Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-12
Fixes RESPONSIBILITY
FOR BUILDING COLLAPSE
Coroner's Jury Holds Messrs. Ash
ford, Blake. Bayne and T. II.
Pickford Criminally Liable.

"Ne find that the said RicharA wess
came 10 his death from crushed vou,A.
Oh the chest and asphy yxfatfon. Said in
1uries were caused by being caught in
fnfhng building being constructed st
@Oth and + streets northwest and owned
oy one Thomas III. PickfOrd the cause
Oh the fall of which we determine Tn
nave been the faulty construction aS
the corner pier. which was not Of sum-
cienf strength, as computed aud passed
os the building inspectors once.
'heref"re. we hold the foIlovvin, uer-
so"s rriminntfy responsible and for the
inrrner I'LL, n:ti"n of the grand Jurys
S District inspector of huildinxs.
Sno"den ashford. for the auprOyaI oc
plans for the said building.
foreman of iron construction.
n"rr! biake. employed by Barrier n
iron work. VI e"e
"JOhn Frank Bayne, the brtcl .o,t-
tor. Tor the hasty construction and nse
OF poor material.
"Thomns II. Pickford, for uexlire...
,.... no, navlnH practical and competent
I."h IN charge of the general ccnstruc
ioh and suPervisiOn OF the dINerrnt
work OF the several cOntractOr..,
Inc foregoing was the finding of the
jury summoned by Coroner Nevatt to in
quire into and determine the responsi-
oiiliy Tor the collapse last Tuesday of a
portion of four floors i'm the new apart-
inent mousse in course of construction at
TIE southwest corner of Goth and p
streets northwest. in which Lemuel King,
steamfitter. and Richard West. coIored
laborer. We're killed. The inquest.
which was held only over the body of
West. was begun last Wednesday morn
ing al III o'clock and yesterday the ses-
sion was prolonged until after IL O'Clock
r. M. when the verdict was rendered hold
ing Messrs. Ashford. Blake. Bayne and
Pckford criminalIy responsible for the
death of West
The jury was made up of the following:
George Muller. jr.. Henry Thomfordt S.
e. Cornwell, Henry kess. Frank J.
Acker and \. J. Sanford, Mr.. Muller act
ing as foreman. Messrs. Muller and San
ford were members of the coroner's jury
which sat i'm the inquistion into the Ter
IA Gotta wreck.
Reaching a Verdict.
After the jury had returned from
visit to the wrecked apartment house
yesterday afternoon IL was declared the
inquest would be continued without in
terruption until the jury was satisfied
from the evidence submitted that it would
be possible to reach verdict. AS result
the taking of testimony was continued
until long after o'clock last evening and
the jury required nearly four hours more
before placing its completed verdict in
Coroner Nevitts hands. Ii is understood
an agreement was reached at 1870
o clock, but the next hour was devoted TO
preparation of the document.
AS soon the result was announced
Central Office Detectives Helan and
Grant. acting under orders of Coroner
hewitt and of Assistant United States
Attorney Turner, went in search OF
Messrs. Ashford. Blake. Bayne and Pick
ford. Two of them were reached by tele-
phone and the others notified personally
to appear at police headquarters without
delay. All four had assembled there
about midnight. and messenger was
sent for Assistant Clerk Mckee of the
District Supreme Court The coroners
commitment was served each of the
four, demanding their presence before
the grand jury at a date to be specified
by that body. Many friends Of the de-
PENDANTS proceeded to police headquarters
with them, several of the most infiuen-
tial builders OF the city being present TO
afford any aid required In the way OF
giving bonds
Clerk Mckee prepared bonds in the
sum of $5 900 for each of the four. and
as soon as the papers were properly
signed the men We're released.
Thomas H. Melton qualified as surety
for Building Inspector Sno xden Ashford:
George c. Pumphrey. for J. r. Bayne:
Samuel Ross of Barber & Ross, for Harry
Blake and William f. and Samuel Pick
ford. for their brother, Thomas II. Pick
ford.
Bricklayer Gives Testimony.
the building, was the first witness called