Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-15
COL. AINswORrH's PROTEST..
He Objects to the Jury and Wants to Ex.
anime Witnesses.

anime Witnesses.
70, E-ea n A;,sr-., .,;, .
W A 'n,s morning "u
ofesseo tne loho"ine ie'tef 10 coroner Patter-
son In reference to his appearance at the in
quest:
Cry OF W.sH,xarox n q Jurs tx 1909
To the Coroner of the D,strict of Columh,s.
Sir: learn that Won have seterminsd 60 ,.s--
sonallv hold the INQUEST concern,ng the csnse %
the deaths of the yictims of the Ford,. Th.s,.r
catastrophe and thst Won have imnanaiad ~.
same iury who listened 10 The test;monv
lately taken by DIR. Schaeffer The riotors
proceedings of last Monday before that
iury. and the evidence Of an ;rcon.
Siderable minority (and those d;safsectsSS .,
the CLERKS in nv Office ms 70 alleged tsrror;sv,
existing there. have / think prayelv nre;ndiced
its menbers AGAINST me ss the nrocsad;nss
rnust heoin agsip II wonla saam That n woneS
haze been better 10 select inrvmen xbo bsye No
testimonv 10 forget and wbo conla baya cor.e
20 tba d;.cbnrca ~ the;r ;rnnorton, dr,;a. ,.;sh
no ,mnressions of a former sbort;ve trial
Wb;Ia bayo No, hoov tach,;c.,Iv .oorsaa %,
o,v nffonse ,.st rnroor rar, - tbe >,ass 80 "a
tbe ynob have sccused me in nnmistalshie
terms Yoar inouest. therefore. whoever
else II NAV concern carteinIy does call rnon
No 90 dafard rorsaif This T srn rran.re5 -
40 ana for That nnrnosa + oddrsss Won tb;s
letter
In his onipion del;vered veeteraav unon INV
annlication for . mandamns Chief Justice
rs,
II do not mean IN be undarstood as saving
that !, Ia nroner for ,b. coronar 20 refnse 90
nerm;, . parIon 40 aocrs.d or vho va ha hv
The test;mony to he rresopt .nd ran,asented
bv his connsel or that n wonld he i'm
nroner hnt II vii, ha r;cbt nndsr al
ordinarv c;rcums,o ncas ~ io,s, sba. ,ha accns.d
or b,s counsel sbonid ne rermittaS 20 sst ths
witnessed onestions in a proner wav in a way
ovor which ,ha roronar Fiji fh;,,saIt ,a.;,t.;.
control as anv other conrt sbonId !"
II seems 70 me that 7 coma direc,,v within
the terms of this decis,on- am y;rtnallv
although NOT tecbnicaIlv accnsed ., resnon:i,
biIitv for a disaster which 7 denIora r;,b the
deenest earnestness In that connection am
Threatened with the stigma of . cr;r;n,i
charge. am now mast m;daia ace
and have devoted the hest re.rs ~ Nv Et.
and certainlv mv strongast on.ro;as - ,he
nublic service snbmit 70 Won that 40 sfsY
that stigma 10 me hastily and in resnon.e 70
npbbc cIamor for some VICTIM gn;ity ~ ;nno.
cent is 10 do an ;ninstice rh;cb he reaact;on 81
calmer moments will regret
7 learn that Won will have the .ss;s,.nc. ~
counsel in Conducting tae examination of v;t-
nesses in the interest on the nnhIic lam .lso
Informed that othera nossiblv ;nterasted
are represented by counsel SUBMIT
that nnder these circnmstances tbe raonest
which I now make to he nresent vith nv
counsel and TO cross-examine witnessed Who
may see-o 10 imn,;cate me i. a r.asonshls .n6
rroper one Tt has been alleged that INV nres-
ence tended To intimidate vitnesses How
unreasonable this assertion ia a moment,s
Thought win show The fact that cIerks testifv
and the facts to which thew do testify can
be learned by me ouite as we'll from the
record afterward as IL I we're nresent when
these witnesses testify. On the other hand
NV absence places INV counsel at a decided
disadyantape for want of ,nstructions as 10
cross-exsmipation. Itis a fact we'll known 10
every clerk that I am powerless TO discharoe
of the SECRETARY of War can a., this
and he has declared that no euch order
shall be made in this connection. In reality
the only intimidation practicsd has been that
1l .ne ,io.ous mop. VINO nave consu.a.ea =
nanr, p~ho have Soen renrsssn,.d nv vnirn.
teer counsel there. and Who by their violent
conduct prevent other clerks from coming for
ward to testify as to the facts connected with
the administration OF my office. For the fore
going reasons L respectfully urge my right
to be present with my counsel at your see
sions. and to cross-eXamine the witnesses
whose testimony may tend to affect me. I
especially desire to cross-examine those
clerks who were addaced before the
deputy coroner and whose testimony has doubt
less lett Its impression on the minds OF the pres
ent jury. l also wish to have you call clerks
In good standing in my Office to testify with
respect to :he alleged terrorism existing there
-~@'~
statements made by these former witnesses
which desire to have corrected in the same
way OF course further wish to produce such
testimony as your proceedings may render
necessary and proper.
have no purpose Of embarrassing in any
way your inquiry or Of having my counsel con-
duct any examination not strictly necessary for
- ~, -, ;,,a;a. a.. -. - - ~
The nriv,lepe of The cross-examinat,on os ad-
verse witnesses aud the introduction of my own
witnesses will be of any value to me.
IN otuer tnat may know "hat course 10 pur-
sue re4ues' your INSTRUCTIONS IN 'ne premises
WHAT Mr. PERRY EXPECTED
Mr.. r. Ross Perry the counsel Of Col Aims
,ror,h s...aa % g. uouo-,o- .h;. ,~.-.;--
" 80 V. 'A.e nv "."H
'ha' ne oio not expect 'nat coroner PATTERSON
would grant the request OF Col Ainsworth, and
that the matter OF appearing at the in
quest would probably end with the
coroners refusal to permit his client to 80
appear. While 1t was perfectly possible for him
to again petition the court for a mandamus to
witnesses still ont Of rasnect for Chi.s