose.
FeuIauiu Ee.ss. e. clerk or class j.
record and pension division, ward J.. Me-
employed iu tho old theatre building. was
tho FIRST witness called He had been ok
cu-.I. he sIII at ~ O'Clock ON me morn
frrof th. disaster from business. and was
not present when it feI He had heard for
several years rum0rs that the building
was unsafe. He had seen Colonel Aims
worth m the bludIuc "a day or $50 bee
fore tha disaster, while the excavation
was In progress.
Charles TroItman. "a clerk in the old
theatre. whose desk was ON the first
floor. described the fan " the floors and
lIs escape. Iie said De knew iustinctively
that the excavation had caused the ac-
,Ileut THE witness had been warned not
t0 approach The roped-oG space bat TO
his knowledge u0 orders had been issued
about The insecurity OF the building. ex-
ccrt am unofficial warning. Die saw no
uuder-piuuing of the FIRST floor. He had
heard the roped-on space called "thc
dead liue.' THE day before the accident
Doe had seen Colonel Aiusw0rth eXamin-
ing the roped-on space minutoly. and he
thought ha won't down stairs to see the
excavation. Colonel AiusWorth came
nearly every day while the excavation
was Eoue on. The old employees of the
bsuilne had told him 10 was "a she'll and
"a death trap
Smith Thompson. "a clerk in the thea
n-''''.7 f'
'.'- ,..,, .te.5 .'..
, d. ,..-.. ... t,t.
desk at WORK. au tle second h1or TO the
year Of the light We'll. the part off the
building which did not faIl 1n des0rib-
ing his experience. Doc said there was no
door f.~ fo, .,t,.,... .,- ..,it
an, '"- Nl"
1..'.,.t...... ... ..-', '.' ""''l'i.- '.'-'
i'I"'f C'' ''' -'
., ...... S"'i 'Ii' "''
.frevo~tF ,,l. y..-. .,..l.,,5 o, U.a
stairway. notified u4 with baf.5 frc4tb
u4t 90 was colonel Airsvortb.s orders
fH.f the arlrlo,..e etll,I5 .. .,s s,i,. l-.
tp-toa up and down the Stairs. I5 ror
know The names ~ tha.a ,ar.4r ts or. mos
e....re. ono WAS called Hfnr,. a
s.I..rI man TIa IruJfr., ,... lrl.,,.r
...u ~ tr.. ..r.r,.. a. a, an, .,,, t.,t
..- Lr..I and I.',t'. 5.-l.,I..3 't' '... .'r
|.t..+... ... "..'. S'N'' we 90.
.f.rl I.Ir . ,.e..t % ,', 1i, ~ .}I .l'
....I...t...i t,......l,. 1..+ f,, ''.
... t..t me- ..-.... i.',. l '| .,,
r.. ,.ft,.ss ..i4 t,+ l,' t''1 '"P
...u .,.i,.., r,,,. .i...
..... ..l ,..'t ''' "' |'.,"
.......tt., H.. s,, ... ,.t,--. ~. -
u..l t, l.lst,., ,.,. D. 1. o Nh
ta ...s,.,ti.,. ,.,. ..i.,.
r,.tt.~ 10 ,...,.,,..... +.II- - wac
MAS 54,..,..,I. and Do. t,l it
warned hf,, rot D.. ,., .t.... ''.''
ne t4I heard tt.t ,f~ e... ~ 80 .,..
Victims had a,,li.1 f..- I...,.. ,-...l.
1lrfne fFa prdsr.es off 3D.. ,.'.,l ,,. ,,o
t...,,.rt l.t ,I.t H., I...I '' ,''0
Mr. Gaze h. ur1.r.,...i ,... ...'.,..
r.-..rrrr~ t.. o,,. ...i-....
tHs4tr. buil5rr ,rr ,-l...,.,'.'y il' ''i.
..s NOT sufficient f.r tl. ,.,tI I
....h.If fh.. clerks ,.I+b ..r.'..ii ,Nl, ~.
I..r u.. .tairv.,,. l.. t..5 j." t'l,E
..u ..lt. ..r.l. g.r. ... ",''' 'ieIAS
sf.- are ""-
,..,........ ,..., ,,'.. 'i' "L. Ihompson's
....,-..,t.... ... f.i,,.. ,',i,.'.. s..au-e scene.
tf,sy..,tb ,,,.t.,t,,. 70 ..''''' "I""''
--...,. .t ,i'. i,.'..', ~. '"e SPECTATORS
,.... ......f.,...t a.. o.. w .INS VINO
Oh" ''' ''' '"e"'te oulld-
,t- Vr.,.., ,,. ,f ,t t
tf. grr..s y-b,t ,,.s t,' ''''.
....t. DO. tt. tt.,,r. t,,,fll.... ''',1 9-
fI.- .........., az, ,,..I.,,,.i '"Il l'
.r. ''' w 'i ,'''
"'it'' rear answered Mr'
..f XXX. ''' ""4N
.. '"'" '"'" "
u' '"'"'' ~ "y"''IIa.'
Goa. h.'o "n nus manu- 10
.'.i.L' d' "Ir'"u9'' '"i I'
AfAIr.a 'i uuNNI'NH tIdI-