Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-14
AINSWORTH WANTS TO BE PRESENT.
He AppIie. for a Writ OF Msndamus
Compelling the Coroner to Allow his
Attorney to Examine witnesses.

He Applies Tor VIII OF mhnoHmes
Compelling the Coroner to Allow His
Attorney to Examine witnesses.
WASHINGTON. June 1S.-By direction
OF the Commissioners for the District OF
Columbia, the inquest over the victims
OF the old theatre disaster was continued
publicly this morning in Willard's Hall.
instead Of privately Ia the First pre-
cinct police station. Yesterdays excit-
ing proceedings were conducive TO the
presence OF large crowd. In order TO
preyent a repetition Of the trouble OF
yesterday, squad OF police attended.
Gel. Ainsworth and his attorney, Mr..
Perry, did not appear.
Wm. II. Mallack, clerk who was en-
ployed on the second floor, described
his escape humorously. He had pre-
viously mapped out route OF escape
from the old theatre in the event OF
fire. He had heard the building de-
scribed as an old rattle trap, aud be had
this statement confirmed by seeing the
rear, or east wall which sagged TO
considerable extent. There was pri-
vate staircase in the annex to the strue-
ture. but IL was used only by Col. AIMS
worth and his chief clerk, Mr.. Brown.
Mr.. Malack said he believed the build
ing was dangerous but be did not care
to complain beSuse he felt that II he
had complained his position would not
be secure. He did not believe In this
civil service business; IL aRereed no
protection.
Ernest Rair told Of his fear that the
theatre building would fall during the
progress OF the excavation. He mad not
made complaint to his superior officers
becauss he feared the consequence.
He know that clerk named Lease, or
Pease, had asked for a transfer TO an
other building, and had been told that
his only resource was TO resign. The
feeling towards the heads OF the bureau,
he said, was not cordial, and especially
was this so toward the Chief Clerk,
Jacob Frech, who treated men as dogs
and not as men. He was tyrannical
and overbeariug. DIR. Ainsworth, so
far as his personal experience went,
treated his clerks individually as men.
Mr.. Frech did not.
Coroner Schaeffer was served with
papers issued by Chief Justice Bingham,
Of the Supreme Court Of the District OF
Columbia, directing him TO appear AT
.. m. in answer TO a petition filed by
Col. Answerth, requesting that he
(Col. Ainsworth) be allowed 10 be rep
resented by counsel at the Inquest
AT this point recess was taken Till
II a. 10. tomorrow.
In the Supreme Court, the proceed
inEs were OF interest. Col. Ainsworth's
petition for mandsmus to compel the
Coroner to allow him TO appear with
counsel, is a voluminous document. II
sets forth that at no time was any inti-
matien made to him that the building
was Unsafe; that he had 1t on the au-
thority of the officials OF the War De-
partment that the building was secure;
that when bids were asked for the ex-
cayation and nnderpinniBg and putting
In and electric Hight plaHt, u was stlpu-
lated that the work Should be done with
out danger 10 the building and its
content, and no one of the bidders
made any mention OF danger when ex-
amining the specifications; that the
space r0ped of on the first floor was
not on account OF any danger but be-
cause that part OF the heor rested upon
jolsts which were supported by the
ground which was being eXcavated, and
that the part OF the Goor so roped of
was to be taken up and rebuilt The
petition further recites the incidents OF
Yesterdays session Of the inquest and
prays that since he has been charged
with murder and his life threatened,
that he be permitted to appear with
counsel and examine witnesses.
The court took the matter under ad-
visement until 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning.
Supervising Architect 0'Rourke, to-
day made preliminary examination OF
the Winder building, occupied as the
second auditors Office The building is
very old. Mr.. O'ROurke said he found
it safe, but unfit for the purpose for
which II is used.
Mr.. O'Rourke said he found, from an
examination Of the records, that the
architects Office OF the treasury was
entirely clear In the matter OF govern
ment buildings. Nearly all OF them
had been recently examined and In
many cases recommendations were sub
mitted as to strengthening them. None
OF these recommendations had been
acted on by Congress. HIS Office could
do nothing more than make It's recon-
nendations, IL was for Congress to
carry them out.