The Tombs
Transcript
Hello, my name is Nancy Leppink and I'm the Acting Adimistrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor. This is the site of The Tombs. The Tombs was the location for the trial of Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. It is believed at the time The Tombs was located at 125 Center Street, however the exact location has been lost. The two men were charged with manslaughter in the aftermath of the tragic fire that took place in their factory on March 25, 1911 and claimed 146 lives in 20 minutes. The trial was held before the Court of General Sessions, with Judge Thomas C.T. Crain presiding. Harris and Blanck, were defended by Max Steuer, and were ultimately acquitted of manslaughter after a 23-day trial at which more than 150 witnesses testified. The jurors found that the state failed to meet it's burden of proof. Judge Crain had instructed the jury members that to find the men guilty the state was required to prove that the men knew the exit doors were locked. After their aquittal, Blanck and Harris were fined and arrested on several additional occasions for doing exactly the same thing, for locking their factory doors during business hours. The Tombs is currently located at 125 White Street and the name is occasionally used interchangeably with other old detention and judicial structures.
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