British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry
Day 13
[Counsel Present]
WITNESSES.
Herbert John Pitman - Third Officer, SS "Titanic."
Testimony - Biography
Joseph Grove Boxhall - Fourth Officer, SS "Titanic."
Testimony - Biography
Harold Godfrey Lowe - Fifth Officer, SS "Titanic."
Testimony - Biography
The Commissioner:
Have you finished the Officers now?
The Solicitor-General:
Yes, My Lord. What we want to do next is to give the evidence about the wireless messages, which will involve the calling of the gentleman from the marconi Company, who has got the proces verbal, and will also, of course, involve the calling of Bride, the assistant operator on the "Titanic," who was saved; and I shall be able, as I am informed, to prove those messages which I put to the last witness but one.
The Commissioner:
I should think, Sir John, that that need not take very long; I mean to say, it is evidence about which you can lead the witnesses, and they are witnesses that probably will not require any, what I call, cross-examination. There will be no dispute about their evidence.
The Solicitor-General:
What I am proposing to do now - and I think it will probably help Sir Robert Finlay if it was done promptly - is to put in the box the gentleman from the marconi Company, and show how I prove these messages that I put to the Officer; and then, if there is any challenge about it, probably during the adjournment any further checking that is necessary can be done.
The Commissioner:
Do you mean to say you want to call him now?
The Solicitor-General:
If your Lordship wishes it I am prepared to do it at once.
The Commissioner:
What do you say, Sir Robert?
Sir Robert Finlay:
I have no objection if it will save time. I understand my friend's examination will only take a short time.
The Commissioner:
It might be convenient that you should examine the witness tonight, and that any cross-examination should stand over until tomorrow.
The Solicitor-General:
Of course, My learned friend's clients would wish to satisfy themselves that this series of messages got to their ship, and I want them to know why it is I suggest that they did get to the ship.
The Commissioner:
You had better, perhaps, call him now, and it is possible, after Sir Robert Finlay has heard all they say, he will not consider it necessary to cross-examine. It may be.
Sir Robert Finlay:
We will consider that, and if there is any cross-examination it will be deferred until tomorrow morning.
The Solicitor-General:
Yes, it may be there are one or two further things that I cannot conveniently get from the witness until tomorrow.
WITNESS.
George Elliott Turnbull - Deputy Manager, Marconi International Marine Communication Co.
Testimony
(Adjourned to tomorrow at 10.30 o'clock.)
