The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-11-08
MURDER IS NOT CHARGED
Witnesses All Agree That No War
ships Except Russian Were in
the Vicinity.


were, at about 1920 a. M. on October
%, while out fishing with trawlers
aboard the British steam trawler
Crane, with broad OF trade marks ex-
hibited and regulation lights burning,
killed by shots fire without warning or
provocation from certain Russian war
ships, at a distance of about a quarter
OF a mile"
This is the tex OF the jury's verdict
at the c%oroner's inquest on the fisher
men victims of the North sea tragedy.
At the request of the British govern
nlent represented by the Earl OF Dy-
sart, secretary OF the treasury, this
award was ~engendered by the first
court Of inquiry preceding the ses-
sions of the International tribunal.
The government asked the jury not
to find a verdict of wilful murder or
m%anslaughter.
The jury set forth the facts proved
on explosives and the trawlers them.
selves.
Order of Court.
To the. verdict the judge added the
following order:
ION this occasion, probably the
most momentous in the annals of the
British empire, the jury would record
their appreciation OF the efforts made
by the governments to arrive at a sat
isfactory conclusion OF the matter,
which we feel has no parallel in the
history of the world"
st. Georges nall, a large auditor
ium, which has been specially fitted
up for the occasion, was quite made
quate to accommodate the crowd that
wished to listen to the evidence. The
interest was intense and there was
some excitement, but no demonstra-
ton occurred. A great number of peo-
pie gathered in the vicinity OF the
building to await the verdict and the
space inside the hall was filled.
The British government, the board
OF trade, the owners of the Gamecock
fleet and the deceased and wounded
fishermen were represented by coun-
sci, but the Russian government did
not participate.
Testimony Submitted.
The proceedings occupied about
D.. IL LSoIlA1oLy
of medical evidence by which it was
proved that the death of Smith and
Leggatt was the result of shell and
machine gun wounds; then al expert
identified fragments of shells by pri-
vate marks which were undoubtedly
Russian and the captains and mates
of the trawlers told their stories.
These latter related that while they
,-@,,o - m ~oJ ~ tho;r nr,,1o,, OrIy
the ships of the Baltic fleet in two
s%quadrons emerged suddenly from the
haze and, throwing the glare of their
searchlights on the Gamecock fleet,
without warning and disregarding the
flare of green lights, the fishermen's
signal, and though being within actual
. speaking distance of n vessel, COM
menced a cannonade which the fisher
men at first, not realizing the danger:
enjoyed, thinking it was a sham bat
tie.
The firing lasted half an hour.
To each of these witnesses was put
the vital question regarding the pres
ence of a foreign vessel or torpedo
boat. Each with equal p~ositiveness
declared that neither at the time pre-
ceding nor following the firing was
any Japanese or any foreign Vessel
seen by them or the accompanying
fishing fleet. 1t was also stated that
there were no Japanese among the
crews and that none Of the trawlers
carried arms of any kind. One of the
shippers, replying to a question by the
coroner said that during the five
weeks he was in the North sea he had
not seen any warship until that night.
This closed the examination. Coun-
sci for the treasury then made the
suggestion with regard to the nature
of the verdict, to which the coroner
agreed, and without delay it was so
returned, with an added expression OF
sympathy for the relatives and friends
of the deceased and injured and OF
appreciation of the "calm and cour
ageous manner in which the fishing
fleet remained at it's duty after the
terrible experience"
SHOOTS UP A BANDIT,