South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-05
SUMMON OWNERS TO
TESTIFY At HEARlkG
Representatives of Estates and
Men Connected With Re-
modelling Work Are Called
Criminal Inquiry May Follow
Says Prosecutor.

Acting under appointment or Mayor
Charles L. Goetz. almost the iast of
the important acts OF that official. %
comm ttee Of ten. with eN-Judge
George A. Farabaugh as chairman.
began an investigation Of the I12-114
$. Michigan ST. catastrophe OF Sat
urday night. at the chairman's office
in the j. Nj. = building at . o'clock
Monday afternoon.
The committee as named by Mayor
Goetz sunday, aside from Chairman
Farabaugh. consists of VIM. s.
Moore. city engineer. Irving w Sib-
rel, new chief Of the fire department,
Eli +. Seebirt, new city attorney.
Chris. Fassnacht and II. G. Christ
man, contractors; George Freyer-
muth and Ernest Young. architects.
+. +. Powell, local manager OF the
Indiana Inspection bureau. and ". Z.
Kelley the bureau Inspector
Nelson Fl Kyser, deputy state FAC
tory Inspector. who. during his cam
paign for the democratic nOminaton
for mayor last fall carried a build
ing inspection plank in his platform,
VIII sit with the committee without
vote. however. in behalf of the state.
Coroner Thomas J. Swantz. also an
nounces an immediate and thorough
investigation from his office Incl
dent 10 the deaths Of Wilbur Church
i'll, Delbert Hibberd and Ling Long.
which were caused by the collapse.
Committee Begins Work.
The GOetZ Investigating committee
began its work Sunday afternoon 90
the extent Of completing the organ
iZation, and Monday morning Com
mitteemen Fassnachct and Scebirt
began work under detail. by securing
the sworn statements OF Theodore
lot Of
the Chinese restaurant owner who
were rescued alive, but lie injured az
EpwoTth hospital.
Jacob Wagner and John King.
who narrowly escaped with their
lives, were summoned TO appear in
person. as were also ID. VI Shively
and Albert Horne. representatives u
the Shively and Horne estates. les
sors: + NJ Murphy, general manag
er OF the Independent Five and Ten
Sent stores, lessees: William Solarek.
contractor, and w. ". Schneider. ar
chitect.
No Inspection Possible.
The permit for remodeling this
building was granted 20 the Independ-
ent Five * Ten Cent stores. oct. -.
1919. and extended 10 the right L.
remodel the store fronts al a cost
Of $4,000. VIM. SOlarek is given as
the contractor. There was no :l-
city inspector. and no ordinance pro
viding for inspection. The purpose
Of the permits is mainly 10 keep track
OF the amount OF building being
done and the nature OF d.. according
TO Clerk A. r. Perley.
1T has not been our custom 10 in
spect buildings" said Clerk Pcrlev.
because we have had no authority 90
enforce an inspection, after having
made one"
building ordinance and effective
building inspection appears quite GER
tain 20 result from the work of the
Goetz committee and Coroner Svantz.
regardless OF where the blame for the
collapse may be laid
An ordinance has already been
partially prepared b~ Architects Er-
nest Young T. =. Austin and Rol-
land Adelsperger. this under the d.
rectiOn Of the Chamber OF Commerce
The work. about half done was laid
aside some months ago. but wiz now
probably be revived. completed and
placed before the new board OF pub-
JIG works ana the council
New Administration Interested.
The board OF works VIII cooperate
in every way 90 bring about building
regulations in South Bend said
T. n Morris. Monday 4. IT. Rice
and John B Weber. other members
Job Saturday night. are said 10 be en-
thuslasting for a building ordinance
and building inspection.
Mayor Keller has also given assur-
ance Of MS approval OF such q move
ment
The collapse may also have some
effect upon the decision 10 be reach
ed hy the board or public safety rel-
ative 90 the appointment Of city
electrician. which may he turned %
include building inspection under the
new ordinance. Pres. Augustine and
other members of the ncw board ~
safety feel that they have some inter
est in the prevention of such eatas-
trophies
Whether Prosecutor Montgomery
viii bring the affair 20 the attention
Of the next grand jury viii depend
no doubt upon the amount of Grim
inal negligence brought out by the
two Investigations under way. A.
representative OF the prosecutors OF
flee VIII be detailed 20 attend most
OF the hearings.
Counter Charges Made.
Charges and counter charges OF re-
sponsibility stand about where they
did Saturday night and SUNDAY SD
volved. ShiEeh and Horne. repre-
senting the estates owning the BUILD
ings remodeled and wrecked. de-
clare that it was al the work 0f the
independent Five a. Ten Cent stores.
which under the leases did the re-
modelling al their own expense ana