Evening star., 1914-02-14

secret inquiry statements by the captain
of No. 6 to the effect that when a police
man called at his house on the night o,
the fire to inform him that third alarm
had been turned. he told Lanahan the
alarm was from box 14.
On the stand today Lanahan said thai
he had to go to the police station. after
having been awakened by police officer
to ascertain the location Of the fire.
Darr's attack on what he termed q con-
fiict OF testimony brought forth protest
from Attorney Syme. who stated that
apparent conflict of testimony was of q
trivial character I.anahan at one time
appeared to lose his temper at the close
questioning of Suliivan's attorney, and
stated he did not want to be put in the
position of having his veracity questioned
Those Held Responsible.
Chairman Brooke of the trial board
posed to look out for the safety of men
who have been sent into a burning build
ing. The reply was. the man who sends
them in and all the chiefs who know
they are there.
Lanahan was followed on the stand by
Capt W. A. Dixon Of No. 3 truck COM
pany, who testified that there was no
rule which requires a subordinate officer
to report to a superior officer.
He was asked by Mr.. Sheehy If he had
been in charge of the fire would he have
ordered men into the building. Witness
said that he would have.
Asked by Corporation Counsel Syme
II he, the witness, had sent men into
the building and then been ordered else
where, would he have felt 1t his duty
to report their presence to superior
officer? Dixon said that this was not
customary, but that he would try to
look out for the safety of his men
in, Ia d.,clo hot hoy,
is no rule that would require the deputy
chief who has placed men in a certain
position TO report the fact to the chief
engineer.
Proctor Rigidly Cross-Examined.
Battalion Chief Proctor was subject
ed to rigid cross-examination by At
torney O'Donoghue at the afternoon
session yesterday. Effort was made
by counsel to attack Proctor's credi-
bility as a witness. Testimony given
by the third battalion chief at the Sc
cret inquiry conducted by Commission
er Siddons was referred to frequently
by ODonoghue. who attempted to
show that some of Proctor's state
ments made yesterday did not agree
with what he previously had asserted
while being examined by the Commits
sioner. ODonoghue's questions went
into Proctors record as a fireman. He
brought out admissions from the bat
TALON chief as to his activities in GER
tain directions. which counsel attempt
ed to show was in violation of the
rules and regulations Of the depart
ment.
Deputy Chief Sullivan was exon
Grated from all blame connected with
any mismanagement of the ten-cent
store fire by Edward +. Croker, former
chief of the New York fire department,
who went on the stand after Proctor
had testified. He said Sullivan did the
right thing in sending men into the
first floor of the burning structure.
Asked how Chief Wagner could have
known Of the presence of the men in
the building if sullivan did not report
the fact to him, Croker testified that 1t
is the duty of the chief engineer in
charge at a fire to inform himself as
to conditions. The rules of the New
York fire department, he said. do not
require an inferior officer to report to
the chief engineer when that official
arrives at the scene of fire and takes
command.