Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-11
Report Of Coroner's Inquest
Held Over Victims Of Lusi-
tania Severely Condemns
Whole German Nation
CRIME UNPRECEDENTED
IN MoDRN VA#ARE
Emperor WV NFIl dIld IT'S Nd-
val Officers Come in for Sc
we're Criticism; Captain
Turner Is Witness,

kinsale. May 10 t4:20 p. MI
When the inquest over five victims ei
the Lusltania' had been concluded to.
day the coroners jury returned the
following verdict
1--WE find that the deceased met
death from prolonged immersion and
exhaustion In the sea eight miles
south-southwest OF old Head OF Kin
sale, Friday, May Z, 1916. owing "a
the sinking of the I-usitania liy tor
pedoes fired by a German submarine
"we find that this appalling crime
was committed contrary 10 interna-
tional law and the conventions of all
civilized nations,
I'VE also charge the officers of
said marine and the emperor and
government of Germany under whose
orders they acted, with the urime OF
wholesale murder before the tribunal
of the civilized world.
1--WE desire to express sincere con-
dolences and sympathy with the rel
atives of the deceased, the Cunard
company and the United States, many
of whose citizens perished in this
murderous attack on an unarmee
liner
Coroner l1orgitn said that the first
torpedo fired bns The German subma-
riHe did serious damage To the LUST
tania, but that, not satisfied with this.
the Germans had discharged another
torpedo The second torpedo. he said,
must have been more deadly. because
II 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 Ger
man government and the whole peo-
Pile of Germany who eollaborated in
the terrible crime"
81 propose to ask the Jury, he con-
tinued. ito return the only verdict
possible for Il self-respeeting jury. that
the men in charge of the German sub
marine were guilty of wilful murder.
Ships BugIer Livermore testified
that the watertight compartments
were closed but that the explosion and
the force Of the water must have
the officers were at their posts and
that early 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 torpe-
doed ,"
We we're" the captain renlied.
Was she armed -
mo sir"
What precautions did you take?''
We had all the boats swung when
We came within the danger zone, be-
tween the passing of Fastnet and the
time of the accident
II also gave orders 20 stop the
ship" Captain Turner continued but
we could not stop. We found that the
engines were ont of commission 1t
was not safe to lower boats until the
speed was off the vessel As a mat
ter of fact there was a perceptible
headway on her up to the time she
went down.
When she was struck she listed to
starboard. | stood on the bridge when
she sank and the Lusitania went down
under me. She floated about eighteen
after the torpedo struck her
My watch stopped at 1856. | was
picked up from among the wreekage
md afterwards was brought aboard
Irawler.
No Warship was conveying us. !
saw no warship, and none was report |
ed to me as having been seen. AT tho |
time ! WAS picked up I noticed bod I
es flonting on the surface, but saw
no living persons.
Eighteen Knots was not the normal |
speed OF the LusItania, was it,"
AT ordinary times. answered Cap |
ain Turner, she could make twenty |
Tive Knots but in war times her speed |
was reduced TO twenty-one knots My |
reason for going eighteen knots was
that | wanted to arrive at Liverpool /
bar without stopping and within twol
1r three hours of high water"
WAS there lookout kept for sub /
marines, in response to previous warn
ngs?n
Yes we had double lookonts
Were you going zig-zag course /
u the moment the torpedoing took
olace?"
No: it was bright weather and land
was clearly visible"
.'Was it possible for a submarine to
approach without being seem"
'Oh, yes, quite possible"
Something has been said regarding
he impossibility Of launching the
,oats on the port side 2"
Yes said Captain Turner, owing
o the listing Of the Ship
How many boats We're launched
Iafely?"
Il cannot say"
Were any launched safely?p
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