New-York tribune., 1921-04-01
Whitman Jurors Charge
Manslaughter and Neg
ilgence Against Preven-
ton Chief and Two Aids
Hold Owner, Too, in
Maiden Lane Blaze
Declare Failure to Alter
Building for Safety Was
Big Factor in Tragedy

DR.. William F. Doyle. chief Of the
Bureau Of Fire Prevention of the New
York Fire Department, and two mem
bers Of his staff were indicted yester-
dsv bv the extraordinary grand jury
in charge of the Whitman investi-
CATION.
Those indicted with Dr.. Doyle were
Deputy Chief William H. Swartout and
Thomas F. Lsntry, q member of the
Fire Department. A fourth indictment
Eyas voted against Robert A. Powers,
alleged owner of a building at 16 and
Is Maiden Lane, in which six lives were
lost in q fire in January, 1920.
The indictments returned yesterday
we're based on the alleged culpable
negligence on the part of the accused
in failing to see that adequate fire es-
capes were provided. The true bills
sllege manslaughter in the second
degree,
With the exception of Powers, who
was said to be i'll, all of the indicted
men gave themselves up at the Grim
inal Courts Building yesterday after
noon. and after pleading not guilty to
the charges were admitted to bail in
the amount of $4,000 each. Powers was
released in the custody of his counsel.
All the indictments voted by the
Whitman grand jury yesterday resulted
from the Maiden Lane fire. Three in
dictments were filed charging each of
the defendants with manslaughter, the
prison sentence limit for which is fif-
lsen years.
Charges Building Condemned
According to the indictments. the
building at Is and 18 Maiden Lane had
been condemned under the law, but
action had been withheld by the Board
q Review of the Fire Department. In
1919 several violations OF the building
code were ordered remedied, providing
sor means Of egress n case OF fire and
more fire escapes
The Indictment charges that the
Beard OF Review granted an extension
Of seven moths to May, 1920, to change
cr remedy these defects. Fire, which
cost six lives, broke out in the mean
Tine.
1t is alleged that this is a violation
q Subdivision 3 of SECTION 1862 of the
Fenal Law. This relates to culpable
negligence where death results, with a
penalty OF fifteen years imprisonment
Clvil suits have already been brought
a the supreme Court by widows of
iaen who lost their lives and have result
ea IN the payment of more than $4,000
damages in settlement
former Governor Charles S. Whit
nan, VINO presented the evidence be-
-ofs the grand jury, said afterward:
in March, 1918, the Fire Depart
neht' charged by the statute with the
ealorcement o. the labor laws of the
asase IN the city, directed the discon-
,huance OF serious violations of the
iaw on the factory premises in Maiden
Lane and Liberty Place.
mere seems to have been no effort
s. ~ comply with the directions from the
r'fe department, and after a compara-
VERY snort time the order was some
Nnat modified by the department. prac-
.seany sus9ending without any author
~ OF law whatever certain of the
mandatory provisions of the labor law,
aho the owner was again instructed to
@ske certain important changes.
Declares it Was Ignored
NJ attention apparently was paid to
a.sSe instructions for several months,
anu aiter some correspondence be-
"eeh the department and the owner
VI agents Of the property the order
siN sas again slightly and, in my opinion,
legally modified, and again the owner
vas erected to make certain changes
% provided by the labor law for the
protection of human life in the
Again' for some months, although
sspections were occasionally made, no
esort whatever was made on the part
" y; .ne ". owners to obey the instructions
~ 'he department, or on the part of
,.s oepartment to enforce it's orders
30, provided by law This condition
n SHSinued Sud for nearly two years, or up
m.ns Ssepsember, 1919, when the depart
made its directions to the effect that
Continued fnur