The Washington herald., 1922-02-15


Three District EnPIoye. Held.
Three men. all employees OF the
District, were ordered held for '-fn-
adequate supervision and insper-
tion" OF the ruined theAter. They
are Morris Hacker. Thomas l.. Cos
tigan and Julian r. Downman.
Although the jury named the nine
men as responsible for the death OF
the ninety-seven victims of the
Rnickerbocker disaster. no charge
has been placed against them. In
voluntary msnslaughte=. carrying =
maximum penalty OF fifteen, years
in the District, u the only charge
which may be placed against them
District Attorney Gordon eNplaine1
last night
The verdict. which carried a bit
ter Indictment OF the work OF the
men on the structure and criticised
severely the "unwiliingness and
mental reservations" displayed bN
many witnesses" on tho stand dur
ing the Inquest, was reached after
seven hours and Eve minutes Of de-
liberation.
The jury was given the case at
12:25 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
They retired for lunch and ress-
sembled at las. At 7:25 last night
they called District Attorney Cor
don and Coroner J. Ramsay Nevitt
into the board room Of the District
Building. where they were deliber-
atinE and where the inquest had
been conducted for six days.
Verdict Announced at si4e.
AT $40 the doors were opened aud
the few spectators waiting in the
halls and reporters were given the
verdict.
After ordering the nine men held.
the Jury in its verdict attacked con-
ditions in the building inspectors
office which demanded mo special
qualifications" for men employed.
and condemned reports Of building
inspectors who worked on the
rsined theater building.
Revision of the building code.
closing OF all theaters and places oI
public assembly and better equip
ment Of the fire department. were
recommended.
John l. Mcdonald. subcontractcr
who erected the steel work fer the
Knickerbocker roof. was the only
man ordered held who was present
when the verdict was reacheds-Johu
III. Ford. also ordered heldz had
waited in the halls Of the buiidinE
for several hours during the afcer-
noon.
VIII Ask $1,000 Ball.
Inspector Pratt and Detective
Mullen were Immediately given the
list of men ordered held by the jury
and directed by District Attorney
Gordon to notify the nine men 10
appear at his Office at 10 oelociC~
this morning. Commitment papers
will be served at this time. Bail
of 5000 will be asked. District At
torney Gordon indicated last night.
The conclusion OF the first pubIIc
investigation In washinstons great
est disaster was marked by little.
excitement. Only about ten men,
engineers and, relatives of victims
were In the main corridor on the
NTH foor OF the District Building
outside the board room when the
doors were opened and the verde,
announced
Prosecution Aids Jurors.
District Attorney Gordon aud
Coroner hewitt. who had been with
the jury during the last hour or
their deliberation. aiding in com
piling the conclusions reached by
the six men. thanked the jurymen
for their patience and devotion 20
duty. and left the building. Nal
Gordon spoke with Police Inspector
Pratt relative 10 notification OF a..
nine men. The six members Of The
Jury-R. c. Brown, NJ "A. Winter.
W. w. Riley, NJ W. Kelly. c. J.-Gfs
bert and ii. d. r. Long-hastened
from the rooms. following their
long deliberation and six DAYS
of Inquest. They had left the room.
only once during the eight hours
rve minutes at 2:3o o'clock for q
recess
district Attorney Gordon. who
had conducted. in co-operatiogf with
Coroner hewitt. the exsBtustf5n OF
witnesses during the inquest an
nounced he would place the cas-.
before the grand jury '"as soon as II
is physically possible" He sSA o.
should go to the grand jury BY the
last OF the week or carly next
week.
An But Oae TestIaeS.
All OF the men ordered held hat
testified before The jury with IN.
exception OF Donald Wallace. named
by frank L. Wagner-contract as
superintendent OF construction % :
the building. During the course o.
their deltberation. the jury asked
thIough William SchoEcbcrEer
morgue master. In charge Of the
jury room, N Wallace was slives