OCR Text |
Show 1ICIENTS FOU! in mm case Manslaughter and Criminal ! Carelessness Is Charged Against Six. By International News Service. CHICAGO, Aug. 10. Indictments charging" manslaughter and criminal carelessness in connection with the Eastland East-land disaster were voted today by the state grand Jury against men, owners and officials of the boat. Those named in the true bills, which will be returned tomorrow to-morrow morning before Judge Kersten, are: George T. Arnold, president of the St. Joseph-Chica eo Steamship lines; owners of the steamer. William II. Hull, vice president and general manager. Walter C. Steele, secretary-treasurer. Jiay W. Davis, assistant secretary-treasurer. secretary-treasurer. Harry Pcdersen, captain of the vessel. Joseph M. Krlckson, engineer of the ship. It was upon the testimony of more than 2(j0 witnesses, who described the Instability In-stability of the Eastland and defects in the engine, plant, particularly in the water ballast system, that the jurors thus answered the question: "Who is to blame?" Additional .indictments, based upon sensational sen-sational testimony and positive evidence showing ticket juggling and proving that the Eastland was overcrowded when it capsized, will be drawn up by the grand jury within a few days. Just at a time when the grand jurors were preparing to wind up their investigation investi-gation there was presented to them today documentary evidence and affidavits proving prov-ing beyond the slightest doubt that there were at least 3000 passengers on the boat. 500 more than its license allowed, and that the tickets collected were juggled in the hope of covering up this fact. This ovidence, It was said, is not only sufficient suf-ficient to indict three others, but to convict con-vict them as well. The new evidence consists of the batch of tickets which were hastily confiscated on the morning of the disaster by Walter Wal-ter K. Greerihaum, general manager of the Indiana Transportation company, which chartered the boat for the excursion, ex-cursion, another batch of several hundred hun-dred of the return coupons which were turned over to Slate's Attorney Hoyne, and 150 affidavits. A comparison of the return coupons with the tickets collected collect-ed at the boat has already disclosed that 169 tickets have, mysteriously vanished. Because of this new information Luman Lobdell and Curtis Oakley, government inspectors in-spectors at tho boat, and Greenbaum. face gra nd jury action. Although these inspectors are in the federal service, the state's, attorney feels certain they can be held for criminal carelessness. Greenbaum. Green-baum. It is said, may be charged with conspiiacy to defeat justice. The charge of manslaughter, as contained con-tained in the joint Indictment against four officials of the company. carries with it punishment provided by statute, of imprisonment of from one year (o life. The penalty for criminal carelessness, careless-ness, a-s charged in the Indictment against lhe captain and engineer, is imprisonment not io. exceed three years or a fine not lo exceed $500". |