Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-07-07
Grand Jury Goes Over
Ruins and Will Ex-
anime Photographs
Taken Later
Death List Stands at 43 With
Two Bodies Unidentified
Special Appropriation $685..
600 for Clearing Away Ruins
is Witnesses Heard-Ar-
rest Laborer for Keeping
Money Found in Debris

Boston, July 6.-(AP)-The Suf.
folk grand jury went into evening
session tonight in its investigation
to determine the cause of the coll
lapse Of the Pickwick Club building
last Saturday on a crowd of more
than 100 jewellers, of which AZ per-
ished.
Forty-one bodies had been identi-
fed tonight. OF the eighteen per-
sons who were injured, five were re.
leased from the hospitals today. The
two bodies still unidentified are those
of men, one of them mangled al
most beyond hope of recognition.
District Attorney Thomas C. o.
Brien today led the grand jury
through the wreckage and described
the collapse to them while a pho
tographer made pictures which will
be examined by the grand jury
later. Governor Fuller instructed
Attorney General Jay r. Benton to
begin an investigation for the state
and men from the attorney generals
office as we'll as from the depart.
ment of public safety. were sent to
the building. The city Investigation
is being conducted through the DO
lice department and the office of
John II. Mahoney, building commits
sioner.
No further statements came from
the mayors Office today, beyond the
announcement that special appro-
priation OF $4,000 for clearing away
the ruins had been passed.
Before adjourning for dinner to-
night, the grand jury had heard 16
witnesses among them Tim" ana
Dan Barry, the former president
OF the Pickwick Club. Barry de-
clared that he had nothing to con-
Gear and testified that he leased
only the second floor of the build
ing from Henry Bloomberg of Win.
throp. He had secured Bloomberg's
permission to return to the premises
a1ter the fire last April which dam
aged the floor above the club.
Bloomberg said that he leased the
building from d. Schultz and that
the property was owned by the
Rosenthal estate.
Joseph A. Tomasello of the firm NJ
"A. E. Tomasello and Son Company.
contractors engaged in excavatinr
the lot next door into which the
ruins OF the Pickwick Club fell. de-
nled that his men had been digging
100 close to the walls of the club
building and declared that his steam
shovels were not within 100 feet OF
the Pickwick Club at any time dur
ing his operations.
James j. Hendricks, a member of
the building commissioners staff for
IL years, testified that he inspected
the Pickwick Club structure last
Thursday and found nothing wrong.
Two witnesses who testified were
SURVIVORS of the crash They were
Miss Mildred McGilvary and Rev
erend William Glennon, member of
the club orchestra and brother of
jim Glennon, the floor manager.
who was killed. They told of the
creaking and swaying of the build
ing and the sudden cracking which
preceded the collapse.
Among others who testified were
secretary of State Frederick w.
COOK. who said he had granted the
clubs charter after the police had
investigated and reported favorably
on the character of the incorpora-
tors: DR.. Timothy Leary, southern
district medical examiner, whose au-
topsies showed that many of the
victims died of suffocation; "Mike'
Herschberg, the only club waiter to
escape; Fire Chief Daniel F. Sem
mott and several other fire and po-
lice officials who described the res
cue work and the condition of the
wreckage they found.
Angelo Cook. one of the laborers
engaged In searching the ruins, was
arrested today after his companions
reported that he was keeping money
which he found in the debris.
Tonight 1t was announced that the
entire building. several portions of
which remained intact, would be
RACED on the chance that a body
may have been overlooked. Fire
Chief Sennott said. however, that
the entire ruins had been thorough
ly searched.
The grand jury was still in session
few minutes before midnight, but
1t was indicated that an adjourn
ment until tomorrow morning would
be taken shortly. The arrival of
Judge, Bishop at the courthouse to-
night started a rumor that indict-
ments were forthcoming, until IT
was learned he had come merely to
swear in another stenographer to re-
Ieve the one who had been on duty
mo Two