The Washington times., 1925-02-09
MIL AIRY
INQUIRY
UNDER
WAY
Collins Alive Radio Tests
Show, and Work Goes on
for Rescue

CAVE CITY, Ky. Feb. IA
military court IF inquiry today
held its first session here, deter
mined to investigate certain
runors and innuendos connectee
with the imprisonment in cave
Of Floyd Collins.
Sinister stories, apparently
springing from the residents
this section, have been handle
about since the announcements te
days ago that Collins was pin
Toned beneath 4 boulder, far Il
the depths Of the earth. The in
quiry win attempt to determin
the basis Of these statements.
Observers have pointed out seS
efaI apparently econcilabie de-
veIppsnents in the accounts 81
the eatly rescue work surround
ing the incident with On dir 81
mystery that the military inquirs
win attempt to penetrate.
Buddy Ii GriIIed.
The first subject for question
ing was John Geralds. said to be
. buddy Of Collins.
He directed rescue efforts In the
days before the state assumed con.
troll and IL among the few ever to
have reached the point where Col.
Inns Is reported to lie piniOned be-
meath q seven-ton boulder fffty.five
feet below the level Of the cave
valley.
Geralds was cross-examined &c his
home by Major Carl u. Norman, act
ing for Lieutenant Governor IA. II.
Denhardt, while gray. murlky dawn
Of the tenth day OF EIOyd's iuapris-
onment brought q rain to handicap
further the rescue efforts.
He was asked primarily for facts
the two outstanding
theories to label this tragedy a
CHASTITY fraud: first, that the entire
Floyd Collins was only an actor in q
trance to the underground prison,
known only to- few; that food was
taken to Collins by this means TO
keep him alive and he may already
have left the cave Tor 3 hiding
place In the hills: and, second that
Collins actually WAS trapped and
either deliberately murdered AZ he
lay helpless in his narrow prison
or virtually killed by q hampering
Of rescue efforts.
Grand Jury Proposed.
These possibilities have been dis
cussed by newspaper men and those
closely associated with the disaster
from the first days Of the
arrival of State forces, until, 30 per.
sistent did they become today. that
efforts to impanel q grand jury at
GLASGOW, county seat Of Barren
county, in which Sand Cave lies. to
conduct q civil probe actually got
under way. Only preliminary steps
In this direction had been taken
early, however.
aids had an answer, but Major
examination he had CLEANED suf.
of the inquiry. =
'PaP' Really Competitor.
Major Norman directed some
TO the feud that is said
TO exist between the Collins and
The Geralds partly as a result Of
Geralds' efforts to obtain Flody's
rights to crystal cave which Floyd
Geralds to explained
Why, when his alleged competitor
was trapped in the slime and
rock Of Sand Cave, he rushed to
mis- rescue and posed as a pal" Of
he prisoner.
Geralds admitted, according to
Norman, that he and Floyd were
1ot particular friends" although
hey had known each other for
years. He said he had hardly Eeen
floyd in several years, but admitted
ne had been 'dickering" with him
Ind his father for various rights to
.rystal cave.
"I guess + just went down to
ave him as II would anybody else,
5eralds was quoted as saying. i
bought / could get him out. When
got near him. / told him / was
coming in to set him and he told
ne he was glad had come.
DENIES Second Entry.
Geralds steadtastly denied that
le knew OF aAother entrance TO
he passage wheke Collins lies.
II asked Collihs about that. and
le told mo thel only way / had
: Il ! q