The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-14
DID THEY REFUSE ADD
Capt. CorbelI, a Llfe-sayer, Does Not Dany
the Serious Charge.
no MORE BODIES HAVE WASHED ASHORE

Out why Help Was Ref1sed 10
Nine Drowning Mcn-A Review OF
the Testimony offered BEFORE ths
coroner's Jury Last Saturday.
"Just then I saw Capt. Mack Eorbeil.
OF No. I.ife-saving Station, coming up
the beach. I appealed to him to assist
In the rescue. but he refused ana drove
orr up the beach. where he took a,trains
Tor q leader and believe that a crew
would have volunteered" s5a
This was part of the testimony given
by Frank p. Faunce. the son OF Capt.
john Faunce. before Justice T. b. Gres-
nam, acting coroner near Virginia
Beach, last Saturday, as stated excla-
siVely In Sundays VirgInian. Justice
Gresham was holding an Inquest at the
time on the body of Percy Faunce ana
two colored men. who were drowned
together with Faunce's father and Ave
other colored men. on Friday while going
out to sea to renew their sturgeon nets.
The charge was serious one, inas-
much as 1t charged a direct refusal ON
the part OF captain of a lfe-saving
| crew to make an effort TO save the liye8
of two men who were on the unturned \
boat. Not only was this charge made
by Frank Faunce. but several colored s
men. among them Wilson Hunter, an old
colored man. who has fished on ,the
coast for years, and who promptly offer
ed to go to the drowning men, said
positively that when Capt. Corbeli was
asked to go he started or up the beach,
refusing to lend any assistance.
CAPT. CoRBELL's sTATDMENT.
Capt. Corbell is in charge of No. q
Life-savlng Station. located at Wash
WnnHs NJ tha UirPfmta s
line. He was on his way up the beach {
ut the time to take q train for Norfolk. 1
Yesterday The Virginian communicated
with him by the Government telegraph
and telephone lines, asking IL he desired,
to make any statement for publications,
concerning the charges which had BEEN
sworn to before Justice Gresham at the
inquest. .3
when 1 arrived on the scene." said
Cant. Corbell. "one man wanted 10 know
If / would go to them. / replied:
"'Where Is your crew.: +,
" He answered.:
81 can't get any! ss;,.l
"'Five minutes later discovered that
the men had been washed from the boat
and nothing more was seen of them.,'
This Is the full statement made by
Captain Corbell. He does not deny hav-g
ing been asked to go to the rescue OF the
men. nor does he deny having left the
scene without having made an effort to 3.
help them. N
On the other hand, those who testified \
at the inquest said positively that Cap
tain Corbell left the scene long befofs
the men were washed from the boat.
OTHERS REFUSED HELP.
In testifying as to the refusal OF others
to assist in an attempt at rescue frank
Faunce said: II shouted for help and
several men came running down to the
sea from the cabin. got the sixteen
foot dory and started to launch 1t, but
could not do so alone. Just then
saw Captain John Jones boat out to sea
and waved her in. The men pulled to-
wards shore and came within thirty
yards of my father and brother, who
called for help. The men in the boat.
| instead OF going to their rescue, turned
| northward and ignored their appeals.
They came on the beach. then called
for volunteers for crew and Wilson
Hunter, colored man, at once offered
to go. Net single man In Jones' crew
| or our extra crew would CO."
This seems remarkable statement,
yet 1t Is corroborated by the testimony
OF Wilson Hunter and the appalling
foss OF life which resulted in the death
OF nine men--the greatest loss of life
| which has occurred on the Virginia coast
since the wrck of the Metropolis, nearly
| twenty years ago.
| Yet young Faunce and q half dozen
] colored men are positive In their 2SSer-
tions that Captain Jones' boat approach
ed to within thirty yards of the DROWN
ing men. and then deliberately changed s
| Its course
The names of the crew in this boat
were not brought out, but they were
colored men. The witnesses ali agreed
In saying that the effort would not
have been a dangerous one. Their tes-
timony on this line Is corroborated by
that Of several members of No. Life
Saving crew, who said that they would
/ have launched a. boat and rescued the i
! men IL they had arrived on the scene a
| few minutes earlier. -fs
NO MORE BODIES RECOVERED.
None of the bodies of the unfortunate
Victims have been recovered since tha
three mentioned in Sundays Virgipian,
| although a close watch has been kept
on the beach by the life savers and
fishermen. The nets and anchors, irss
which several of the colored men are
supposed to be entangled, have not yet
been taken up. but probably will be to-
day. 1t is almost certain that some Uts
the bodies were caught in these ISIS.
ina smuch as not one of The coiared
men appeared after the boat went over