People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1893 — FOUR MEN HELD. [ARTICLE]

FOUR MEN HELD.

Th* Verdiet of the Coroner's Jery Declare* Co*. Ainsworth. Contractor Dant, Engineer Snsse and Superintendent Covert to Be Responsible for the Yard Theater Disaster. Washington, Jun* 20.—The coroner’s jury which has been investigating the Ford theater disaster reached a conclusion Monday afternoon. It holds responsible Col Frederick Ainsworth, Contractor Dant, Engineer Sasse and Superintendent Covert for criminal negligence and manslaughter. The announcement was received with cheers by those who were in attendance at Willard’s halt After being out two hours the jury returned a verdict, setting forth that Frederick B. Loftus came to his death by the disaster at Fora’s theater building on. June 9, 1893. They recite the fact that George W. Dant was the contractor under the government for the work in progress which caused the disaster and all the circumstances connected with the accident and find that Frederick C. Ainsworth, in charge of the building, William G. Covert, the superintendent. Francis Sasse, the engineer, and George W. Dant, the contractor, are responsible for the killing of Loftus. The finding further refevs to the absence of shoring or other means to protect the building during the process of excavation, by reason of which one of the piers fell, causing the fall of the floors and the consequent crushing and killing. The jurors further find that the failure of the government of the United States to provide for skilled superintendence of the work of repair and alteration of its buildings in charge of the war department is most unbusi-ness-like and reprehensible, and are of the opinion that if such superintendence had been provided in the case of the work on the Ford’s theater building the awful tragedy might have been averted.

Coroner Patterson decided not to issue warrants for the commitment of Col. Ainsworth, Dant, Covert and Sasse until this morning in order to give them an opportunity of obtaining bail. Col. Ainsworth has already secured a bondsman. Contractor Dant is very ill at his residence.