The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-06-13
A MOB At THE INQUEST
Wild Scene at the Fords
Theatre Investigation.
COL ANswoaTH THREATENED

Charles Barnes Accuses the Chief of MUIR
dering His Brother, and n Scene of the
Widest Confusion sues-Instructions
to Witnesses from the Secretary Of
War.
WASHINGTON, June 49, The inquest over
the body of J. A. Chaplin, one of the vic
Tins of the Ford Theatre horror, was re-
sumed at IL o'clock this morning. Be
cause of the sensational developments OF
yesterday, the hall in which the proceed
ings are held was crowded.
Just at IL o'clock yesterday Col. Aims
worth, chief Of the Record and Pension
Pavilion. who has been placed on
the defensive by implied accusations
that he was responsible for
the presence of clerks in the old building,
entered the hall and engaged in short
consultation with his attorney, Mr.. H.
Post Perry, of this city.
About Il hundred persons were present,
most of them the clerks of the Record and
Pension division, with sprinkling OF War
Department officials builders contractors
and policemen
Dir. Shaffer. the deputy coroner of the
district. conducted the inquest The jury,
which was sworn in Saturday consisted OF
| b. II. Warner, c. j. Kellogg, j. A. Slbley,
Frank L. Harvey, VIM. Aver, jr., aud
Charles f. Schneider, and included archi-
tects and builders.
The Deputy Coroner called the jury to
order, and prefaced the investigation by
| statement that, holding an investigation In
public hall was something of an ex
pertinent, and he admonshed the people
present to keep perfect quiet There was
nobody on trial, he aid. The jury would
simply cndeavor to get at the facts in the
case. He stated that the inquest was to
| be held over the remains of j. A. Chaplin
whose body had been selected for that pur
pose.
The statement of a witness that the clerks
held themselves in abject fear Of Ainsworth
was responded to by II round of applause
A letter from Secretary Lamont was read
giving assurance that no clerk need fear
dismissal on account of his testimony
Benjamin Reiss, clerk o. Class l, en-
ployed in the old theatre building was
the first witness called He had been ex-
cused, he said, at 8 o'clock on the morning
If the disaster on account of business, and
was not present when the building fell.
He had not seen any area roped off as dan
gerous inside the old theatre. For several
years he had heard 1T rumored that the
building, particularly the rear wall (Which
did not fall), was unsafe.
He had heard no talk about the danger
GUS condition of the building within IA
month.
\ lay or two before the accident he had
eea Col. Ainsworth at the building, he
vas there while the excavation was going
on.
Charles Troutman, also a clerk in the
old theatre, knew OF no protest having
been sent by employees in the building to
he authorities about the dangerous con-
dition of the building
He had been warned by J. w. Webb, in
charge of the first door, not to approach
IN area on that floor, which had been
roped off while the excavation was going
on ei hit or ten days before the accident
The day before the accident he had seen
Col. Answorth examining the roped-off
space minu ely, and he thought he went
down stairs to see the excavation.
Col. Ainsworth came nearly every day
while the excavation was going on. The
old employees of the building had told him
it was he'll and death trap"
Smith Thompson, another clerk in the
theatre building, who made a bitter speech
denouncing Col, Ainsworth at the relief
meeting on Friday, testified that there was
no fire escape on the building and only
one door for entrance ard exit He said
that the clerks had frequently been warned
to 90 up and down stairs on tip toes by
messengers of Col. Ainsworth as a matter
of general safety.
He saw no pillars or props used in hold
ing up the first floor while the excavation
was going on
1t was u matter of common talk that
this work was dangerous, and Il fellow
clerk had warned him not to go there.
AT the afternoon session of the inquest
a well dressed man walked forward and in
voice trembling with passion, shaking
his fist in Col. Ainsworth's face shouted;
"You murdered my brother and you
shant sit there intimidating these wit
nesses!"
The man was Charles Barnes, whose
broth II was victim of the disaster After
the uproar thus occasioned had quieted,
Mr. Davis, representing Col. Ainsworth,
started to speak, when dozen excited de-
partment clerks rose to to their feet and
shouted for him to sit down.
The lieutenant OF police present en-
deavored TO quiet the outbreak, but his
voice was rs Intellectual as it would have
been in cyclone,
The excitement grew in intensity,
Nearly every clerk present who was EN-.
ployed in the old theatre building was on
bis feet shouting At first they only called
sit down; shut your MOUTH" but finally
,ome frenzied individual cried chang
aim, hang him."
Men were springing forward by this
time, and mere spectators present sought
covers.
II looked as If harm would come to Col
Ainsworth, for some clerks were shaking
! their fists over his cad and others were
. pushing forward as if they wished to teal
o him to pieces,
9 MIR. Warner, one of the Jurors, finally
q managed to quiet the mob and the deputy
T. coroner adjourn d tue inquest
!, The Military Inquiry.
y WASHINGTON, June 13 The militarl
court of inquiry to investigate the ac