The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-01
Boston Club Had
 Warning In Structure
tContinued from Page D

letter or whether the warning was needed.
 Death Toll Revised
 Shortly before noon today the Boston Public Safety Committee an- nounce6 that thorough check had revealed q Implications, reducing the official death list to 449. The committee said only five victims remained unidentified, The recheck showed that l72 remained hospital ize6, with % in critical condition,
 Thorough Check Started
 Atty-Gen, Bushnell named his aS- SiStanL Joseph K, Collins, to conduct the state investigation, co-operat- ing with District Attorney William ], Foley, who already was assem- bling evidence for presentation to Q grand jury,
 He acted as official tahulations indicated that the ultimate death toll in the fire and panic which swept the Cocoanut Grove Night club Saturday night would be around 4T0 and Boston newspapers warned e6itorially against any effort at white wash" or ito cover up or pro- tect somebody"
 A public inquiry before Fire Commissioner William A. Reilly was underway and will resume at II a. m. It already had developed tes- timony suggesting that Bostons lax building and fire prevention ordin- anceS, rather than an individual or individuals were mainly responsible for the disaster.
 Buck Jones Dies
 Among the dead was Charles tBuc6 Jones, star of western movies, who died of his burns late yesterday afternoon.
 Bushnell, in q letter Foley, laid down three avenue of investi- gation for Assistant Attorney Gen eral Collins. He is to investigate
 W whether there was any "crim- inal negligence" on the part of "a public official or officials" in the enforcement of laws designed to protect the public; (2) whether there had existed "a disregard of public safety" of sufficient degree ito warrant criminal prosecution
 of anyone whether official or private oitizen;" (3) whether there are defects in state laws and Bos- ton ordinances covering fire pro- lection and safety regulations in places of assembly" which should
 be remedied to prevent an oc- rance,
 Foley already had hinted that to- morrowS' grand jury may return in- oictmentS. He had said that if the stories have read" were true, they would warrant indictments. He and his assistants were interview ing witnesses and officials in prep aration for the grand jury meeting. Papers Critical BoSton's morning newspapers were fortnight in their comment. The Globe said: Nothing could have made what happened at the Cocoa nut Grove more bitter than a we'll grounded suspicion that someone is trying to cover up or protect some body else" The Post said: White wash of this horrifying tragedy will not be tolerated by an aroused pub lie" The Christian Science Moni- tor said: Nothing should divert an investigation whcih vii .ix respon- Sibility in so far as possible and carry through to the provision of adequate safe guards" The Herald said: Nothing happened at the Cocoanut Grove which could not have been and should not have been forseen and prevented
 The public hearing before Com missioner Reilly resulted mainly in a repetition of the tales of horror, confusion. and panic previously told by participants and witnesses. But it also had disclosed that an inspec- tor of the Boston Fire Department had considered the decorations suf- ficiently fire resistant to be safe and a building inspector had ap-