| THE ARIZONA REPUBLICAN, Saturday July 31, 1915 |
| EXTRA! | JULY 25 | JULY 26 | JULY 27 | JULY 28 | JULY 29 | JULY 30 | JULY 31 |
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ONE INQUIRY DROPPED OUT, TWO REMAIN Federal Grand Jury and Secretary Redfield Trying to Find Out What Was the Matter With the Steamer Eastland
[Associated Press Dispatch] CHICAGO, July 30 -- An investigation to determine whether anyone was criminally to blame for the capsizing of the steamer Eastland on Saturday with a loss of a thousand lives has been narrowed to the federal grand jury and the steamboat inspection service under Secretary of Commerce Redfield. The ship, still on its side in the river was taken over by the federal marshal on orders from Judge Landis of the United States District court. The county grand jury, it was decided by the state's attorney will probably not have sufficient jurisdiction to accomplish anything, so it eased its inquiry for the present. Redfield's examination of the steamboat inspectors continued but developed few new facts. Charges that the steamboat inspection service was not stringent enough with its own members was continued and elicited from Redfield a repetition of the statement that inquiry according to the law and judgement should not be passed until the investigation was ended. Only one body was recovered today, making the total known dead 835. Little apparent headway was made with the righting of the Eastland. The missing list kept by the Western Electric company whose employees arranged the excursion that stopped by the upsetting of the steamer, receded to 161 tonight, indicating that the total number of dead will probably be under a thousand as the dead missing now total only 996.
CHARGE OF WHITE WASH IN EASTLAND INQUIRY [Associated Press Dispatch] CHICAGO, July 30 -- Before Secretary Redfield began his hearings, the labor leaders issued statements declaring that the Department of Commerce inquest would be a whitewash for the federal inspectors. These labor leaders telegraphed a protest to the president but received no reply. After yesterday's testimony before Redfield, Mayor Thompson, Assistant Corporation Counsel Korshak and others said the examination of witnesses seemed to them unsatisfactory, while Assistant State's Attorney Sullivan thought the questions put by Redfield too leading. The questioning of witnesses today was turned over to Solicitor Thurman of the Department of Commerce, although anyone in the room was allowed to pat questions to the steamboat inspectors examined. Redfield said the determination of the guilty, if any, lay with the federal grand jury and the federal trial court as his investigation was simply to determine whether the steamboat inspectors acted conscientiously and according to legal requirements. The hearing before Redfield of the members of the steamboat inspection service will continue tomorrow as will the taking of testimony by the federal grand jury, which is charged by Judge Landis to show no consideration to any one, if guilt is shown.
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