The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-06-23
liking THE BLAME.
|od Work BY the COrOner's Jury on
the FOrd's Theatre
Disaster.
)nswOrtll, Dante, Sasse ct. nj. May
BE Tried for Man
slaughter.

trided by Coroner Patterson today that
Wol. II. C. Ainsworth should not be
nmmoned to appear as witness before
Ie coroner's jury in investigating the
suse Of the Ford's theater disaster
bis decision was precipitated by b. II.
Mariner, one Of. the jurors, who stated
HAT several of the jurors would like the
scDroner to issue "A subpoena for Col. Aims
VDrth to give testimony at the inquest,
6ot merely in regard to h,s own connec-
Ton with the accident, but with refer
ice to other parties concerned.
E"I see no reason" said Mr. Warner,
why he should be treated differently
tom other witnesses. Four Of the jury
nvor having him before us; the other
MO are inditiel ent. Inasmuch as state.
ments that this juryis prejudiced against
him have been made in the public press
md elsewhere we think he should be
11ade to appear"
Coroner Patterson said he did not he,
&ve that the presence Of Col. AinswOrth
Vould in any way assist in determining
how Fred X. LOTUS (over whose body
he inquest is being held came to his
death. Nothing could be gained in sum
tnonng him in his official capacity, and
os Col. Ainsworth was not willing to ap-
near as an ordinary citizen he thought
uothing could be gained by calling HIM.
Warner stated that he wished to say
Tor the jury in reference to the state
ments Of rejudice in the minds of sew
era of its members. that up to the time
the inquest proceedings began, the jury
had The highest regard for Col Aims
wyorth, but he had nterjecied himself
upon them as a defendant when he was
not accused.
The testimony this morning was
principally in reference to the character
OF the material used by Contractor
Dante in doing the work beneath the
old theater building. VIM. Commack a
dealer in cement, testified that he had
sold Dante the cement used by him in
the job. 1t was the best quality in the
market and witness had had 1t under
cover for nearly year.
The witness admitted that he delivered
the CO nent at Fords theatre. He was
shown some of the sandy substance used
as mortar in the underpinning piers be
meath the old building, and gave it as his
opinion that it did not contain the kind
OF cement he sold Dante; it was very
poor mortar, he said. A builder named
Robt. Clarkson testified that the build
ing as it now stands is in dangerous
condition. The interest in the efforts of
the jury to determine where the. respOn-
sibiity for the collapse rested was inten-
sifed when Capt, Thorpe, chief of, the
supply division of the war department,
was called to the stand. From the ques.
tions asked last week by members of the
jury, it was apparent that they had an
idea that Capt. Thorpe was in some way
responsible for the work beneath the
bullding. Tie was questioned as to the
bond given by Dante. The testimony
or eated a sensation,
There was no bond" said Capt.
Sharpe. "One had been drawn up but
Dante had come to him and said the
man who was going on his bond was the
brick contractor and thought he ought
not to go on. Witness had consulted
with Col Ainsworth, and Dante had
been told to go on without the bond.
: Warner asked series of questions in re-
gard to Covcrts' duties. and the witness
said he should certainty consider that as
superintendent, COverts Should have re
ported any danger in connection with the
building. He Should have reported to
Col. Ainsworth.
Did not know what COvcrts specific
duties were. Col. AinswOrth said the
witness was in charge Of the building
and responsible for it. Frank f. Hop
kins. sand contractor, testified that he
sold Dante sand for use in mixing NOR
tar at the theatre building. Dante
asked for the best quality and it was
given him. Shown some Of the mortar
taken from the ruin, Hopkins said it did
mot ntatp tha1 ,,l I,,,L
Nothing sensational was developed after
this Five witnesses testified, the last
being Butler Fitch, an elderly white
haired clerk of the record and pension
division, who said he came to the con
$cluslon that the old theatre building was
sunsafe while the excavation work was
going on and therefore on the day before
the catastrophe asked aud obtained five
days leave.
When he concluded his testimony the
jury rested to consider its verdict After
being out two hours the jury returned a
verdict setting forth that Frederick b.
Lo tus came to his death by the disaster
+ at Fords theater building on June 8,
1888. They recite the fact that q. W.
Dante was contractor under the gov
: ernment for tho work in progress which
3caused the disaster and all the circum-
lstances connected with the accident, and
ffind that Frederick c. Ainsworth, in
charge of the building, w. G. Covert,
superintendent, Francis Sasse, engineer,
and q. w. Dante, contractor, are respon-
sibla for the killing of LOTUS.
A The jurors further find that the failure
of the government Of the United States
to provide for skilled superintendent of
the work Of repair and alteration of its
buildings in charge of the war depart
ment is most unbusinesslike and repre-
hensible, and are Of the opinion that if
such superintendent had been provid-
ed in the case of the work on FOrd's
theatre building, the awful tragedy
might have been avoided. Coroner Pat
terson decided not to issue warrants for
the commitment of Col Ainsworth,
\ Dante, Coverts and Sasse until tomor'
rom morning in order to give them an
opportunity of obtaining bail Col.
4 Aipsuortb bna alrnaIy cnpural bnpls-