The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-06-13
LADY GORDON GOT
SOUVENIR NAMES
ON HER LIFE BELT
Sir Cosmo Testifies It Never DC.
Cured TO Him To Go Back
To Save Others.

L~ondon-Lady Duff-Gordon got the
crew of her boat to write their names on
her life belt as a souvenir of the occa-
sion. according to evidence given at the
Titanic inquiry by @. Symons, one of the
ookouts OF the il-starTed ship, Symons
was In charge Of the t~hree-quarters
empty lifeboat No. 1. in which Sir Cos
mo Duff-Gordon, Lady Duff-Gorden n
her maid and several others made their
quick escape from the sinking White Star
liner. ~
Many In the fashionable throng at the
Inquiry were noticed to shiver at the rec
cItal OF the souvenir incident that had
occurred. so II was testified, in the very
presence of the most terrible marine dis
aster in history. #- /.
In giving his own testimony Sir Cosmo
said he knew when he followed his wife
into lifeboat No. / that the Titanic was
In grave danger. Then in his evidence
he mentioned that shortly before taking
to the boat he had talked to Col. John
Jacob Aston.
Colonel Aston went down with the ship.
did he not? ?" asked Sir Rufus Isaacs. the
attorney general, looking hard at Duff
Gordon. #
The witness paled and lowered his eyes.
making no reply. A murmur ran through
the audience.
"Never Occurred To Him" d
when Duff-Gordon, in answer to a
question, declared II never occurred to
him when he was in the lifeboat that the
boat ought to. so back and rescue any
OF those in the water. the attorney, gen.
eral flung dow his papers with a con-
temptuous gesture and took his seat.
Sir Cosmos Excuse for entering a life
hnaf usaO TIM GaTna no that owen in
America by j. Bruce Ismay.
Sir Rufus Isaacs: Can you give any
explanation as to why the boat left with
so few2
Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon: There were no
people in sight.
Sir Rufus Isaacs: There must have
been people near by.
Sir Cosmo Dufi-Gordon: / thought they
would go away in the port boats.
The witness said he guessed his life
boat had succeeded in rowing at least
1000 yards away from the Titanic when
she sank. Then they started rowing
again. 49,"
Sir Rufus Isaacs: You heard the cries
of drowning people. There was room in
the boat, and If you had returned you
could have saved some.
Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon: II is hard to
know what ! was thinking about at the
time. / was looking after my wife.
~. never even heard 1t suggested in our
boat" continued the witness, that we
should return to the scene of the dis
aster. ] did not think II would be pos
sible to go back there. nor did the idea
OF returning enter my mind.
Lots Of Room in Boat.
Sir Rufus Isaacs: You know now that
you could have saved many?
Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon: / don't know.
Sir Rufus Isaacs: You had lots of
room in the boat?
Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon: Yes.
Duff-Gordon had taken the witness chair
jauntily. He presented an upright figure,
a fair and fashionable looking man. Dur
ing his examination he nervously clasped
and unclasped his, hands and folded and
unfolded his arms, but kept his head, APP
parently, throughout the ordeal.
He did not give any sign that he
noticed any of the looks that were show
cred on him at different stages OF the
proceedings, as when he explained in a
feeble voice that really there would have
been more spare room in his lifeboat II
the spare oars, mast and sail had been
removed.
At the close OF the inquiry Sir Cosmo
turned to his wife with slight gaping OF
the mouth that suggested a forced smile.
1t was the only expression of the kind
in sight.
Tilted Friends Present.
Lady Duff-Gordon attended the inquiry.
but did not testify. Her time is coming
She sat beside her husband. within the
rampant of counsel employed to defend
his reputation. She was dressed In dark
blue. Her hat was black, broad brimmed,
with a tuft in front. She is a dressmaker
in London and New York. Hour after
hour she remained almost motionless in
her chair. Her face was CHASTITY pale.
r Once or twice she swept her eyes
tronbiously over the crowd of listeners,
which included many of her friends in
society, among them Mrs. Asquith. the
Marchioness az Crew, Lady Juliet Duff.
Lady Sarah Wilson and the Countess of
Clarendon. Included I'm the titled men in
the galleries were Prince Albert of
Schles wig -Holstein and Prince Maurice of
Battenberg.
The first witness was Charles Hendrick-
son. a member of the Titanic crew who
was on the Duff-Gordon lifeboat. He had
already testified ana came up for cross
examination. He reiterated that II was
the. Duff-Gordons who told the crew not
to go back to attempt to rescue any of
those in the water. .a.
Two witnesses swore that agents OF the
Duff-Gordons had asked them to testify
3d. --aL H.. g.. 49,