Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-29

steamboat inspection service investf-
CATION were Captain Westcott, super
/ visor Of inspection for this district and
Inspectors Ecklif and Reid OF Grand
Haven.
The county grand jury, which was
adjourned yesterday following a con
ference between Secretary RedfeId
and States Attorney. Hoyne. was re
i convened this morning and the report
/ of the coroner's jury recommending
+ that six persons be held was laid be
/ fore it.
A charge of manslaughter was rec
commended by the coroner's jury
against William Il. Hull general man
ager Of the company owning the East
land; Harry Peterson. captain of the
/ Eastland; Joseph \. Ericsson, chief en-
gineer of the Eastland; Walter K,
/ Greeuebaum. general manager Of the
Indiana Transportation company.
which chartered the EastIandi Robert
Reid and Charles c. Eckliff, steamboat
inspectors at Grand Haven Mich The
/ jury declared that the Eastland was
both improperly constructed for the
service employed and improperly load
ed, operated and maintained, and that
| the parties uaaed= are Responsible
An investigation Of the circum-
stances Of the construction Of the boat
was recommended TO ascertain if
there can be found legal methods by
which those responsible for its defects
lin construction can be held account
able"
States Attorney HOyne will decide to-
day how far the county grand jury can
+ proceed in view of Secretary Redfeld's
/ Representations yesterday that the
state lacks Jurisdiction over federal in
/ spectors located in another state. The
/ solution OF this question viii have
great deal TO do with determining the
extent to which the county grand jury
/ will follow the recommendations Of the
coroner's jury.
The plan to raise the EastIand by
( use Of derricks was abandoned today
because of the immense weight Of wa
ter within the hull, and work was be
gun to seal the openings in the boat
so that the water might be pumped out
and the hull f0ated. The engineers
in charge Of the work said that it
would require several days.
Inspectors Refuse to Talk.
Assistant States Attorney Edward J.
Raber. in charge of the drawing OF in
dfctments in the states attorneys Of
fee. said today after looking up the
law. that in his opinion, indictments on
charges of mansIaughter, conspiracy
or criminal carelessness could be sus-
tained against four OF the six persons
ordered held by the cOroner's jury He
is still investigating the jurisdiction OF
the grand jury over the federal in
spectors, who were also ordered held
by the coroner's jury.
Those over whom the state grand
jury has Jurisdiction, in the opinion of
Mr.. Raber, are.
william Fl. Hull, vice president and
general manager Of the 81 Joseph
Chicago Steamship company, which
owned the Eastland.
Walter X Greenebaum, general
manager of the Indiana Transporta- /
tion company. which chartered the
boat.
Harry Petersen, captain of the East
land.
Joseph NJ. Ericsson. chief engineer of
the Eastland.
Those ordered held TO the grand !
Jury by the verdict OF the coroner's
Jury and over whom Dit. Raber is not /
vet certain as to jurisdiction. are;
Robert Reid. United States steam /
boat inspector, Grand Haven. Mich.
Charles c. Eckliff, United States /
steamboa inspector. Grand Haven, !
Mich.
Reid and Ecklif arrived here today. /
They declined to talk.