Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-28

Torrington Man Among the Number
 killed-Frank O'Neill of Waterbury
 Was Hit By the Flying Debris
 Was In the Hotel at the Time-His
 Sister, Attorney Susan c. O'Neill,
 Had Just Left the Place-Prosecu-
 tor Jerome Assaulted.
 New York, Jan 2S.-AIoses Epps. who was q powder man in charge ot the shanty where it is thought the ez- plosion in the rapid transit tunnel oc- cured, is at Flower hospital suffering from confusion and shock. On going to the shanty about noon, he found candle which he had left lighted on shelf, lying on the floor Some paper about it was on fire and among this burning paper were 13 boxes of dyna- mite cartridges, each box containing from 60 to 75 cartridges. Epps threw pail of water over the fire and rc- turned to get another one. On comlng back with it he saw that the flames were close to the dynamite and drop- ping his pail he tried to get away. Then came the explosion and the next ne knew he was patient in the hospital The shanty was on the curb in front or the Murray Hill hotel
 Last evening Epps was practically a prisoner, a policeman having been as signed to guard him.
 Andrew Murray was locked up 9t the police station also, though no charge was placed against his name. Murray had charge of passing out the sticks or dynamite to the men in the tunnel Wno were engaged in making blasts. He said there were about 20 sticks of dy- namite in the shanty where the expio- sion occurred.
 Ira A. Shaler, engineer ill charge or the work at Park avenue; John Bfack- en, a foreman, and Martin McGrath, an assistant foreman, were all placed un- der arrest, the charge being homlclue. William Barclay Parsons, chief engl- neer of the rapid transit commission, said that Shaler was one of the most competent and careful engineers Ee ever knew.
 There was clash in court yester- day between District Attorney Jerome and Coroner GolddenkranZ. Mir Jerome was in his office examining Shaler, Bracken and McGrath, the men under arrest. when policeman assigned to the coroner's office entered and, under the coroner's instructions, demanded that the prisoners appear before that official. Mir Jerome allowed them to go. but he and his assistants followed.
 Coroner GolddenkranZ, who had. al .eady impaneled a jury, opened court and listened to an affidavit by pa> trolman, which said he had arrested the three men, and that there had been an explosion. MT Jerome insisted that there was no information in the affi- dayit on which to hold anybody. There was a very wordy wrangle between the two officials. Tn spite of protests the cornorer gave the case to the jury men, who retired and came back with q verdict recommending the discharge of the prisoners. The coroner then opened court as a sitting magistrate, had the men re-arrested and held them without bail. More protests came from MT Jerome, and the coroner changed his decision, holding the men in $10,O0O bail each.
 All this had worked up the feelings of everybody so much that there was free fight in which Mir Jerome was struck in the face by John Murray, a coroner's clerk. who in turn was beat en by two of the district attorneys de> tectives. Then the detectives and Mur- ray had each other arrested, but soon better counsel prevailed and all charges were withdrawn for the pres ent.
 The list of dead up to date is as fol lows:
 Cyrus Adams, cigar man at the Mur- ray Hill hotel
 James Carr, g years. waiter en- ployed at the Murray Hill hotel.
 Lawrence Hine. 19 years, of Torring- ton. Conn.
 J.. Roderick Robertson of Nelson, B. C.. guest at the Murray Hill hotel.
 Ralph Thompson, assistant engineer.
 Thomas Tubbs, master mechanic for Contractor Ira A. Shaler.
 There were other and farreaching results of the explosion. Windows were broken in Thirty sixth street as far east as Third avenue and west in Mad fson avenue and in East Forty-seyenth street. The wonder of the day was the east wall of the Lincoln Safe Deposit company and National bank. It stood the shock so well that not q brick was displaced, and in the entire building not more than a score of windows were broken. Substantial damage was done 50 8 dozen houses in East Forty street. The total of property loss is about S2S0, GOO The damage to subway property was comparatively slight and may be repaired within a week.
 Every drug store in the neighborhood was turned into temporary hospital Those capable of giving first aid to the injured were in great demand. Many men and women seriously injured, un- conscious of their hurts, went about giving assistance to others, to be re- minded later of their own wounds.
 Responsibility for the terrible acci- dent has not yet been placed, although five arrests have been made. The au- thorities were prompt in acting and positive in their assertions that those upon whom guilt rests will be brought to account.
 Instead of offering such assistance as they might in clearing up the responsi- bility for the explosion all connected with the construction of the subway, from the principal contractor to the subcontractor in charge of the division and down to the merest laborer in the 1yz.r.4 f1.ofx <...4s4uesf and