Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-07-06
JURY FIXES BLAME.
SLOCuM OFFICERS AND DIREC-
TORS HELD.
Those Criminally Responsible Have
Been Placed Under Arrest-Action of
Mate Flanagan styled Coward1y and
Inspector Cited for Federal Inquiry.


After a full investigation the New
York coroner's jury found a verdict
holding every person directly concern
ed in the Gen. Slocum disaster crimi-
nally responsible for the loss of the
lives of the excursionists who persisted
on June 10.
Those directly blams by the jury
were Frank A. Barnaby. president of
the Knickerbocker Steamboat Com
pany; ], X. Atkinson, secretary of the
company; all of the directors. Capt.
William I'll. Van Schaick. Mate Ed
ward Flanagan. and Henry Lundberg,
assistant United States steamboat in
spector, who approved the fire lighting
apparatus of the boat before 1t was
placed in commission in May.
Flanagan was denounced for cow
ardice and for failure to perform his
duty. Lundberg was held 10 have been
Incompetent, careless and Indifferent.
The jury found that the existing sys-
tenn OF steamboat inspection is ineffi-
Gent and recommended radical
change by the Department of Com
merce and Labor
Coroner Berry issued warrants for
the arrest of the directors and officials
of the knickerbocker Steamboat Com
pany. Inspector Lundberg and Mate
Flanagan have been held in 81 900 bail
each
The charge in each case was man.
slaughter in the second degree Bail
was fixed by the coroner in amounts
varying from 81 900 TO $1,000
The directors of the company are
Frank 4. Barnaby, president; Charles
E. Hill, vice president; James X. At
kinson, secretary, and c. DE Lacey
Evans, Robert X. Story. Floyd S. Cor
bin and Frank q. Dexter
When the assistant district attorney
moved that warrants be issued after
the verdict had been given Mr.. Me
Manus, counsel for the steamboat COM
pany, protested that such procedure
was unnecessary, as all the men were
ready to appear and give bail when
called for. The protest was of no
avail.
The mate, Edward Flanagan. and
Inspector Lundht,rg pleaded not gull
ty and We're held on 1000 bonds.
Lundberg gave bail and was released.
Bail was fixed at $1,000 each for
President Barnaby and Secretary At
kinson and bonds were furnished at
once. Capt. Van Schaick is a prisoner
In the Lebanon hosDitaI
That over 1000 persons persisted in
the burning of the excursion steamer
General Slocum is now certain. Accord
ing to an exhaustive report made by Po-
lice Inspector Schmittbcrger, on the
number Of dead. missing Injured and I'M
injured in the disaster. it APPEARS that
93S bodies have been recovered and that
% persons absolutely known to have
been aboard the vessel are still unas-
counted for. bringing the total mortality
of the disaster up to 1,031. Those in
jured numbering 179 aud of the throng
of fully 1900 who embarked on the ex
cursion of st. Marks Church, but 236
escaped without injury. The report is
the result of a minute inquiry made by
corps of 100 patrolmen under the d.
rection of the inspector. In the course
of the inquiry much valuable infOrma-
ton was secured from survivors which
will be used in the investigation by the
District Attorney. to fix the responsible
ity for the disaster \ thorough exam
ination of the hull By Coroners O'Gor-
man and Berry and Inspector AlbeTtson
resulted in the discovery in the locker
i'll which the fire started of a number of
barrels which had contained kerosene
and lubricatins oil.
The investigation prosecuted by the
coroner seems to make it clear that the
Slocum had been nothing better than a
death trap for years. The steamboat
company admitted that since 1895 not
single new life preserver had been pur-
chased for the Slocum. Gen. Dumont,
head of the United States steamboat in
speetion service for the harboF of New
York, asserts that the life of the average
good life preserver is six years. Presi-
dent Barnahy was accused of bad faith
and of trying TO deceive the coroner's
jury as to the life preservers by his tes-
timony on the first day of the inquest.
Capt John A. Pease. supervising captain
Of the company, who put the boat into
commission, bluntly admitted that it was
impossible to purchase a proper fire hose
for 1G cents foot. That was the price
of the cotton fire hose that was in use
on the Slocum. All testimony went to
show clearly that none of the officers or
members of the crew of the Slocum had
made the least effort to save lives on the
day of the disaster. 1t was shown also
that the only member Of the crew TO
drown, Michael McGann. the steward,
had put ON one of the worthless life
preseryers.