The evening times., 1896-05-20
INQUEST ABOUT TIVE FIRE
Continued from First Page.

| himself begged Acting Foreman KettleI
not TO cause the men to go further into
the awful place. But he disregarled them
| and came near causing a loss of six lives.
Malone said Chief Paris was always
cautious a fires and if the men would FOL
low his orders closely there would be
fewer accidents.
SEARS CONSIDERATION.
Fireman Charles W. Sears OF No. COM
pany testified that Acting Foreman Kett-
Ter was in charge OF the company when IL
went into No 924 Louisiana avenue. II
was by Kett!er's orders that the men went
into their deaths.
Sears did not hear the chief or any one
else give the order not 10 go into the
blazing building. Witness heard Muihall
and Malone cry ont to Kettler:
George, we had better be careful and
not go in any further. Those joists up
there look weak"
This was disregarded. A Assistant Chief
Kurtz. not CHIEF Paris, ordered the meu OF
No. down from the awning or porch
in front OF No. 924 and told them 70 stand
on the paven eiit and play ii tile door of
No. 924 He did not tell them to 20 into
the building. ,II
The men who were caught in the down.
fall OF debris We're about twenty-five feet
iIsiue tHe DuHbiiiS. .Npei tne CRASH CdiiS,
and kettler was urging them on further
and further
Witness was close u;, to the nozzle of the
hose when he heard the cracking crashing
sound overhead He yelled: Look out,
The walls are coming ini'' OF words to
that effect. and dashed out of the build
ing, barely saving his life. He could not
state whether the men who were caught
ran or not. " 'i
firemeu must obey the last order first.
whether it come from the chief or foreman
DIFFERENCE IN TESTIMONY.
Mosby Brown, "a fireman of three years
experience, was next called. He is mem-
Der OF No. 8 engine Company He was with
Giles and Conway few minut es before they
Were killed. The men were ordered by the
foreman to go into the buildings in which
the accidents occurred, Brown testified
Witness had gone with an order to the
engineer of No. 3, which was stationed in
front o. the Times building. when the crash
came which buried the men.
The men of No. went into No. 926
Louisiana avenue, where the second crash
occurred as a rescue party, by order Of
Assistant Chief Kurtz.
Ernest Raum OF No. 8 compan testified
that the men We're ordered down from the
awning by Chief Paris. he was with the
party IryluS 10 rescue tne imprisoned men
of No. g. There Were at the pine at the
time of the second crash Foreman Wilson
of No. 8 and Giles, Conway, Kidwell and
witness. He heard Chief Paris tell the
men not to go in those doors.''
This closed the evidence and the case was
given to the jury.
JCRY'S VERDICT.
After a few minutes deliberation this
verdict was returned:
1--WE, the jury, believe, from the evidence
adduced, that Joseph Mulhalli and George
W. Kettler came TO their death on
the 18th and Goth days of May,
1895, respectively, from injuries re-
ceived on the night of May IS. 1896,
while discharg!ng their official duties, and
from the evidence, we believe that it was
misjudgment on the part of their foreman.
George W. Kettler, as strict orders had
been given by the chief not
to enter any of the buildings;
and that George Fl. Giles. Thomas
a. Griffin and Daniel Conway came to their
death on the 18th In an effort to save
the lives of the imprisoned men of No. g.
engine company.
we attach no censure to Chief Paris
or his assistants"