New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-24
VATCH AND PROD COLONEL FELLOWS

| WATCH AND PROD COLONEL FELLOWS.
| The Coroners inquest in the case of the fallen
building is being conducted in an intelligent and
satisfactory manner. Eight men have been put
under arrest already and are held in bail to
await the action Of the Grand Jury, and the prop
abilities are that several more will be added TO
the list. The Coroner and the jurymen are at
tentive to their duty. unsparing of pains and
plainly resolved TO ascertain and declare me
whole truth about shameful affair. Thus FAR
the initial process Of justice has accomplished
all that could be expected, and we believe IL VIII
be well finished. But ii is not too soon 10 ASK
what is to follow. 1t has been plain from the
very outset that this was case not only 1or IN
vestgation but for prosecution. The disaster
was not due in the smallest degree TO any natu'
raj conditions which could not be forecast ana
guarded against There was not even the miser-
able excuse Of a high wind or excessive ram
fall TO be pleaded in behalf of those respohsioy
employed in the work of construction. Inc
building fell down because II had been 1raudu
lently built. and at the moment or us conapse
the officers Of the law became charged with the
imperative duty Of bringing the guilty 10 justice
That one or more persons were guilty was III
disputable: the only doubt was whether they
could be identified and legally convicted.
The task of Identification is not completed
but a point has been reached at which the fea'
ures Of several reckless transgressors are pretty
clearly recognizable. and 1t is impossible to doubt
that a Grand Jury will soon cut out for the DIS
trict-Attorney important piece OF work as
he has ever been called on to undertake. The
question is. What will he do with ii? Long
acouaintance with Colonel Fellows suggests the
expectation that he will do far less than his
duly. unless he is kept constantly under the
spur of public opinion; while his conduct In the
matter of the fatal Orcharlst. disaster last
March warrants the belief that he Is capable OF
comnlete neglect The indictments found in that
case have been kept in his pigeonholcs ever
since. and he has never been able to invent a
decent excuse for his failure TO prosecute them
We regard it as far more important that men
| charged with criminal neglect Of this sort and
having such consequences should be promptly
and zealolsly tried than that offences for which
an even severer penalty is prescribed should be
quickly punished. A case of murder In the first
degree is scarcely if at all entitled to precedence
over indictments for such crime as the West
Broadway wreck.
In this as in other matters the District-Attor
ney can be compelled by public sentiment to do
his duty He and his staff are not lacking in
ability. If the community becomes Indifferent,
the skill and vigor which he has at command
may never be called into action. The obligation
to punish the knaves who took fifteen lives and
brought scores Of innocent persons to deep grier
and destimtion grows stronger every day. IL
becomes more and more clear that there was a
practical conspiracy to violate the law in greedy
disregard of the probable consequences. The
law must be vindcated.