Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-20

the given to the jury for their verdict
and they left the hall to- draw up the aIl-im-
poriant paper. Curiousiv enough. the room in
the hotel TO which they retired tor this purpose
was parlor 10 of Wizards Hotel, the room
which was prr{ered 20 the Fords Theater re-
lief COMMITTEES for their meetings
II was thought that the jury would not DE
on. long. but in point oT fact they were gone
about two hours. During the interval the
crowd-the usual crowd that mas filed Willard
Hall every day during the inquest, waited
patiently and talked over the situation and
the possible character o. the verdict. 1t was
admitted that there was very little doubt OF
their holding Ainswortb and Dant. There WAS
some little difference of opinion as to the
other two men involved.
The crowd while waiting amused by the
appearance of a somewhat premature extra
newspaper. which. though brought into the hall
an hour before the jury had finished its delib-
erations. announced that the verdict had been
rendered. and described the cheering with
which il had been received when rendered.
1t took the jury just two ballots 10 decide
upon their verdict. On the frs. thew were
unanimous as TO holding the two men named.
One juror held off on the other two bat on the
second ballot there was "a auanlnity of opinion
on the main questions, though it took some lit
tie time to- decide upon the exact phraseology
OF their finding and the recommendations that
they would make.
FULL TEXT OF THE VERDICT.
When they did return to the hail after con-
Gliding their work there instants
silence and Mr.. s. T. Thomas, the attorney Tor
the District. read the verdict. The following
is the verdict in full:
District of Columbia. to wit:
An inquisition taken at Willard Hall. in the
city of Washington. in the District aforesaid.
on the 18th. 18th. 18th and 10Th days of June.
/ 1893 before me. De Witt c. Patterson. coroner
for said court. upon the view of the body OF
| Frederick Il. Lotus, then and there living dead.
upon the oath of Frank l.. Hanvev. Charles f..
| Schroeder. Braina-d II. Warner. Joseph A.
Sibley. Charles l. Kellogg and William Ayre,
ir.. good and lawful men of said District.
who. being sworn upon the Holy Evan
gelist of Almighty God. and charged to
inquire when, where. how and after what man.
ncr the said Lotus came to his death, do
say upon their oaths that the said Frederick
L. LOTUS came to his death on the 9th day o;
June. 4. u. 1898. from mortal wounds by him
received on his body aud head by reason OF
the falling of portion OF the doors of the first,
second and third stories of the building known
as Fort's Theater building, on I0:h stree. be-
tween and I streets northwest in the city OF
Washington. D. c.. then used by the United
States government for the record and pension
division of the War Depar tment; that sa Il
building was on that day occupied by several
hundred clerks engaged and employed In gov
ernmental work Ill connection with their ddtie:
| liz said division, and among the said clerks 81
occupied and engaged was the raid Loftu
on the second floor. and while said build
ing so occupied the cellar thereof wa
being eXcavated and enlarged by one Geors
W. Dant for the purpose OF accommodating al
r electric light plant for use in said building
, under a contract with II. Il. Thorpe. chief o
, supply division War Department. on behalf Il
the United States: that the floors of said build
ing were supported By iron beams resting o
columns which rested on brick piers beneatl