The Washington herald., 1922-02-15
CORONER'S JURY
ORDERS NINE HELD
in THEATER PROBE
Six Blamed in Connection
With It's Design and
Construction.
ContinNed fron Paae one.


They were informed by District
Attorney Gordon he was
The placing of responsibility for
the disaster which cost ninety
seven lives. came Almost seventeen
uays 10 the hour following the COL
lapse of the ponderous steel roof
structure OF the Knickerbocker
Iheater. and following six days OF
hearings before the jury.
IN little more than two weeks
testimony of expert engineers and
architects had been placed before a
Jury sitting to determine the cause
OF the collapse and fix the respon-
sloility. The week preceding the
oEenfng Of the inquest was marked
oy intense investigation on the part
OF government engineers and off,
clals. District Attorney Gordon has
devoted every day since the COL
lapse to work on the investigation.
directed Thentef Construction.
reginald w. Geare, architect for
the ruined structure. the first man
named in the verdict. testified that
ne had approved all plans tprathe
building. and had directed constitute
uon of the theater as general SUI
pervising superintendent" He has
heen an architect in the District for
Twelve years, having studied at
George Washington University here
and also In New York. He resides
AZ 240O Sixteenth street northwest.
Inspector Pratt and Detective
Mullen, following a brief confer
rnce with Assistant Corporation
Counsel Hart. notified the nine men
ordered held by the. jury by tele-
phene. They were ordered to ap-
pear with counsel and bondsmen.
The sweeping order of the cor
"ner's jury reaches all phases of
constructing and engineering busi-
ness in the District as we'll as the
District government
Hits Three Departments.
Norris Hacker is superintendent
of the city refuse department.
Thomas l. Costigan is now super
intendent of the street cleaning
department. and Julian r. Down
man is a computer in the building
inspectors office.
The action is believed the most
far-reaching ever ordered by a
coroner's jury in the District Six
men were ordered held by the cor
Oner's jury investigating the Terra
Gotta railroad wreck of December.
1906, following three days of de-
liberation.
John l. Mcdonald. the only man
affected by the action present when
the verdict was read. Immediately
notified his counsel and departed
from the building. He appeared
greatly affected.
Although practically every man
connected with constructicn and
designing of the theater had been
present at the concluding session
of the inquest. only Ford and Nc
Donald remained in the hall when
the jury went into dcliberation.
Counsel left with their clients i'm
mediately upon the conclusion OF
the testimony at noon. None were
present when the verdict was an
Admits He Changed Plans.
John Fl. Ford testified he had
modified the plans for the steel
structure of the roof of the theater
as engineer and cOmputeT for the
Union Iron Works Company, then
owned and operated by c. A. Snyder
Sons. These same plans were sub
mitted to Geare later and were those
approved by the building inspectors
office, Ford testified. Ford is now
president of the Union Iron Works
Company. owned by a different con-
Germ He is 80 years old and re-
sides at 1000 Sixteenth street north
west.
Morris Hacker testified he had
been building inspector at the time
the Knickerbocker Theater building
permit was issued and the building
constructed. He is now superin-
tendent of city refuse for the Dis.
trict- Hacker resides at 1926 Adams
Mill road.
Wagner Was Contractor.
Frank L. Wagner testified that he
was contractor for the building, in
charge of construction and the hir-
ing of sub-contractors. He has been
in business in the District since
1888, having had charge of the con-
struction of 1876 buildings costing
approximately $1,000. 900. He resides
at 1746 X street northwest and
maintains offices at 1413 II street
northwest.
Richard G.. Fletcher is president
and general manager of the Fletch-
cr Fire PrOOfinS Company. lie tes-
tined he had the contract for
the construction Of the walls and
concrete roof covering Of the thea
ter. as general manager of the Ham
NETT Fire Proofing Company, Wash
ington. Mr.. Fletcher resides at 1890
Chapel Lane.
John l. Mcdonald is president of
the Mcdonald Structural Steel Erec-
He testified he had the contract for
erection of the steel structure in the
building. Mcdonald resides at 33I
Indiana avenue northwest. He is
80 years old and has been in his
present business for the last fifteen
years.
COstIgan Approved Plans.
Thomas l.. Costigan testified he
had eramined the plans of the thea
ter and approved them. authorizing
issuance ia permit as engineer
and computor in the building in
spector's office. He reiterated his
hurry. Costigan is now superinten-
II the District stret cleaning
He resides at 1923
Park road.
Julian r. Downman testified he
had inspected the concrete work on
|the building. He said it was not
|his duty to see II anything was
wrong in the construction of the
|steeI work. Downman. when asked
|kyho was responsible for inspection