Fort Wayne, IN Indiana Furniture Company Fire, Mar 1909

CORONER BLAMES THE INSPECTOR

SUBKOWSKI MET DEATH BY BLAKELY'S NEGLIGENCE.

Floors Should Have Been Provided in the Indiana Furniture Company's Building and Coroner Kesler Blames State Official.

Coroner A. J. Kesler yesterday filed his formal finding in the case of Henry Subkowski, the building laborer who met death by falling from the top floor, into the basement of the new building now under construction for the Indiana Furniture company. The building is located on East Main street and the fatality occurred about two weeks ago.

In the verdict the county official places the blame for the man's death on the shoulders of the contractors and State Building Inspector Blakely. It is claimed that intermediate floors should have been laid in the building , and that if this had been done the accident could not have occurred.

The formal finding is as follows:

"Henry Subkowski came to his death by reason of injuries received by falling down from the third story to the basement of building on East Main street. I find negligence on the part of those having charge of the construction of said building in not having complete temporary floors over one or more of these stories. I further find negligence on the part of the state inspector of buildings in not ordering such floors to be placed and if he did give such orders to said contractors he failed to see that his orders were carried out."

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN 3 Mar 1909
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!