New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-16
THE TESTIMONY IN DETAIL.
ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS GIVE THEIR
oPINIoNs-CoLONEL AINswoRTH'S

LETTER TO THE CORONER
wasb,rrton lime BIN accordance with the de
c,s,on ~ Chief Justice Bingham Yesterday Dr. Pa'ter
SON. the Coroner Of the District. began new inquest
this morning over the bodies OF the victims oil lruaN
disaster. There smaller attendance UNA" vi
preyious DAYS at Wizards Hall where the inquest "
held because most of Colonel Answorth's unih]ured
suboriinates were at their desks In the ne" q"a''e
secured for them. Interest in the session oi ''i
morninr centred in the belief that Colonel Answoi'h
would be present TO insist that he LAD nen, "
appear, but the crowd was dsappoih'eo' ~ "'
Perry Colonel Ainsworth's attorney. whose a'f"p
10 address the deputy coroner during 'he sessio vi
Monday precipitated the outbreak against h'e ''e'
was IN the hall few minutes before the inquest bega
but he withdrew before Coroner Patterson raped t
turv 10 order Lieutenant Amss and q SQUAD OF Po
ucemen were present TO preserve order. MI lhomaS
the attorney for the District OF Columbia SAT AZ NV
left Of the Coroner to assist him in the examination
witnesses As decided yesterday by Dr. Patterson 'h
nd iury was re-summoned for the new Inquest ana
,h,s morning the Coroner and the six lurymeh Mera
Warner Ianvey Sibley. schneider kellogg ana A!re'
went TO Glenwo5d Cemetery and viewed me oouS Vi
Frederick y. LOTUS of the Victims whose oous
lies In q receiving vault there
Tho proceedings devoid OF sensational cHa'
actor the evidence being directed exclusively to the
oor,a,,n,ent ~ the cause Of the collapse OF III"
h,a,dinr The first witness James L. Parsons
n contractor and builder, who testified that ne ex'
amined the old theatre last month, Win d vic"
10 submitting d bid for making the proposed si'eia
lions The floors Of the building he saia Tes"u
on iron piers resting on the ground. lie examine
the building in May TO ascertain It's SAFETY anu
stability for the alterations. There were four IRON
co,nmns necessary 10 be underpinned lie SUD
m,ttsd a bid for the contemplated work In SUD-
seouent examination Of the work ne houcei ula' ho
snoring had been done. There were no eViue"oss
whatever he said, OF any lack OF safety III 'he oud
ing for the purpose for which IT was occupen Inc
c.,unes we're all right, and there was nothing indi'
eating weakness ,, , .
.Wou,d Won consider the building absolutely safe'
asked D,strist.Attorney Thomas considering tiere
were In that building 500 clerks y
witness replied: THE construction was ample.
He said he did not examine the stairway
"Could the alterations have been made "i'"'u'
snoring ?, asked the District-Attorney
witness replied: at could not have been done
xv,,hont snoring You could not with safety nave
removed a single brick without snoring. But the
work could have been done with absolute saieN.
when examined by Mr.. Harvey, himself con-
tractor and builder, the witness sald IL Was he'o'
10 underpln every four feet OF the excaVauoh Inc
srec,Nca,,ons he said. required the contractor 10
,orn ,hs york without any details to how 1t
.boud be DONE The only specific requirement was
that extra precautions should lie taken In uhde' pm
ming the piers. He had seen the WORK. Dut lie "ouu
not DO the work as II had been done
Mr.. Parsons shown newspaper eiipp"is pu'-
nor.ing I, contain the original specifications '' tnc
work and he said that the besi OF MS hho"ienec
Oh. snecica given were Identical Win tnose he
had seen. The drawings and specihcauohs "ele
rather unusual because the work was lett 10 'ne
discretion Of the contractor.
COLONEL AINswORTHS LETTER.
Colonel Answorth submitted the following letter
TO the Coroner
sir: l learn that you have determined 70 person. on
ally hold the inquest concerning the cause oi @
and that YOU have impaneiled the same Jury WIZ VIZ
listened to the testimony lately taken By Xond n
ss Siderable s''s dsasSs Of IN:
there have. think, grayely preiudieea hs sSsin
gst me- conn AS a as %od have "i BEEN
select urytnen who have no testimony 20 ~ isei
ana who could have come to the discharge vi el'i,
important duties with no impressions OF 'or'e'
0 noh have accused me IN unmstakabe Yon
i Heqqisny does cali upon defend myself Thl
address ss this letter"
"' .ttsr ouo,,ny from the opinion OF Chief Jusiic
p.noham Yesterday, Colonel Ainsworth continues: 81
sa.ms 10 me that come directly within the term
Of this decision. am virtually. although not teen
r'e SeSore With the deepest ealnesuess In tina
connection / am threatened with the stigma OF
Srimin Ssyo,ad the best years Of my ifc aud oci
tainiy my strongest enerses to the public service
t..av and IN response 10 public clamOr for som
Victim guilty innocent n s,. Is m to DO an Win ",msG
"men that Won will have the assistance Of cOunse
in conducting the examination Of witnesses In Tn
=, .. .Y ~ the public: am also informed tina
ssbly Interested represented by counsel
submit that under hee H,S nS r rc@ns
~ VIA "a cross-exanine witnesses who may seem I
;mr,cste me- is a reasonable and proper one:
~sse vrttnesses How unreasonable tnis assertion
mement's thought will show The TACT ,aat cier !.
ss.tisr and the facts which they 90 tesuIy can
1890 nv me quite well from the records aiieI
wsr1 as n were present when these witnesses teSuy