The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-03
MILD VERDICT PER REQUEST COrOner'ss Findings on
 Fis,men's Deaths. .Ev ANcB IS CONCLUSIVE No Jap or Other Warships
 Seen in Weeks. English Government Asks That Wiifui Murder be Not shown by Verdict,
 and in Deference This is
 
Ey ENcE IS CONCLUSIVE

Hull Nov 2.-"That George henry Smith and William Leggett were at l2:s0 a. m.. October 22, while out nsh- ing with travis aboard the British steam trawler Crane, with board Of trade marks exhibited and regulations light burning. kiifed by shots fired without warning or provocation from certain Russian war vessels at a dls- tance about a quarter of miie."
 This is the text of the jury's verdict at the -Coroner's inquest on the fisher men victims of the North Sea tragedy At the request of the British Govern ment. represented by the Earl of Dy- sart. solicitor of the treasury. this conservative award was rendered by the first court of inqury preceding the sessions of the international tribunal The government asked the jury not to find a verdict of wilful murder or man slaughter because delicate negotia- tions are going on. which should not be made more dificult. and they ought not to let any one think they had prejudiced the case before having heard both sides"
 In consequence. the jury simply set forth the facts proved by the evidence of physicians. experts on explosives and the trawlers themselves.
 To the verdict the judge added the following rider:
 Judge Adds a Rider.
 "on 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 interested to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion of the matter which we feel has no parallel in the history of the world"
 St. Georges Hail. large auditorium which had been specially fitted up for the occasion. was quite inadequate to accommodate the crowd that wished to listen to the evidence.
 The interest was intense. and there was some excitement, but no demon stration occurred. A great number of people gathered in the vicinity to await the verdict as the space inside the hall was filled.
 The British Government. the Board of Trade, the owners of the Game Cock fleet and the relatives of the deceased and wounded fsherme nwere represent ed by counsel: but the Russian Gov ernment did not participate.
 The proceedings occupied only about three hours. The testimony consist ed of medical evidence by which it was proved that the death of Smith and Legget was the result of shell and machine gun wounds; then an ex- pert indentified fragments of shells by private marks which he said were undoubtedly Russian. and the storieb of captains and mates of the trawlers.
 Fired Without Warning.
 These related that while they were engaged in their regular work the ships of the Baltic fleet in two squad rons emerged suddenly from the haze, and throwing the glare of their searchlights on the Game Cock fleet, without warning and disregarding the fore green lights. the fishermen's $ signal, and though within actual speaking distance of one vessel. com menced a cannonade which the fish ermen at first. not realizing the dan ger, enjoyed, thinking 1t was a sham fight The firing lasted one hour.
 To each of these witnesses was put the vital questions regarding the pres ence of a foreign vessel or torpedo boat. Each with equal positivee ess denied that at any time preceding or during the firing was any Japanese, British or any foreign vessel seen by them or the accompanying fishing fleet. It was also stated that there were no Japanese among the crews and that none of the trawlers car ried arms of any description. One of the shippers. replying to question by the coroner, said that during the five weeks he was in the North Sea. he had not seen any warships until that night.
 This closed the evidence. Counsel for the Treasury then made the sug- Eestion with regard to the nature of the verdict with which the coroner agreed and without delay 1t was so returned, with an added expression of sympathy for the relatives and friends of the dead and injured, and of ap- preciation of the calm and courage ous manner in which the fishing fleet remained at it's duties after t'e terri bIa