Evening star., 1943-01-02
Rooming House
Fire Deaths
Held Accident
Commissioner Young
Orders Report From
Building Chief

Commissioner John Russell Young
today ordered the District building
inspectors Office to submit to him
on Monday full report on an in
vestigation now under way in Thurs
days fatal fire at a rooming house
at 1865 Euclid NV.
The Commissioner further re-
quested a report on progress made
so far in the inspection of public
establishments. which was ordered
recently as an outgrowth of the
Boston night club fire.
The police investigation of the
Euclid street fire closed today with
the issuance of accidental death GER
tificateS for the two victims, al
though the building inspectors office
earlier had reported it was widening
its inquiry.
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
decided last night that James H
Warren, 20, and John Bruce Walden
10, died as a result of an accident
The cononer said that inasmuch as
evidence Indicated the fire was
started by cigarette in the hands
of Mr.. Warren, no further investi-
cation will be made by this office
Mr.. Walden died from a fractured
skull received when he fell from a
third-story window and Mr.. Warren
died from critical burns, autopsies
showed.
Davis Widens Inquiry.
Building Supt. Robert H. Davis
disclosed that he had ordered his
inspectors to broaden their investi-
cation so as to take in number of
large rooming houses in the mid
town section. Final reports will not
be compiled until some time next
week, Mr.. Davis said.
Meanwhile, we are particularly
interested in checking older resi-
dences that have been converted to
rooming houses" Mr.. Davis said
The Euclid street house is more
than 80 years old" he said
Supt. of Licenses Edward Bailey,
who said previously the rooming
house had no license to operate,
called on rooming house operators
to examine more closely the law gov
erning such establishments.
He said the operator of the Euclid
street house had applied for license
in May, but that none had ever been
issued by the District The opera
tor, Mrs. Mary L. GlvenS, claimed
she had received license, however,
and had posted it in the house and
that it was destroyed in the fire.
Procedure Explained.
Mr.. Bailey expressed the opinion
that she had mistaken a License
Bureau receipt of her fee for the
actual license and had placed this in
the hallway of the house.
People should examine more
carefully their papers, as we'll as the
law he said.
Mr. Davis told The Star that the
Givens application was received by
his Office in September and was
among about 1000 applications wait
ing action by District inspectors. He
blamed the backlog on lack OF per-
sonnel.
1t was explained at the District
Building that after an application
is filed with the superintendent of
licenses it must in turn 60 to the
following bureaus for approval:
Health Department, fire marshal's
Office, building inspectors Office and
the electrical inspection section.
If all these agencies find the es-
tabhshment meets District regula-
tions, then Mr.. Bailey's Office issues
certificate to operate. 1t was
pointed out that revised District law
requires all places renting to five or
more people to obtain license
At present such licenses expire
every October 81.