Evening star., 1936-08-25
VERDICT BLAMING
RECREATION UNIT
|NDEATHD|SPUTED
Welfare Unit Head Asserts
Jury Was "Confused" by
Evidence on Pool.
TESTIMONY ON EXPOSED
WIRE is QUESTIONED
Dep1ores Lack of Opportunity to
oss.Examine Witnesses
at Hearing.

The verdict of a coroner's Jury late
yesterday that negligent operation OF
the Banneker swimming pool by the
Welfare and Recreational Association
of Public Buildings and Grounds
caused the death on August IA of
Helen Berger, %, colored, by electro
cution, today was challenged by F. w.
Hoover, the associations general
manager.
He asserted the jury was very
much confused" over where the acci-
dent actually occurred, and declared
that no evidence had been found of
an exposed wire in conjunction with
submerged lights, despite testimony
to the contrary by Sergt. Walter 6
Beck of the homicide squad.
Il think the jury was very mucr
confused over just where the acciden
occurred" said Hoover. "A numbe
f witnesses spoke of conditions
mother part Of the pool. The jur
lisinterpreted the evidence"
Hoover contended that the fact t.
ury directed its attention to pre-
-ruding light showed that it was COZ
fused about the real location of tt
accident. The general manager adde
also that there was not the san
opportunity for cross-examination
witnesses, such as would exist in
civil suit.
Exposed Wire" Doubted.
I'VE have made a thorough exam
nation and cannot find any eviden
of an exposed wire" said Hoover. g
] there was such a leakage as COZ
tended We don't know where it was.
D The general manager added that IT,
District electrician had testified thi
one wire was taped, but that it We
not exposed. Every precauton will |
taken to insure that the pool will /
safe for public operation" he de
clared.
Hoover said the Banneker pool,
Ten as the others under the supel
vision of the Welfare and Recrea
.ional Association-the Mckinley, Ia
;oma and Francis poolS-will be close,
or the season on Labor day. Tn.
.3anneker pool. he said, has bee
losed for night swimming since
eek ago yesterday. This is the usua
ractice. he declared, although h
onceded that the accident hastene
ne decision.
Jury's Verdict.
Holding that the girl was killed wht
he came in contact with submerge
electric wire, the jury said: wv
further believe there was gross negli
gence and wanton disregard for tn,
safety of persons using the pool in tina,
there was lack of proper supervisor
by the management, namely the Wei
! fare and Recreational Association
under the National Park Service"
The jury took only about IS min
utes to reach a decision, after hear.
ing more than three hours of testi-
mony. More than 20 witnesses, in.
cluding electricians and electrical en-.
gineers, paraded to the witness stano
Several lights underneath the watel
have been out of commission since the
pool was opened this Summer, it wa.
testified. Ancil Kelley, an electrician
said that about II light sockets wert
empty because of lack of funds fol
installation. In some of these, the
electric wiring was coiled up and fas.
tened inside the inches.
The wire which the girls bod,
reputedly struck had come loose anc
was sticking out of the light niche
Beck said his investigation disclosed
The wires carried l10-volt current
Thomas Madison, who helped pull
the girls body from the pool, said he
was shocked when he touched hel
arm.
Samuel Bullock, colored, who ha.
charge of the filtration, testified HI
had taped the loose wiring about foul
days previously. The District gov
ernment electrician. Thomas v. Ward
said he would not consider the wiring
to be in safe condition"
William Dynes, electrical enginee
for the National Park Service. said h
did not believe a 110-volt shock woull
kill any one unless the person was il
bad health. This same opinion wa
voiced by William Lands. an electrica
engineer for the General Electric Co
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