New-York tribune., 1911-12-19
TRIANGLE DEFENCE BEGINS
uany Will Say Door Was Not
Locked, Counsel Says.
MEN ON TRIAL TO TESTIFY
p.osecution Saves Till Last Two
Girls Who Were with Mar
garet Schwartz,


..o-zine Lss clients with granddaughter
s,s,nissed yesterday afternoon. Max d.
S,suer opened the defence Of the PRO
-sotors Of the Triangle Waist Company.
n. told the Jury the two defendants
,,orId take the stand in their own behalf.
,fav Blanck, lie said, would tell them II
.rravs was his custom 70 try the doors
,.sdirg 70 the several lofts and see that
10 we're open. His partner, Isaac Har-
= he added. would swear that the
washington Place doors of the Triangle
vr57st Company we're always kept open
during working hours.
"Not only that" continued Mr.. Steuer
.,,+ several foreladies and others whose
duties took them from one floor TO snoth-
er o,U testify that they used the Wash
tnrton Place door on the ninth floor the
very day Of the FIRE and found II open.
"We Will show you that several girls
made their escape by the Washington
place door on the ninth floor. Three
girls VIII testify 10 that one Of them
Vas crippled in the fire. Two will tell
Won they opened the Washington Place
ooor and went TO the roof, and that
while going up they saw other giIls
i-ave by the same door,
Nr Steuer paused for moment. This
,s the door that witness after witness
without exception. who testified for the
prosecution swore was locked at the
time of the IRE. thus cutting of their
escape. And II is because Of this alleged
fact that the defendants are on trial
Says Girls Kept Door Closed.
He said other witnesses would testify
tfs KEYS were always in the door. Braun
me machinist, whom several witnesses
Tor he state swore opened the Washing
ton Place door on the eighth floor with
. kew Immediately after the fire. would
swear the door was kept closed by the
crowd Of girls pressing against 1t. he
said
Braun VIII tell you that he had a ter
rihIe time lighting his way through the
dense mass of girls" he said. and ne
viii tell YOU that he tried 10 turn the
KEY. but it would not move. and then
h. turned the knob and the door opened
he intimated the fire hose in the hall
was faulty and that had il been perfect
the fire might have been checked at its
inception. He ended by saying the fac
tory was conducted in most up-to-date
manner.
Not once did he refer 70 the charred
fragment Of a door with the lock at
tached and its shot bolt which the prose-
c1tion alleges TO be part Of the Wash
iugtou Place door on the ninth floor.
Prosecution Saves Trumps.
Assistant District Attorney Bostwick
held ont his trump card until the last
oay. This was in calling two girls who
we're with Margaret Schwartz just before
.sle was burned % death. Her death is
.t.e specihc charge against Harris &
.H auck. one Of these girls was Kate
Alderman. Of No. 1923 East Susquehanna
avenue. Philadelphia.
worked alongside Margaret
S.nHartz.' she testified. Il was in the
dressing room on the ninth floor when
tle fire started. Margaret was with me
Margaret and I ran 10 the Washington
f. -~ 7 ...,,- ts.r,,s+cfr a brother
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me -'"r' 1 pusheu lleI dsiu' anu u '7u ~
oatn To pot couidh l. Inc" sue S'''' ''
Que . - '.'-- 3. - a.. Cd, -,
last. The door is locked" Then came a
f.g volume Of smoke. Margaret Clutched
-. a. A. 81
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