Evening star., 1922-02-03
Imposing List of Witnesses
to Appear in Knickerbocker
Case Next Tuesday,.
ENGINEERS COMPLETE
THEIR INVESTIGATION
Citizens Demand That There Be
No Let-Up Until Responsibility
Is Fully Fixed.

foTecasting important testimony
| from every angle concerning the
cause and responsibility of the
knickerbocker disaster an imposing
list of witnesses for the coroner's
inquest Tuesday was nearing compile
! tion today.
While the various agencies investi-
eating the tragedy marked time.
awaiting further developments, sum
mons for the inquest were being
served on witnesses by the police de-
partment. The inquest. it is said.
will reveal facts upon which to base
; the other Investigations now under
way.
United States Attorney Gordon was
awaiting a compete report of the
preliminary investigation, made at his
detailed by Secretary Of War Weeks.
These engineers reported today their
investigation was complete and re-
port is now being compiled.
Demand for Probe Growa
Demands for a thorough and rig id
| investigation Of the cause Of the
Knickerbocker accident continued to
be made today BY representative cit
i2ens. The general tone of these pro-
tests was to the effect that there
must be not let-up until the crash
is explained to the satisfaction oi
every citizen.
Inspector Daniel Sullivan, acting
superintendent of Police, and In
spector Clifford l.. Grant. chief of de-
tectives. are taking a hand in tile
! investigation of the accident with
view to furnishing Coroner Newt;
the names of all available witr,s3es
TO appear at the inquest TuesGa,
morning. Coroner Nevitt also has
taken an active part in the investies-
| tion and it is thought witnesses
will be on hand to tell Of every phase
of the affair.
Detective Charles Mullen today is
sunmoning the witnesses. His lis.
! includes the names of Morris Hacker,
building inspector at the time the
theater was erected; 7. L. CoStiSan.
i computing engineer; ]. r. bowman.
engineer and J. P. Healy, presen,
building inspector. A. K. Seldom, an
assistant building inspector at tn
time the theater was erected. is now
y resident of Clearwater, Fla, and
United States Attorney Maj. Peyton
Gordon has directed that he be
former assistant building inspector.
| is dead.
! Other names on the list of wit
nesses being summoned today are
Reginald w. Geare, architect: p. J..
Wagner, general contractor: Richaru
G. Fletcher, Fletcher Fireproofing
| Company: j. L. Mcdonald. subcon-
| tractor for the ironwork of the build
ing; J. H. Ford. designer for steel
work and NJ. S. Rich, structural en-
gineer.
Eyewitnesses to Be Called.
In addition to the foregoing names.
it Is stated, Coroner Nevitt will sup
ply the names of several persons who
were in the building the night of the
| disaster. and expert witnesses will
| be examined to enligten the jury upon
! the conditions which were found to
exist when the walls and beams were
examined after the collapse of the
| roof.
Coroner hewitt today asked the po-
| lice to find some of the men. eSpe-
/ cially the steel and iron workers, who
were employed on the Knickerbockcr
! Theater building at the time it was
under construction. Word came to
! the coroner that one of the heavy
steel beams to the west Of the screen
| was approximately eight inches
! shorter than the others. His infor-
| nation was that it was used, how
ever. and that 1t rested only four
inches on the wall.
! +. T. McCord, 1711 Euclid street.
| who was in the theater with his wife
| and child when the roof collapsed. the
! three members Of the family being
saved. is expected to tell the jury
an interesting story of when the sag
| ginS of the roof was first noticed.
! He is reported, to have said the sag
| ging was about where ii was re-
! ported that the short beam was
| placed.
Mr McCord saw Coroner hewitt
last night and told of his experience IN
| the building.
! Coroner hewitt this afternoon said
| he was satisfied with the police inc
| vestigation of the affair. He said he
| felt certain that the police would
have all the necessary testimony 20
enable the jury to reach correct
verdict. ~
The building department OF the Dis
trict government opposed the use Of
! hollow tile construction within the
| fire limits of the city for number
! of years and only permitted it's use
/ generally after the board of fire uu
| derwriters sanctioned il in their
| model code.
| This statement was made today by
Building Inspector Healy, who said
that this type Of construction. now
used generally, was not allowed here
until the city Of New York also had
provided for it,
| Inspector Healy said that for a
long time before he became head oil
, the building departme the tile in
| tile permitted within the fire limits.
Opposed Use of Tile.
The present inspector of buildings
said It fell to his lot to meet the men
/