The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-11

L. "On0AN nOo6ot 0OtNs
 
 men he had come to expose and whose presence he had thus far ignored, told, while they held their teeth tight to- gether and often buried their finger. nails In their palms, the terrible story of the cutting in half of the ship on the first night out from New York. finish ing with the attempted bribery and his refusal.
 "vell, gentlemen, what do you think of that?" asked MT. Meyer, looking around.
 "A lie, from; beginning. to endr' stormed Captain Bryce.
 Rowland rose to his feet, but was pressed back by the big man who had accompanied him, who then faced Cap tain Bryce and said quietly:
 ..'I saw polar bear that this man killed in open fight. saw his arm aft erward. and while nursing him away from death | heard no vhines or conn plaints. He can fight his own battles when well, and when sick I'll do it for him. If you insult him again in my presence I'll knock your teeth down your throat"
 There was moments silence while the two captains eyed one another, broken by the attorney, who said:
 whether this story is true or false, it certainly has no bearing on the va lfdity of the policy. If this happened it was after the policy attached and before the wreck of the Titan" 'But der concealment, der conceal mentw shouted MT. Meyer excitedly. s'Has no bearing. either. If he con cealed anything it was done after the wreck and after your liability was confirmed. It was not even barratry. You must pay this insurance"
 sI will not bay it-I will not. I will fight you in der courts" MT. Meyer stamped up and down the floor in his excitement, then stopped with tri- umphant smile and shook his finger into the face of the attorney.
 "And even if der concealment will not vitiate der. policy der fact that he had drunken man on lookout when der Titan struck der iceberg will be enough. Go ahead and sue l will not bay. He was part owner"
 "You have no witnesses to that ad- mission" said the attorney. MT. Mey- CT looked around the group, and the smile left his face.
 Captain Bryce was mistaken" said Mr. Austen NThis man was drunk at New York like others of the crew. But he was sober and competent when on lookout discussed theories of navigation with him during his trick on the bridge that night, and he spoke intelligently."
 "But you yourself said not ten min utes ago that this man was in state of delirium tremens up to der colli- sion," said Mir. Meyer.
 sWhat I said and what I will ad- init under oath are two different things" said the officer desperately. "I may have said anything under the excitement of the moment when we were accused of such an infamous crime. l say now that John Rowland, whatever may have been his condi- ton on the preceding night, was so- Der and competent lookout at the time of the wreck of the Titan"
 Thank you" said Rowland dryly to the first officer; then, looking into the appealing face of MT. Meyer, he said:
 'I do not think 1t will be necessary to brand me before the world as an in- ebriate in o,s1er to punish the company and these men. Barratry, as under stand it, is the unlawful act of cap tain or crew at sea, causing damage or loss, and it only applies when the par ties are purely employees. Did l un- derstand rightly that Captain Bryce was part owner of the Titan?'
 "Yes," said MT. Meyer. ''he owns stock, and we insure against barratry. But this man as. part owner could not fall back on it."
 "And an, unlawful act" went on Rowland, "perpetrated by a captain who is part owner which might cause shlpwreck and during the perpetration of which shipwreck really occurs will be sufficient to void the policy"
 Certainly" said Mir. Meyer eagerly. "You were drunk on der lookout-you were raving drunk, as he said himself. You will swear to this, will you not, my friend? It is bad faith with der underwriters. It annuls der insurance.