The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-03-07
INQUEST
MAYSTART
SATURDAY
Prosecutor Will Take
Personal Charge Of
Fire Probe
CORONER is
AFTER THE FACTS
Will Make Every Effort
to Fix Responsibility,
He Saws

Inquest into the deaths of ave
nremen killed early Sunday morn
ing by the collapse OF the floors OF
the building az No. 1877 Woodward
ave. will begin either Saturday or
Monday. according to Coroner J. w.
Rothacher.
While the coroner has selected a
Jury OF building experts, and has
also engaged the services OF a prom.
inent contractor and architect. Pros
ecutor Jasnowski is preparing to as
sumo personal charge OF the inquiry.
Recalling that there have been IN.
Vulnerable inquests In Wayne county
In which coronors' juries made
charges OF criminal negligence. only
TO have the case dropped az that
point. Dr. Rothacher said;
III jury OF able and competent
citizens go into facts as deeply as
We have been going into them in
recent inquests. don't see why
prosecution cannot follow. II the jur-
ors hold that there waa criminal
negligence. That is all up to the
prosecutor: all can do n present
the facts TO him. and that's what I'm
going 10 do in this case. I don't care
who is hitP
Prosecutor Jasnowski declared
that prosecutions and convictions
of individuals were not the true OBJ
iects OF the inuuests.
They bring the facts before the
people. as they did In the Forest
ave. grade crossing horror. and that
is the greatest benent Of the coro-
mere inquest" said the prosecutor
They arouse public opinion. and
when public opinion Is aroused we
are sure TO get the improvements
that are needed. This was shown In
the Forest-ave. case. While no one
was sent 10 Jail. the state railroad
commission immediately got busy.
with the result that 1s7 new gates
we're placed at crossings.
While ! will not say that there
il no ground for prosecution In the
latest horror. am confident that
such thoro investigation az DR..
Rothacher IL making cannot but
remedy what appears like a bad
situation"
Funeral services were held Tues
day afternoon for Captain Ale1an-
der Cockburn an the family resi-
dence, No. 1867 Wabash-ave.. the
Rev. u. J. jeffrey OF Scvel Memoir
lal church oficiating. Seventy FIRE
men acted az escorts 10 the casket.
AS the cortege passed into Grand
River-ave. on It's way 10 Grand
Lawn cemetery, bells OF are engine
houses tolles and business came to
a standstill. Mayor Marx, Fire Com
missloners Chittenden, Schantz, Bos.
queu and Clippert. and Secretary
Finn. OF the Gre commission. we're
among the 500 or more who attended
the services.
Funeral services for three OF the
other hremen who lost their lives
were held this afternoon William
] schill was buried from bis home,
No. 954 Alexandrine-ave. cast at 2
o'clock. and services we're held for
Otto A. Mattick in his home, No.
2O4 BerlIn-st. II was arranged to
have the funeral professions meet
AZ McDouEall-Ave. and Berlin-st. and
complete the journey 70 Elmwood
cemetery together.
The body OF Oscar Locke was sent
to his home In Bay City Tuesday
and funeral services viii be held
there during the afternoon. Six
members OF the Detroit IRE depart
ment viii act as pail bearers.
Alon.o r. Kimbsips body has been
sent to the home Of HIS parents In
Greenville, Mich. Arrangements for
his funeral have not been completed.