Evening journal., 1904-06-29
JURY REPORTS IN
StOCUM INQUIRY
Directors and officers Held For
Manslaughter.
ARREsTs FOLLOW THE vERDIcT
Responsibility For Terrible Less Of Life
In Hell Gate Disaster Is squarely
Charge Against Ownors and Men In
caarge o. lil Fated Vessel.


10 Hell Gate Disaster Is squarely
chsraes Against ovners and Men In
coarse o. 10 Fated Vessel.
Now York, June oo--As startling
climax 10 the sensational inquiry into
the causes which lcd TO tho terrible
loss O life on the GcRcrai Slucum and
the responsibility therefor the coro.
ner's jury without "A dissenting voice
or vote, last night returned "a verdict
which led TO the issuauce of warrants
Tor The arrest OF all the officers direct
ors and employees OF lhc KnIckcrhock
er Steamboat company who, actively
or passivcly. had anything 10 do with
the Hell Gate holocaust
Nor did the verdict of The jurors end
with that. Although question had
arisen as to u.e jurisdiction Of the cor
oner's court in the case Of Inspector
Lundbere a federal Official. the Jurors
decided TO make clean sweep In their
presentmont and made recommcnda-
tlons which led TO his arrest The jury
was ont only 3 hours and 40 minutes,
and at no time. 10 Is said, was there
any division of sentiment 0s 90 what
the vcrdict ought 10 bc
In spite of the protests OF counse, for
the defense the coroner ISSUED war.
rnnts at once Tor The arrest of an those
who we've accuscd by the jury, and as
rapidly as possible they were arrested
or worc brought forward ana surren.
dered 60 the coroner, The jurors were
no respectcrs Of PERSONS Their inn-
ing OF criminal responsibility took in
everybody from the president of the
steamboat company down to the mate
Of the General slocum, who was ac.
cused OF having acted in "cowardly
manner IN the crisis in which about a
thousand persons mostly women ana
children lost their lives.
Manslauehter Charged Against All.
Manslanrhtcr I'm the second degree
was the allegation made against all
these men. ana 10 that. it seems likely,
most Of them VIII be compelled TO
plead and stand trial in the criminal
courts
The officials and directors OF the
Knickcrhociser Steamship company
ngalnst whom these sinister findings
were made with such unanimity were
Frank A. Barnnby president: Charles
T. I'm. secrotury, and G. De Lacey
Evans. Robert *. story Floyd S Cor
bin and Frank g. Dexter, all promi-
nent in shipping circles.
The jury also asserted criminal re
sponsibilty for the catastrophe rested
unon Captain Van Schaick, who com
mnndod the Slocum; Captain pense OF
the Grand Republic, Mate Flannagar
and Inspector Lundherg The allega
tlon against Captain Pease was that
as commodore of the steamboat com
pauy's feet he failed 20 equip the Slo
cum with adequate apparatus Cor fight
ing lire.
The verdict fixing the criminal re
sponslbnity for the terrible loss Of lif'
on the Slocum as found by the coro
ner's jury rehearses the terrible disas
ter of June 10 and. mentioning the Of
ficcrs Of the steamboat company ant
the slocum's officers by name. says:
Main Points Of the Verdict.
That they and each OF them did Not onl,
wholly neglect and omit so 60 do, but. OF
the contrary. furnished and supplied an'
had in and on board Of the said steam
boat on the said 10Th day OF June 1904.
wholly improper and unsuitable FIRE eN
tinguiahing equipment and a wholly in
efficient and undriNed complement OF men
an of whom were undisciplined TO operat
the same as well as an insufficient mum
ber OF good and available life prcserver
and other iifc saving appliances 70 prop
eriy secure the safety Of the persons oi
board the said vessel IN case OF disaster.
The jury finds accordingly:
That the lives OF the deceased were de
stroyed by and through the before men
toned misconduct and negligence OF IN
said Barnaby. Atkinson, Van Schaick an
Peasc and the other directors.
That acts constituting such misconduc
and neglect were in fragrant violation q
the provisions of the federal laws {
which the vessel was subject
After careful consideration the Sur
has come TO the following conclusions am
makes the following recommendauons
First THAT the president. Frank a
Barnaby; the secretary. James *. Atkf
SON. and the board Of directors of IN
1Snickerboclser Steamboat company
r. ~ T
Hill James X. Atkinson, G. DC Lace
Evans. Robert X. Story Floyd S. Carbl
and Frank g. DcNter-wsre guilty
criminal negligence IN the failure 10 %
70 the proper equipment Of the Goaeri
soculn IA the matter Of nrc nghting an
lfe saving appliance OF board said boat
Second. That the captain. William 7
IN schaick, be held crlrainany resaors
bic for tho accident
Thrd--rhat TIE captain. John Z
Tease, tho Acknowledged commodore
the feet. be held criminaly responsib
for the failure TO properly equip the Ger
cral slocura with fire lighting and ~
saviaK appliances.
Fourth.-That Edward FlanaEau. a
mate acted in coNarfiy manner. on
we recogn-ucnd that he be he'd criirinal
feapcueihle Tor failure to perform u
duty or the General siocum ON ,he day
the disaster.
Fgfsh.-rhat in the oTlricn of this jm
the misconduct Of Henry lundNerT. q
government Inspector In falling 10 r
port 20 his superiors the true facts cc
cerning the vessels fire cVtiNCsishirg ai
lie saving equipment. rhQtia he brong
20 the notice of the United Sintcs pros
cutting officials. cr1 vc further hold th
said Henry lundbcrg oc held fcr cr.rnin
negligence by reason OF hts inccmpetent
co .>iees and Indifferent inspection of q
Gt1cisl Siorum'F ini ara 'ifa saving q
planes on tho 5th day oi Asy. l2oi
Sixth.-Tne irry is sisc ef the calni
tnat the Syslefm oi Inspection wh'rh pr
voiis in the harb0r of $o~ York IS !
sGscient ard Socs not properly detcrmi
-esothcs .ht Ifs saving aoparatus al
Ore appliances On the Vessels in ths ha
her arc IN proper grd srifslle c1-t!t
70 sfevent Tie loss & lce. and we rccci
raesd tn tlc SECRETARY - ccn1crce n
labor that he isSas sich instructions
fl.e supervising and i7cal force or