Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1912-04-25
DEATH STORY
FOR DOLLARS
Marconi Tells Senate Com
mittee About Wireless 0pe-
rators Withholding News
TOLD TO KEEP QUIET
Admits Message TO Wireless
Men to Hold Story for Dol
lars in Four Figures.
,peciar by United Press Wire.

special bU United Press Wire. Z
Washington, April 25;-How the
death story of the Titanic was trans
mitted into dollars by wireless oper-
ators, was the strongest tale told to-
day at the senate inquiry, by Will
lam Marconi, inventor of the wire
less. Marconi- said Operator Bride
got $500 for his story of the disas-
ter and that Operator Cottam on the /
Carpathia also got a fancy figure. /.
Marconi strongly denied he sent
to Cottam and Bride the message .
that was copied by the government
vessel, Keep your mouth shut. Ar
range for exclusive story in dollars
in four figures" He defended the
right of the operators to seal their
news and sell It after reaching New
York. The wireless wizard denied
the operator was ordered to with
hold the news from the people. ut Is
an offense under the British law for
an operator to give out news" said
MarConi.
Marconi was the first witness,
coming over from New York at the
request of Senator Smith. He admit
ted message was sent from the New
York Marconi Offices to Operator
Cottam of the Carpathla ordering
him to hold the news story for a
bonus in four figures" but the mes
sage was sent when the Carpalhia
reached Sandy Hook. He denied
personal knowledge of the message,
saying, Chief Engineer Sammiss, OF
the New York office, was RESPONSE
ble." Marconi said in an interview
with Cottam that not wireless mes
sage was then to be held for the big
money bonus.
Marconi said he was informed ar
1880 o'clock, Monday, the fifteenth,
| that the Titanic had sunk, by the
American director of his company.
| by phone. He WAS then informed
| that the White Star knew of the dis.
aster.
Trouble Over Ismay Detention.
Trouble over the detention Of J.
Bruce Ismay and Vice President
Franklin and the Titanic's crew
reached the breaking point today
when the senate Investigating COM
mittee resumed 1t 5hearing. Senator
Smith and the other committeeman
are divided on the question. Chair
man Smith finally agreed to call the
seamen before the survivors.
Another large and select crowd
turned out today Senator Smith
said he expected to get testimony
regarding the report of the Mount
Temple, the steamship now at ST,
Johns. which was, it is reported, a
few miles away from the Titanic
when she sank.
Third officer Lowe, Of the Titanic,
lcfa a rtl cd a h{o hoo xyocta of
ternoon by declaring before the sens
ate investigating committee that he
waited in his lifeboat until "the
drowning people had thlnned out"
before going back to pick up any
survivors. He explained that 1t
would have been suicide for all In
his boat to have gone back while
l 900 people were struggling for
their lives In the waters about the
Titanic; that they would have
swamped his lifeboat. He also told
of rescues he made and cleared up
the stories about the use of revol-
vers by the Titanic's officers.
He said he fred the revolver shots,
OF which so much has been said, to ter
rify steerage men.
BY testimony given before the COM
mIttee 1t was definitely established
that Captain Smith and several OF the
officers of the Titanic were expecting
to encounter ice on their course about
II O'Clock on the fatal Sunday night.
This fact was brought out In tho
testimony Of Second officer Lightoller,
who, when recalled to the stand, said
that he had been shown message by
the captain, which gave the latitude
| and longitude Of the ice reported TO
the Titanic by another ship. He told
the committee he worked out by means
Of the chart the time at which the
| Titanic would probably be Learest this
Zee and found it was to be expected
about II o'clock He so informed tho
captain and Officer Murdock, who re-
lieved him at 10. Despite this, how
ever, he admitted the speed of the
vessel was not lessened and the only
lrecaution he took, he said, was TO tell
the lookout men to keep sharp watch
for small ice at daybreak.
Sharp Answers For Smith.
This was the most important single
! development Of a stormy session be-
| for the Investigating committee, as far
as the main purpose Of the inquiry
was concerned. The session was
marked by show of feeling upon the
part of the English sailors testifying
and the committee The witnesses
made little effort to conceal consider
able resentment at the questions OF
the committee, many Of which they
appeared to think utterly purposeiess
and beside the mark Senator Smith
received many sharp answer from
the Englisbmen, and the prediction
was made that unless conditions i'm
proved there was danger of serious Ill
feeling being engendered between the
people Of the two countries. Members
OF the grout OF White Star officials
and counsel declared the senators
would meet with more success In their
inquiry II they secured expert assist
Lnce In examining the Titanic officers
and sailors.
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