Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-13
SPIRIT OF THE MOB
Ut Breaks Out in the National
Capitol's Shadow.
RIoToUs SCENE AT THE INQUEST

RIOIOUS SCENE AL Idh lNQUbSl
On the Ford's Theatre Disaster-Clerk' S
Raise the Cry "Hang Him. and Make a
Rush for Colonel Ainsworth-Attempt
to Deprive Him of the Right to Face
His Accusers-The Colonel's Cool De-
meaner-TestiEony Observation-Disclosures
Meeting.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-The American
mob spirit seems everywhere-even under
the shadow of the Capitol of the country
that holds itself up as the example and
model of the civilization of the ninteenth
century and of whose citizens "JOe" Cham
berlain-not having read the papers while
here said that what most i'm
pressed him was their reverence
for law and order For the fact
is that there was a mob in nearly
all that the name implies in the coroner's
court during the exam&ation of witnesses
in the Ford's theatre buildings case.
Thompson Not IA Good Witness.
The inquest was held in Willard hall,
and as "A matter of course ColoEel AIMS
worth who has been accused by people
who are quick 70 accuse of being the man
responsible for the disaster, was there. The
very fact that he had been accused gave
Rim the right TO be there-especially as his
accusers we're present also. DIR. Schaetier,
the deputy coroner OF the District. con
Quoted the inquest. The jury, which was
sworn in Saturday, consisted of 3. II. War
ner, {. l. Kellogg, J. =. Sibley, Frank l..
Harvey. William Ayre, .Ir., and Charles
f. Schneider. ans, included architects and
builders. One Of the principal and most
vigorous witnesses was Smith Thompson,
but he was a poor witness, too, for his ha-
tired of Colonel AiTiswOrth was entirely too
visible, and II was he who bitterly de
nounced the Colonel 1t Il meeting held the
night of the disaster
Testimony Of some Witnesses.
Benjamin Reis,. q clerk in the Building.
had heard talk OF the building being dan
gerOus Charles TrOucInan. another clerk,
had been warned NOT to go on a certain
portion oil the floor, but never heard of any
protest going to the aut hOrities on that ac-
count Tl.en came Smith Thompson He
had heard warnings about the safety OF
the building frequently, frequently"
said he Servants on the stairway sta
toned there by Colonel Ainsworth, had
warned the clerks to 20 easilyup the stairs.
Concerning the one stairway in the thea
tire building Mr.. Thompson said it was not
sufficient for the rapid exit of Onc-half OF
the clerks With safety. IN going down the
stairway he had heard CLERKS TO call ont;
Take care. the STAIRS are iiDSfIe.
Bitter Feeling Against AiIiswnrth.
just at this stage in Thompsons testi-
mony there was strange scene illUstrat-
ing a bitter feeling against Colonel Aims
worth. \ majority of the spectators pres
ent mt the inquest We're clerks who were
employed in the old theatre building Mr.
Warner, one of the jurors, asked the wit
ness what was the feeling of clerks in the
theatre building towards their superior of
ficer Colonel Ainsrorth.
THAT of abject fear" answered Thomp
son. impressively.
slight buzz and shifting of chairs fol-
lowed; then slight clapping of hands A
lieutenant of police present held up his
hand to stop the attempt at applause, but
he was too late. A burst of hand clapping
followed that lasted quarter of a minute
1t came from the portion of the room
where most of the clerks We're sitting.
Little Jail Seems NeedfuI.
Then in reply to questions from juror
Warner as 10 whether the clerks We're
afraid that if they mentioned the danger
Gus condition of the building they would
be discharged-if there was that feeling of
fear Thompson answered fervently, 1T was,
it was" and that it even extended to
Jacob Frech, Colonel Ainsworth's right
bower" as Thompson called him. And just
then came a note from Colonel Lamont,
secretary OF war, which would seem to
have made it quite practicable for protests
to have been made without man losing
his place Iamont's note simply said that
he was informed that the impres ion ex-
listed that clerks would testify at their
peril OF course this was not so, and he
gave his word that no employe of the de-
partment need fear to tell the truth.
Testimony the Other Side.
Carter, another clerk, had heard that the
building was unsafe. d. II. P. Brown was
fearful of replying to a question as 70 the
danger of protesting against working in
the building, not on account of Colonel
Ainsworth, who had done him two favors,
but of Mr.. Frech. He finally replied that
clerks feared discharge if they protested.
Then j. Fl. Smith, another clerk, had heard
of the danger of the building. The gas
escaped and clerks protested, and Colonel
Ainsworth, instead of demanding their of
fetal heads in a charger, had gone to the
building to investigate. No clerk who had
protested had been discharged. He also
contradicted other witnesses by saying that
everybody in the building had confidence
in Colonel Ainsworth. Any feeling that
might have been developed was not direct
ed to Colonel Ainsworth, but to other Of
ficials-particularly Jacob Freech. The
talk against Colonel Ainsworth had been
confined to few ''old soreheads."