The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-11-03
Want Hero of Manila Bay on
Commission.
HULL JURY'S VERDICT
Says FISHERMEN We're Killed
without Warning or
ProvOcatiOn.'

LONDON, NOV. 3,--It is officially an
nounced that the basis for the British.
Russian agreement to submit the
North sea incident to a commission in.
surcs an amicablc settlement without
q sequel The understanding is com.
plete.
Now that the war rumors have been
cleared away, it is possible to state
that Great Britain disclaimed any in
sian squadron, which could only be in
terpreted as n hostile act
1t transpires that five and not four
Russian officers left the squadron Mt
Nigo and are now on their way TO st.
Petersburg The fifth is Captain Cla-
do, Admiral Skrydoff's chief of staff.
1t Is now regarded as almost certain
that the commission will sit in Paris
and be composed of five naval officers,
one Russian and one British. each
power To choose another member and
the four 10 select Il fifth Russia has
practically named Admiral KuznakOf
and Britain Sir Cyprian Bridge. al
though the latter selection is not abb
sOlptely settled.
Great Britain expressed her inten-
ton of asking that United States ma
val officer sit on the commission,
whereupon Russia announced that she
would select Il French officer. There
is II strong intimation that Great Brit
ain will invite Admiral Dewey to be
one of the commissioners.
officers Of such a character as those
mentioned insure the acceptance of
the findings of the commission by both
countries and the world.
Late advices from Hull say George
Henry Smith and William Leggett
were at about 1890 a. IN. on Oct
%, while out fishing with travis
aboard the British steam trawler
Crane, with board Of trade marks eX-
hibited and regulation lights burning,
killed by shots fired without warning
or provocation from certain Russian
war vessels at distance about quar-
ter of a mile"
This is the text of the jury's YER
dict at the coroners inquest on the
fishermen victims of the North sea
tragedy. At the request of the Brit
ish government, represented by the
Earl of Dysart, solicitor of the treas
ury. this conservative award was rem
dered by the first court of inquiry pre-
ceding the sessions of the international
tribunal. The government asked the
jury not TO find verdict of willful
murder or manslaughter because del
icate negotiations are going on, which
should not be made more difficult and
they had prejudged the case before
having heard both sides" In con-
sequence the jury simply set forth the
facts proved by the evidence of physi-
clans. experts on explosives and the
trawlers themselves.
The testimony consisted of medical
evidence, by which IL was proved
that the death of Smith and Leggett
was the result of shell and machine
gun wounds. Then an expert jdenti-
fed fragments of shells by private
which. he said, were undoubt-
eddy Russian. and the stories Of cap
taiv and mates of the trawlers. These
latter related that while they were
engaged in their regular work the ships
Of the Baltic feet in two sQuadrons
emerged suddenly from the haze and.
throwing the glare of their search
lights on the Gamecock feet, without
and disregarding fare green
lights, the fisherman's signal, and
though within actual speaking dis
lance of one vessel, commenced a can |
nonade which the fishermen at first |
not realizing the danger. enjoyed. |
II was a sham fight. The fir |
mo ln cfnd half hnnr