The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-18
HELPED VICTIM OF CRASH INTO
 HIS MOTORBOAT Witness Tells Coroner Rock land Sailor Assisted Col
 lision Victim. WIDE DISCREPANCIES IN TESTIMONY TODAY Survivors Story Contradict ed By Houston and Spec
 tator Who Saw Crash.

Wide discrepancies in the stories told by principals and witnesses in the drowning of Ralph Bartlett in the Pequonnock river at 12 o'clock Sun day morning, when-Ja canoe in which he was padding was rammed and overturned by a motor boat driven by Captain c. B. Demmons and in which Mate Ollie Houston of the schooner Brigadier, of Rock1and, Me, was also sailing. Pullon declared to-day that he and his companion made every ef- fort to get out of the way of the mo- tor boat and that the men who were operating it deliberately changed their course apparently in an effort to run them down.
 Captain Demnhons and Houston both denied this. Both claimed that they did not see the canoe until they came around, the bend in the riv- CT from the Bridgeport CrucibIe dock and then they said they made every l possible effort to avoid striking the canoe Pullon told the coroner that alone and unaided he climbed aboard the motor boat, took charge of it and kept it turning in circles looking for his companion in the water. Mate Houston claims that he assisted Pull lon into the motor boat and that Cap- tain Denmons stopped the engine and kept the boat where it was in an eff 1 fort to pick up Bartlett.
 Much of the testimony of Demmons l and Houston regarding their efforts 1 to aid the men they ran down is sub stantiated by the story of Laurence street draw bridge. Coroner Phe- l Ian accompanied by Captain Demmons and Mate Houston, who were in
 charge of Policemen George North and Clifford Gorgas went to the slip I above the Crucib1e Co. dock this noon, | -T, 4I
 1 tor boat The coroner found that is0ne of the pulleys through wI1ic1 the }seiilel- ropes sdn. had been torn rom l the side of. the boat, which seems to bear ott Captain Denmons' story that l he could not make his boat answer her rudder and turn in time to avoid striking the canoe
 1 There is no doubt in my mind that these men deliberately and intention ally ran us down. said PuI1on in am 1 swer to a, question by Coroner Phelan. Later when telling his story Captain l Demnons who was steering the mo- tor boat. declared that he was doing all in his power to avoid striking the canoe.
 I we had been drinking" he said.
 'but I knew what was doing. If the tller ropes had held we would have been all right
 l Pullon who is a rather stout young man with milk brown hair and clear
 brown eyes told his tory in a, rather 4 positive manner to the coroner. He T did not hesitate over a reply to a single question and he seemed thor
 ough1y convinced that Captain Dem-
 mons and Houston had deliberately
 ran down his canoe.
 tFWhy when saw them coming for
 us had Bartlett change the course, g
 around and they were still heading
 for us. I stood up and shouted at
 the top of my voice, Whats the mat
 ter with you fellows? What are you trying to do, run us down?' They
 didn't answer and the next thing they
 struck us amidship and we were spilled into the water.
 ttAs we went over [ reached out and caught hold of the side of their boat. I pulled myself on board. Cap tain Demmons was in the stern al the til1er. Houston was up toward
 the bow. The engine was still run , ming. told Captain Demmons to
 stop the engine but he didn't do it
 Then I caught hold. on the tiller and
 steered the boat around in circle
 booking for Bartlett. I couldn't see him anywhere. I started to take off
 nnykshoes then and steered the boat
 into the slip near the Crucib1e Go
 dock and jumped into a row boat there. I rowed out again but 5 couldn't see any signs of Bartlett. was so cold that I had to ask another } man who came with me to give me his coat" He said he was accustomed to padding canoes that he had padded them during rough weather from
 Fairfield beach to Lordship park
 without accident. He also said Bart 1 lett had told him he had~paddled
 canoes during rough weather on the
 Great Lakes where he had been 9 < member of canoe club. He said he s and Bartlett padded a canoe from } Laurel beach to Bridgeport harbor
 during a severe spell of rough wealth
 Continued on Page Z,