Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-31

| What do you mean by trimmer 1o,st..'
he was asked.
The witness explained that II was a ioist
about well hole or staircase. Asked what
ne thought Of the responsibility he said no
Old not know who was responsible While
he would lock to the boss as the RESPONSE
| bic man. he thought the foreman should
examine the building. He said that Mr.
Hessler was foreman Of the work AT the
time of the accident witness was holding a
strip and Mr.. Hessler was driving a nail
They were standing side by side. Mr.
Charles Getz, who had been away from the
building. returned q short time before the
accident happened. and he had Just stepped
out Of the building when the floor fell
witness said he was employed by Mr.. Getz
as foreman. and he knew his employer TO
be careful man. He had had an accident
while working on Garfield Hospital.
N, Mich MI Getz were you working for
MIR. Charlie Getz."
there?"
He was supposed to have a carpenter
foreman.
Witness said II is the general custom for
the contractor to have a carpenter fore
man. He heard no fall of wall before
the hoor fell There were two hod carriers
ana three bricklayers at work on the build
ing. The bricks on the floor were brought
there from the rear wall
Second to Reach the Scene.
Charles Stewart. colored. testified that he
was standing near the building at the time
or the accident and he was the second man
TO reach the scene. Standing on the corner
during the morning. he saw the men tear
ing down the wall and throwing the bricks
on the floor. He remarked to friend that
he thought IL strange the bricks were being
thrown on the floor. The men, he said,
were careful not to let any of the bricks
fall on the street.
1T has been stated" said the coroner
that these bricks from the front wall
were taken to the rear of the building.
what DO you know about that?"
Il saw them piled on the floor"
How many were there
"One or two thousand, / should Imagine"
Witness said he knew II was dangerous
to pile the bricks on the floor but he did
not say so to anybody. He stood on the
corner and watched the workmen for three
hours. Hodcarriers he said, were taking
new bricks in the building to the work
men. Witness helped to rescue Mr.. Hess
Ter and went to the hospital with him
Policeman Latchford testified that the
accident happened about Las O'Clock. and
he reached the wrecked structure few
minutes later. He told of the work OF
rescuing Mr.. Hessle- and said he went
with him to the hospital.
The Floor Below
William F. Dougherty. bricklayer, testi-
fled that he was the floor below Mr..
Hcssler at the time the accident occurred.
A few minutes before the crash came he
vas working near MIR. Hessler
How many bricks were on the floor
when The accident happered?" the witness
was asked
Il don't know" he answered. but think
there were not more than -four -or five hun
dred. for we were working them up as
fast as we could
He could not tell what caused the accl-
dent.
In his opinion it might have been the re-
suit of the condition of the trimmer joist
h.,
may have been jumping on the building.
Witness said he regarded Mr.. Hessler as
the man who was responsible for the work
and safety about the building.
Witness denied the statement of the COL
ored witness that brick from the outside
were being used. The bricks taken from
the walls Were kept inside the building, to
protect them from the weather and to pre-
vent the loss of time. The fall came while
Mr.. Hessler was driving a nail.
J. l.. Jones, another workman, who was
on the lower floor at the time OF the acci-
dent. testified that there Were probably
three or four hundred bricks on the floor
when he was there earlier in the day.
Who ordered those bricks put there
the coroner asked.
Either Mr.. Getz or Mr.. Hessler" he
answered.
He saw nothing about the building TO
Indicate to his mind that there any
danger.
Piers May Have Fallen.
lne CarDGntCrS anu bllcklaNtIS WOTkffl
under the direction of Mr.. Hessler. and
the bricks used by the men were taken
from the floor. II is his impression that
the piers fell and caused the accident.
Who was your foreman asked Mr..
Ruth.
Mr.. Kirby, he answered.
And were you working under his Or
ders?"
Yes. SIR" he answered. land he got his
orders from Mr.. Hessler.''
Louis 4. Nessline. a timer. who en-
ployed on adjoining building. testified
that he thought there was between 600 and
1,oOU bricks on the floor.
Did you see the front wall when il fello"
asked juror.
No, sir. answered the witness. There
was no front wall TO fall"
Witness, when further questioned said he
thought there were about two cart loads
of brick on the floor. He heard no ham,
mering just prior to the fall. Witness was
under the impression that the accident was
due to the floor being overweighted. Wit
ness did not think there was any danger
before the accident happened.