British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry
Day 9
[Counsel Present]
The Solicitor-General:
My Lord, the witness, Mr. Durrant, the marconi operator, has given all the evidence which I had in mind to ask him, and he is available here if there is anybody else who would wish to ask him questions; I do not know whether there is.
Sir Robert Finlay:
I do not think so.
Mr. Clement Edwards:
I was going to ask the witness two questions.
WITNESS.
John Durrant - Marconi Officer, SS "Mount Temple" - Recalled.
Testimony
The Solicitor-General:
There is the witness Rule, who gave evidence on the 10th of May, at the end of the day. My friend, the Attorney-General, examined him. He begins at page 148 and he runs to the end of the day, pages 148 to 153. Your Lordship may remember he was a bath-room steward.
The Commissioner:
Yes.
The Solicitor-General:
Your Lordship will see there that though he gave evidence answering questions by the Attorney-General, the other Counsel here did not have an opportunity of putting questions to him. We broke off because we were going to call a different class of Witness the next morning.
The Commissioner:
Yes.
The Solicitor-General:
I have him here and perhaps it would be as well if he went into the witness box now.
The Commissioner:
Let him go.
WITNESS.
Samuel Rule - Bath Steward, SS "Titanic" - Recalled.
Testimony
- Biography
The Commissioner:
I can understand it affecting his memory, but I cannot understand it having the effect of causing him to remember things that did not take place. I quite understand him forgetting things by reason of his illness.
Mr. Cotter:
That night, My Lord, Might have an influence on a man's brain.
The Commissioner:
Perhaps you know more than I do about it, but I should have thought it did not cause him to remember things that did not take place.
Mr. Harry Barber:
May I say I am watching the case on behalf of the Stone-Lloyd system of watertight doors. Mr. Cotter, in examining the witness, referred to the watertight doors as the Stone-Lloyd doors. The Stone-Lloyd is not the system.
Mr. Cotter:
I said "or automatic doors."
The Commissioner:
Do not let us get into conversation about these matters.
WITNESSES.
John Edward Hart - Third Class Steward, SS "Titanic."
Testimony
- Biography
Albert Victor Pearcey - Third Class Pantryman, SS "Titanic."
Testimony
- Biography
Edward Brown - First Class Steward, SS "Titanic."
Testimony
- Biography
Charles Donald Mackay - Bathroom Steward, SS "Titanic."
Testimony
- Biography
The Solicitor-General:
What we propose to do, with your Lordship's concurrence, is this. There are two Witnesses that one or other of my friends would like to have in the box, and they both give, so far as we can judge, important evidence, a man named Wheat and the Quartermaster Wynn. Then when we have called those two, as far as we can see at present, we shall have exhausted this class of evidence so far as regards survivors who came across in the "Lapwing" [Lapland.] I have made inquiries from my friends representing different interests, and as far as I can understand, they none of them suggest that any of the others who have come across in the "Lapwing" [Lapland] would be helpful. Then you will have the Officers and other gentlemen later. I am leaving out of my reckoning at the moment any further Witnesses who deal with boat No. 1. As your Lordship knows, there is a reason for dealing with that separately, and we are arranging to take that tomorrow. I hope it will be possible to deal with these two quite shortly.
WITNESS.
Joseph Thomas Wheat - Assistant Second Steward, SS "Titanic."
Testimony
- Biography
The Attorney-General:
With reference to Monday there is a question which has arisen.
The Commissioner:
It would be better if we sat on Monday unless it is inconvenient to you. My convenience is entirely your convenience. It does not matter to me, but I thought Commander Lyon, who desires to be somewhere else, could go to keep his other appointment and read the evidence that is given on Monday, afterwards. Is there any objection?
The Attorney-General:
I see no objection.
Sir Robert Finlay:
I see no objection.
The Commissioner:
I thought not. The reason why I want to sit on Monday is, I am afraid if we do not use such time as we have at present we shall find ourselves in an awkward position later on. I do not propose to sit on Saturday.
The Attorney-General:
Then as I understand, what your Lordship proposes to do is to adjourn tomorrow evening till Monday?
The Commissioner:
Yes, till Monday morning. Is that convenient to you?
The Attorney-General:
Certainly I understand it is convenient to everybody.
The Commissioner:
That will do, Mr. Scanlan, will it?
Mr. Scanlan:
Yes, My Lord.
The Attorney-General:
I think it will be desirable to have this made clear. I understand that none of the parties represented would object to Commander Lyon being absent on Monday and reading the evidence.
The Commissioner:
I do not know.
The Attorney-General:
I know your Lordship's view, but I do not want a question to arise.
The Commissioner:
These gentlemen are sitting with me as assessors, and my present feeling is that I could go on without any of them, but I do not choose to. One of them has to go away for an appointment which is of some importance, and it occurs to me it would be far better for us to go on and let that gentleman read the evidence afterwards. Is there any objection?
Sir Robert Finlay:
Not the slightest, My Lord.
Mr. Scanlan:
I can say for myself, and I think for my colleagues here that none of us do object.
The Commissioner:
I take it nobody objects.
The Attorney-General:
No.
Sir Robert Finlay:
By common consent, My Lord.
The Attorney-General:
Your Lordship will remember on the occasion that Sir Robert Finlay applied that the cross examination of Hendrickson should be taken on Friday morning; and I suppose tomorrow morning we can go on with him the first thing?
Sir Robert Finlay:
Or this Witness might be finished.
The Commissioner:
I think it would be convenient to finish this Witness.
The Attorney-General:
Yes.
The Commissioner:
And then recall Hendrickson, and let Sir Robert examine him.
Sir Robert Finlay:
Very well, My Lord.
(Adjourned until tomorrow, 10.30 o'clock.)
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