Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-02
D|SAS TER PROBE
MAY Be HEARD
/ BY LORD MERSEY
Investigation of Tragedy Awaits
conyocation of High Court
Of Inquiry.
TO HOLD PUBLIC FUNERAL
FOR ST. LAWRENCE VICTIMS
Nine of Crew of Empress of Ire
land to Be Buried To-
/ morrow.
Especial to the Evening stsr.I

MONTREAL. juno 2.-All investi-
CATION of the Empress of Ireland dis
aster, ii was decided here today, will
await the convocation of high court
of inquiry, which is to be held here
June 3. On this body the imperial
governor will he represented by
George NauX. representing the Brit
sh Board Of Trade Sir Adolphe
Routhier. of the Quebec Admiralty
Court, and Chief Justice Mcleod, of
the New Brunswick Admiralty Court,
will represent Canad.
Both Captain Kendall. OF the En-
Press, and Captain Anderson, Of the
collier Storstad. which sank the liner.
refuse further 10 add to their conflict
ing stories of the crash, until they 90
before the High Court. Their crews
also have been warned to preserve
silence.
Il WAS reported here today that
Lord Mersey. who presided at the IT.
tanic inquiry in England, may repre-
sent the British government at the
Empress of ireland High Court in
quiry.
QUEBEC, June 2.--{rhe first public
. funeral or victims of the collision be-
Weeu the steamer Empress of Ireland
I'D the collier Storstad is to be held
LlnorroW, when the bodies OF nine OF
s'he crow will be buried.
Mayor Napoleon Drum, aided by
Canadian Pacific officials and promi-
nent men of tho town. is arranging
tor the ceremony, which viii be an
imposing QUO. There is to be a public
procession. headed by the Royal Ca
r Artt I.,, md
detachments from the warship Essex
and the local military forces will be
in line. Tho schools arc to close, and
for q. time business will be suspended.
Responsibility for the collision. just
now a subject of bitter controversy,
will be fixe0 by tho royal comulis-
sion appointed to make a thorough in
quiry, The members Of the commits
sion are Sir lAdolph Routhier. Judge
Of the Court of Admiralty of Quebec,
and the Hon. Ezekiel Mcleod, chief
justice aud judge of tho Admiralty
Court .of. New .BrlpaWiek,. appointed
by the Canadian goyernn,enf, atd
George L. vaul, OF the British Board
of Trade, named by the British gov
crnment.
The hearings viii begin June O. but
whether in Montreal or Quebec has
not yet been definitely decided.
The number of disputes that have
arisen in the funeral shed is sur
prising feature of the Identification
work that has been going on there. In
one case no less than five persons
contended for the possession of one
of the little girl victims. with the re-
suit that when the pier was closed
last night the body was stilled classed
as unclaimed.
So altered are the features of the
dead that many mistakes are made.
Some who were sure at first that they
had recoN cred the bodies of dear ones
later Wavered in their belize. and
sometimes even returned TO affirm
their previous impression.
\ curious case was that OF Mrs.
Price. of New Zealand. WHO had been
ilor tiled by her niece. Miss Town
send. of New Zealand. Somewhat OF
a dilemma was created when fifteen
of the sixteen of the Empress crew
arrived on the scene and claimed the
body as that of Miss Leder formerly
Rtewardess of the Inflated steamer.
While the seamen were insistept in
their Identification it was Miss Town
send who Won the day. as she sWore
positively that the jewelry Woro by
Mrs. Price was known TO her, ano sne
was backed up by Mr.. Webber, of the
Canadian Pacific railway, who kneW
Mrs. Price personally.
Some of the bodies have been 50
mutilated by being battered that those
who identified them as men were told
that they We're those of women. The
reason for the mistake was that the
hair bad been drawn back tightly
One body Identified late yesterday
was that of Leonard Palmer. the Lon
don Financial News man. who organ
lied the tour of the British manufac-
turers to this country.