Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-12-21
No BLAME FIXED
FOR BIG BLAZE

-
and there lying dead. upon the oaths
Of c. William Heillnan, Charles e.
Cameron, J., Martin Roll, William j.
Hughes, George w. Jagle and Philip
Lindemans good and lawful men Of the
county aforesaid. who being sworn and
charged to inquire on the part of the
State of New Jersey when, where, how
n after what manner the said Carrie
Robrecht came to her death. do say,
upon their oaths aforesaid, that the
said Carrie Robrccht came to her death
by m~isadventure and accident caused
by a fall.
"And the jurors aforesaid, upon their
oaths aforesaid, do further say that
they have found that the said Carrie
Robreet came to her death by mis-
adventure and accident, and not as the
result of the criminal act. either of
omission or commission, on the part
of any individual .or Individuals.
whether as private citizens or public
officials, for the following reasons;
Law Covering Case, Reviewed.
We 3i"FO I@tEAhaA 0ARAAaAktCo LIN
charge of the chief justice, delivered
to the December grand jury on this
subject, and we are advised that under
the omnon law any act on the part
OF the owner OF the building or Of any
tenant therein employing labor,
whether such act was an act of omis-
sion or commission that evinced a reclt-
less disregard Of human life from which
death resulted, would constitute a GRIM
nal homicide.
1--WE are, however, further advised
n we SO understand the chief justice
to have charged the December grand
jury, that inasmuch as the Legislature
OF the STATE has undertaken to pre-
scribe what the duty of the owner of
the building shall be with reference to
providing for the safety Of the occu-
| pants of the building against danger
from fire, the owner of the building and
the tenants therein employing labor are
relieved OF their common law liability,
provided they have compiled with the
requirements of the statute in that re-
spect. The evidence before us shows
that the owner of the building and the
tenants therein employing labor have,
in fact, substantially complied with the
provisions of the statute above referred
10. Under this state of the law we are
unable TO find under the evidence be-
fore US that the said Carrie Robrecht
came to her death as the result OF a
criminal act, either Of omission or COM
mission, on the part of n individual
Duty Ends with Finding.
Strictly speaking, u duty under
the law ends with this finding, but this
disa ster ws2 so appalling and the situ-
alton as II exists in nan other like
buildings In our community is so Beri-
Gus that we feel justified on moral
grounds in stating that 1t is u de-
liberate Judgment, based On the evil
dence adduced before us, that there are
many other factories in this county as
dangerously ituated with respect to
the protection Of employees against
loss of life by fire as Was h building
In question, and We have the statement
OF the chief Of the Newark fire depart
ment, an experienced and, in our
Judgment, efficient fireman, that If a
Are were to occur in many Of these
factories a loss of life as great as that
which ocourred from this building is
necessarily to be expected.
THAT such a situation demands I'M
mediate and drastic treatment by the
Legislature seems to US s~eif-evident.
What the remedy should be for such q
situation we do not undertake to say.
We feel that our duty ends with our
finding on the facts and calling the at
tention of the community to the seri-
BUSINESS OF the situation, to the end that
the Legislature and all public officials
charged with any duty in the premises
may take such action as the facts de-
veloped demand
I'm witness whereof, as well the said
coroner as the said jurors, have to
this inquisition set their hands and
seals on the day and in the yea afore-
said. at the place aforesaid"