Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-11
GOVERNMENT COUNSEL
IS READY TO PROCEED
Prosecutor Will Act With Vigor in
Investigation Of Collapse
of Building.

The White House today made public
correspondence showing that the President
has taken a hand in urging an investiga-
house at the southwest corner of Goth
and streets last Tuesday and the
death of several men. In reply to the
communication above from Secretary
Loeb United States Attorney Baker to-
day wrote:
Office of the United States Attorney,
District of Columbia, Washington,
ID. c., June II, 1908.
Hon. William Loeb. Jr.. Secretary to
the President, White House. WASH
ington, d. G.
NV Dear Mr. Loeb: I have your
communication of the 10th instant:
have already taken up the investiga-
tion of the recent collapse of the
apartment house. and have detailed
Mr.. Turner, one of my assistants,
with the detectives and other assist
ants to be present at the coroners
inquest and bring to light every detail
and circumstance of this tragedy, SO
that all to whom blame may in the
leastwise attach shall be brought to
the bar and be prosecuted to the limit
of the law. / shall not rest content
with the examination of the coroner.
whatever it's result may be, but shall
consider the whole matter personally.
and if the circumstances warrant. pre-
sent il Immediately to the grand jury.
| share fully the feeling that such out
RACES should be penalized In every way
i'm which the law may afford punish
ment. Respectfully,
DANIEL w. BAKER.
United States Attorney, d. c.
Commissioners Waiting for Verdict
-icif
House and conferred with the Presiden
in reference to the matter.
No desire to discuss the Pickford apart
ment house disaster was shown by tht
Commissioners today. They prefer to wai'
until after a verdict in the corOner's in
ouest has been rendered before they ven
ture any personal opinions regarding the
conditions.
1t IL authoritatively stated that thu
principal object Of Commissioners Mac.
fnrIand and West In attending the ses.
siOps at the c0rOner's inquest is to ''ge'
| a line, on the methods Of inspection
ETC., and to familiarize themselves with
| sufficient technical knowledge and terms
pre- paratOry to institutlng = rigid IN
| vesttxatiOn of the building INSPECTOR
Office.
Information was furnished the Commits
| sioners today to the effect that a larg'
number of builders and architects arr
| dissatisfied with the conduct of this Of
flee and that a movement has been starte'
nv members of the Builders Association
| of this city to bring about the reorganiza
| ton Of this important municipal depart
ment. Some officials of this department
said today that they have been anticipa
| ting such a course.
Ashford Is Coming.
Snowden Ashford. building inspector
who has been sojourning at Berkele,
Springs for a week or SO. and who wa
telegraphed by Commissioner Morrow yes
terday to report to him without delay
has replied that he will reach Washington
at 4:3O o'clock this afternoon. Mr.. Ash
ford will be called to testify at the cor
oner's inquest.
Regardless of any verdict rendered b,
the coroners jury, officials of the Dis:r.c
engineer department are Of the decides
| opinion that the cause of the collapse o
the Pickford apartment house was due L
either of two things-that the centerini
| used for holding the concrete floors wa
| insufficiently braced to Withstand the i'm
pact from rammtng the concrete int,
place. or the outer walls were green.
and consequently bulged from the latera
| pressure exerted by the ramming of tn
| concrete.
| This is the version of Commissions
! Morrow as was exclusively printed II
| The Star yesterday. Others who are o
| the same opinion are A. NJ. POynton. act
ing building inspector: c. W. Somerville
! Continued on Second Page.)