The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-04-24

According to the dispatches, which
glorifv John Jacob Aston the multi
millionaire in one sentence and con-
denim Ismay in the next, Aston died
| like a hero. Let no man dare to take
| a grain of credit from Mr.. Aston; he
deserves all that has been said about
his heroic conduct after Captain Smith
said "every man for himself but 1t
appears that Mr.. Astor like Mr.. Ismay
was only human in those terrible
hours. Mr.. Aston according to the
dispatches accompanied his young
wife into one of the life boats and ask
| ed one of the officials to remain there
owing to the delicate condition of his
wife. But the rule of women and
children" first was being enforced, and
Mr.. Astor was ordered out of the boat.
He gave up his seat and a woman
| took it, and Mr.. Aston is numbered
with the heroes as he deserves to be-
That he was human enough to follow
| the instinct of self preservation does
not detract from his glory.
| What are the facts about Mr.. Ismay?
For two hours he worked with deck
hands, helping to enforce the women
| and children first rule among the
| steerage passengers. He helped to
Hover away the life boats until not
another woman or child was to be seen
or heard on the deck. Then he made
the mistake of his life. Instead of
jumping into the water and crawling
under the sinking Titanic to rest it on
his shoulders like an Atlas and hold
ing it there until all the newspapers
could get a camera man to the scene
to snap" him. he got into a life boat
which for lack of women had to be
/ Aston he
followed his instinct of self-preserva-
ton, but he did not attempt to take
| a woman's seat in life boat The law
of the sea is memorable death. The
Icaptain must sink with his boat as
Hong as there are lives aboard, and
there comes a time in such a catas-
trophe as Captain Smith said when
its every man for himself"
But what's the use. Mr.. Ismay was
condemned before he haa his day in
court and that is all sufficient to those
Iof us who permit others to do our
thinking for US. and to those who
think for themselves. NJ p l.
Our correspondent is entirely wrong
lin his premises. The facts he gives
are not facts There were 16 life-
boats lowered, Ismay according to the
lin the third boat This was boat
which a woman helped to row. Why
didn't Ismay row? Why didn't he wait
j till the last boat? The congressional
investigation instead of helping Ismay
makes his shame greater and greater
each day. Ismay first branded d
coward by women survivors not by
editorial writers whom our correspond
ent unjustly intimates would do the
same thing Ismay did Mrs Astor
Mrs. widener and Mrs. Hayes. declare
that Aston did not try to get in the
lAstor boat only to help his wife. Mr.
4 Astor should have been permitted to
go with his wife for two lives were al
stake in his case. Ismay as owner
took what did not belong to him
passage in a life boat. 1895 souls
gone to their doom had precedence
over him. No court can clear Ismay
] He is branded in infamy by the mil
llions upon millions who sit in ths
Icourt of public opinion. Each day ht
} lis put in worse light. In the congress
: sional investigation yesterday there
was brought out this bit of testimony
Mrs. Ryerson of Philadelphia, WHIT
, was in the boat, told me in che pres
1 ence of Major Peuchen and others
ii whom 1 cannot name. that on Sunda
e she was walking on the upper deck .
: the Titanic and met Mr. Tsmay, VIII
S handed her marconigram, which sh
$ did not read
What does il say?' she asked ant