Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-09
MURDER WAS DONE
TERRIBLE STORIES OF Ia no,p-
GOGNE SURVIVORS.
YoUsoUF USED A, sTILE11o
FAMOUS WRESTLER BEAT oEC
DROWNING PASSENGERS.
Many Passengers Testify to the Use
of Knives by Austrian.-Fourth
Engineer Accused of Gross
Brutnlity-Pr0secuti
Possible.

1 tuIty-FfOSeCutiOnS
| Possible.
| NEW YORK. July S.-A heavy train ar
|. rived at the Grand Central station to-
| night. In the coaches of this train were
1si survivors Of the wreck of the French
line steamship La Bourgogne Out of III
| persons who sailed SO happily down the
bay last Saturday, only these were left.
with the exception of three. who parted
company with them on the way from Hal
flax. The remainder were drowned at sen
or killed in the mad rush following the
| collision OF La Bourgogne with the Gro
martyshirc.
For full hour before the train bearing
the survivors arrived. persons interested in
those saved from the wreck began to ap-
pear at the station. The arrival of the
train had been foretold so that the hour
was known. With no word of any kind.
one way or the other. they came hoping
that by some fortunate oversight, the ones
they were looking for might have been
saved. AS the reports had made known the
fact that none of the first cabin passengers
had escaped, the friends of those who trav-
eled in that cabin knew it would be useless
to go to the train, but. despite this, there
were friends who were anxious to get adj
ditional details of the sad affair, and they
were present simply to hear the tale re-
peated and hurriedly grasped at every word
spoken.
Among the waiting ones. the agent of
the French line moved with notebook in
one hand and pencil in the other. From
one to another he fitted making a note
here or giving word there. He told freely.
so far as he was able, all about those who
We're coming on the train. and some of
those who had gone to the station with one
little sleam of hope left had this Quenched
by word from him. Outside the station.
the agent had grouped eight stages. and
these he held to carry the survivors from
the station to the pier of the French line.
so that they could be taken aboard the
steamer La Touraine. which sails to-mor-
row for France. He was quiet courteous
and alert, and would talk to no one except
these directly interested. There were pa
thetic incidents in connection with the ar
rival of the train. One tall, muscular well
dressed man stood in one of the lines visit
fully watching the survivors march past.
The expression on his face as they went
through hardened until it became bitter
When asked If he was looking for some
one, he said he was not. Then he added
that he had lost a sister on the boat. He
said that he knew she had not been saved.
and he said he did not know what at
tracted him to the spot. and then he
turned toward the survivors and said
fiercely: My God, could stand my loss,
but when you look at these and think that
these are the survivors. These-these-''
ana then words failed him and he turned
away.
it,St hny
fair. however determined not to prejudice.
anyone who saw the band of survivors that
came to the city to-day could hardly escape
sickening sensation about the heart. and
feeling that the stories of brutality told
of the crew were true. The members of the
crew. with few exceptions, and some of
the steerage passengers as WELL were low
browed. stockily built, shifty-eyed swarthy
men. and looking at them one could not
help feeling that they were not men of
whom heroic deeds could be expected on
steamer.
From the testimony of three persons
Otto zeiser of New York: William A.
Chard. of Baltimore. and Charles Libra,
chies cook of the Stafford hotel. Phila.
deiphia. it appears that the fourth ell
glneer OF La Bourgogne. who was saved,
acted In the most brutal manner toward
the passengers. The three men agree in
the statement that, after the coiiision,
when everyone was surrounding the boats,
the engineer said: Damn the passengers.
Let them save themselves. We save our
selves first He also said that if he had a !
revolver he would shoot the passengers.
The men spoke in great praise of the |
captain. That officer did not think that |
the collision was serious. and informed |
those of the saloon passengers who in |
quired that there was no danger This |
Is thought to be one reason that none out |
OF the seventy-f1ve first class passengers
was saved.
On the voyage, Libra became acquainted |
with fousouf, the wrestler who was a
passenger. After the collision. Libra SAYS
ne saw fousouf struggling in 4 crowd of
drowning passengers. beating them off
with stiletto and showing them aside and
trying to reach boat He failed. now
ever. and went down.
l.. Tealaud, of New York and Mons.
Lucas. from Northern France, the latter
being waiter on board the Bourgogne.
each tell of being driven away from a boat
containing three Austrians armed with
knives. While the Halifax was entering
the Boston harbor this morning three per.
sons gave their names as witnesses to the
fact that the Austrians used knives to keep
people out of their boat. One of the crew.
L steward. who spoke English well. de-
lined to give his name. as he said il would
De bad for him when he got back. He said
lie was In bed at the time of the accident
The shock Weakened him and he ran up to
he spar deck There are twenty-five men
attached to each boat. but there were only
'even or eight at this which was at tho
econd mates. No. :. The second mate was
It his post and the boat was immediately |
rotten ready. There were about ffty
In this boat including n
OF of women. AS the Burgogne was sink.
ng. the boat caught and upset. throwing
veryone into the water. He came up in a |
minute He was saved two minutes after
ward by 4 raft. There were women and
hildren screaming for help. but he turned |
lis head away. as he said he did not like ,
o see these things.
Fireman Yiess. of the Bourgogne said:
When the ship began to list. the chief |
ngineer and myself came on deck 1 saw
he captain on the bridge. The officers
eemed to be COOL and whe nthey found
ut the real danger of the ship they worked !
rell.
THE captain from the bridge made a /;
peech to the passengers. He told them to I
e calm. and he would see that all were !
aved. He stood on the bridge until the {
asst moment.
"As a member of the crew, | wish to
ay we did everything possible to save the
ives Of passengers. No one can realize tn.
anic which ensues when an accident like !,
he one We met with happens. The passen- /
ers blocked the way of the men, Ii was