Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-13
OUTsIDE WILLARD HALL.


ing at the time of the disaster He had
been employed there for Ave years until
May AZ last. when he took q new place. He
had believed the roof unsafe and had heard
talk Of the insecurity Of the building. When
he took leave of his fellow clerks May n, one Of
them, Fred W. Collins, congratulated him on
getting out of the building. because
he thought the building was going to collapse.
Collins and he went then to look at the excava-
ton. and Collins said: You are getting out Of
here just in time. That building is going to
fall" Witness said that if the building fell
Ainswor:h ought to be under it. Witness was
asked by Mr.. Warner if he had any personal
grievance against Col Ainsworth. Mr.. Frech
or MIR. Brown, and said: ''No, sir, do not
think have
what induced you," asked Mr.. Hanvey.
"to make the remark that if the building fell
Col. Ainsworth ought to be under it2'
because" said the witness. "of his treat
ment Of clerks. 1t was very unjust"
The witness explained that he meant the
clerks were unjustly treated ss to leaves and
reductions.
The next witness was E. Baier, clerk in the
Office, who described the fall Of the building as
other witnesses had, and told Of remarks made
by clerks about the insecurity of the building
He had lever made any remark to his superiors
about the condition Of the building because he
family and believed he would have been hazard
ing his position to make such q complaint.
There was q Mr.. Pease Mr.. Lease who had
made application for transfer on account Of
the condition Of the building, and had been
told that he could resign; that was his only re-
course
PREJUDICE AGAINST AINswoRrH AND FREcH
The prejudice among the clerks was very
strong against Col. Ainsworth and Mr.. Frech
on account Of their refusal to furlough the
clerks while the repairs we're going on
them ever since the witness had been
there. The witness had been told by friend
in the Indian Office when he went there that he
was going to the penitentiary OF Botany Bay,
and the witness thought now he was right. Wit
ness had heard OF petition from clerks
was going on, bat had not personally seen it.
He mentioned clerks who he thought knew Of it,
Witness said he WAS In the excavation at 8:i5
O'Clock, one hour before the accident. Men
were then working on the north side. Witness
could look up and see the floor above. He saw
no timbering. He had no doubt that it was the
excavation that caused the collapse. That was
the first thing that came to his mind when he
heard the crash.
Mr.. A. q. CROSBY.
At this point the coroner asked for the testi-
mony Of witnesses who knew the facts imme-
diateIy connected with the death Of Mr.. J. H.
Chaplin. and this resulted in bringing forward
Mr.. A. U. Crosby, who was on the stand yester-
day.
Mr. Crosby said he knew Mr.. Chaplin by
sight and knew he was killed in the fall Of the
building. He his remains at the morgue
about 2:30 o'clock. The face and head were
badly bruised. The body was covered with
dirt and lime. The witness was the first to
identify the body and told the police. The
name was written on q slip and pinned to the
clothing.
B. +. EDWARDS
B. F. Edwards of Lsngdon, D. O., one Of