Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-05-13
KAISER CHARGED
WITH MURDER BY
CORONER'S JURY
Finding Is Result Of Inquest at Kinsale, Ireland,
into Deaths of Five of the Lusitana S Victims,
and Includes Officers of Offending Sub
marine and the German Government.

Kinsale. ireland, May 10. 4:9 p. M
When the inquest over five victims OF
the Lusitania had been concluded to-day
tho coroner's Jury returned the following
verdict:
I've find that the deceased met death
from prolonged immersion and exhaustion
in the sea eight miles south southeast of
Old Head Of kinsale friday, May 7, 1915
owing to the sinking of the I.usitania
by torpedoes fired by German sub
marine.
I'VE find that this appalling crime was
committed contrary to International law
and the conventions of the civilized ma
lions.
We also charge the officers of said
submarine and the Emperor and govern
ment of Germany, under whose orders
they acted, with the crime of wholesale
murder before the tribunal of the
civilized world.
We desire to express sincere con-
dolences and sympathy with the rela-
tives Of the deceased. the Cunard COM
pany and the United States, many of
whose citizens persisted In this murderous
attack on an unarned liner"
SECOND TORPEDO DEADLIER.
Coroner Horgan said that the first
torpedo fired by the German submarine
did serious damage to the LusitanIa.
but that. not satisfied with this. the
Germans had discharged another tor
pedo. The second torpedo, he said.
must have been more deadly. because
1t went right through the ship. hasten
Ing the work of destruction
The characteristic courage of the
Irish and British people was mani
tested at the time of this terrible dis
aster the coroner continued, and there
was no panic. He charged that the
responsibility lay on the German gov
eminent and the whole people of Ger
many who collaborated in the terrible
crime.
81 propose to ask the jury" he con-
tinued, ito return the only verdict pos
sible for a self respecting jury that the
men in charge Of the German submar-
Inc were guilty of wilful murder"
COMPARTMENTS CLOSED.
ships Bugler Lvermore testified
that the water tight compartments
were closed but that the explosion and
the force of the water must have
officers were at their posts and that
earlier arrivals of the rescue craft
would not have saved the situation.
Captain Turner testified briefly. The
coroner asked him:
You We're aware threats had been
made that the ship would be torpcdoed?"
I'VE WERE" the captain replied
was she armed
NO. sir"
what precautions did YOU take?"
Eve had all the boats swung when we
came within the danger zone, between
the passing of Fastnet and the time OF
the accident.
Il had all the bulkheads closed" cap
tain Turner said. Between the time OF
passing Fastnet at about eleven o'clock
and Of the tOrpedoing | saw no sign
wha tever of any submarines. There waa
some haze along the Irish coast and when
we were near Fastnet | slowed down to
10 knots. ! was In wireless Conununica-
ton with shore all the way across.
Captain Turner was asked whether he
had received any messages in regard to
the presence of submarines off the Irish
coast. He replied in the affirmative
Questioned regarding the nature of tho
message he replied
Il respectfully refer YOU to the ad-
miralty for an answer"
COULD NOT STOP SHIP.
Il also gave orders to stop the ship"
Captain Turner continued. but We could
not stop, We found that the engines
were out of commission. 1t was not
safe to lower boats until tho speed was
cut off, AS matter of fact there was
n perceptible Roadway on her up to the
time she went down
when she was struck she listed to
starboard. l stood on the bridge when
she sank. and the Lusitania went down
under me, She foated about is minutes
after the torpedo struck her. My watch
stopped at 2:Ss
II was picked up from among the
wreckage and afterward was brought
aboard a trawler. No warship was con-
voying us. | saw no warship, and none
was reported to me as having been seen
At the time | was picked up I noticed
bodies floating on the surface, but saw
no living persons
Eighteen knots was not the normal
speed Of the Lusitania, was it,"
HAD DOUBLE LOOKOUTS
AT ordinary times" answered captain
Turner, "she could make p knots, but
in war times her speed was reduced to
q knots. My reason for going IS knots
was that | wanted to arrive at Liver
pool bar without stopping and win two
or three hours of nigh water"