Evening star., 1944-05-04
Owner and Operator
Held for Grand jury II
Fatal Apartment Fire
Testimony at Inquest
ReveoIs Dispute Over
Sofety Equipment

AiC OWIlcT dIlu LIE Operator OF
the Nebraska Apartments, 81 Ran
dolph place NV, today awaited
grand jury action on manslaughter
charges arising from the death II
days ago of Mrs. Audrey McNeely,
80, who was fatally burned when a
fire swept the building.
A coroner's jury late yesterday
afternoon held the two men re-
sponsible for Mrs. McNeely's death
aand ordered them held for grand
jury action. They are Thomas B
Lawler, IS, vice president of the
Interstate Properties, Inc, owners
and Jacob w. Block, 66, Of Takoms
Park, Md, operator. They were re-
leased under $4,000 bond each.
Testimony during the two-day in.
quest revealed sharp dispute be.
tween the owners and Mr.. Blocl
over the responsibility Of providing
fire safety equipment In the build.
ling.
Say Recommendations Ignored.
District building inspectors testi
fed they had notified both Inter.
state Properties, Inc, and Mr.. Blocl
lof requested changes to conform
with fire safety regulations, but II
most instances nothing was evel
done about it. Recommendation
ignored, they said, were fireproofine
of the buildings dumbwaiter shaft
by lining the sides with tin and re.
pairs of the fire escapes.
Details were also disclased of 9
suit brought by Interstate Prop.
critics against Mr.. Block last yeal
which sought to force him to make
the repairs. Ten days before the
case was scheduled for trial the
suit was dropped when an agree.
ment was reached between the two
parties, attorneys said. The ques-
ton of who would provide the fire
safety construction repairs re-
mained unsettled in the agreement
which provided that Mr.. Block was
to pay for inside repair work such
as painting and plumbing, the cor
oner's jury was told.
Failed to Notify Officials.
Attorneys for both sides admitted
they had failed to- notify District
officials that the litigation had been
withdrawn and that letters and calls
from officials in regard to requested
repairs had been referred back and
forth between owner and operator.
Jaquelin Marshall, attorney for
the owners, said his clients acted on
the belief that the tenant operating
the property is responsible for the
compliance of fireproofing regula-
tions. Disputing this, Stanley H
Kamerow, attorney for Mr.. Block,
said the out-of-court agreement
specifically made his client respon-
sible only for painting and plumb
ing repairs.
Meanwhile. the District building
inspector and the fire marshal were
absolved of any negligence in con-
nection with the fire by Chairman
Coffee Of the House District Appro-
priations Subcommittee After hear
ing reports by the two departments,
Mr.. Coffee said he was satisfied that
proper inspections had been made.
Mr.. Coffee said, however, that there
was lack of enforcement of fire laws.
The lack of enforcement stems
from the shortage of critical ma
terials needed for the necessary
f1reproofing repairs, Mr.. Coffee ex-
planned. The housing shortage is
another factor, it was said. Many
rooming and apartment houses need
ing repairs have been allowed to
continue operation because tenants
would have no other place to live,
he said.
At the same time, two roomtng-
house operators were allowed to
forfeit $40 and $50 collateral in
Municipal Court on charges of op-
Grating without license. Judge
Aubrey Fennell released a third
operator on her personal bond after
she agreed to make the necessary
safety repairs required for license
a aOprOVa1