The Alaska daily empire., 1920-07-20
WITNESS CALLS
 SOPHIA DEATHS
 PLAN MURDER''
James Lloyd Says Wreck Was Caused by Effort to
 Maintain Speed Record

called to the witness stand yester- day afternoon at a late hour in the Princess Sophia proceedings by Proctor Martin as an expert Wit ness, declared that the holding ot the passengers aboard the stranded vessel was murder" ia his opinion | The examination of Captain Lloyd l occupied more than au hour a:d al times degeneratcd irto free-for-all argument, in which all parties in dulged except Commissioner Mo- | burg.
 Captain Lloyd was called by MT Martin to give expert opinion on | the procedure of the Princess So- phia's master in holding his passen- gers aboard and to tell what ne knew of Captain Locke's method or operating his vessel in the waters l between Juneau and Ska9Way. lie was also closely questioned as to weather conditions generally pre- vailing in Lynn Canal during the month of October.
 The witness stated that II Cap | tain Locke had the opportunity anu weather and sea were such that ne could have done so, he should nave taken off all aboard the wrecked | ship as quickly as possible On cross examination he admitted that he had not been at the scene of tue | wreck until Saturday following the disaster but maintained that. if con 1 ditions there were such as had been described to him by those who were present before the ship was driven off the reef, the passengers aboard should have been transferred to smaller vessels standing by.
 Vessel Not Safe
 Asked by Attorney Bogle, counsel | for the petitioner, if there had been some danger of loss of life connect ed with the transfer of passengers and the ship was safely resting on 1 the reef, if he would still have transferred those aboard, the wit ness stated that he couldn't an swer that question because he couldn't conceive of ship Of the Sophias type resting safely on the reef. Under the circumstances, he said. it was merely a question of l time until hole was pounded through the plates of the vessel.
 Knew Locke Intimately
 Mr. Lloyd testified that he first met Captain Locke in 1899. when the latter was in command of a tug operating out of Victoria. His acouaintance had extended over number of years and amounted to an intimate knowledge of the man. l This state of relations was con tinued after the witness came to Alaska and he had had many con- versations with Captain Locke both | in Juneau and Skagway.
 | Captain Locke, he declared, on cross examination always pushed his ship ahead at full speed regard less of weather conditions He kne" this from both personal observance and conversations with the former Captain Lloyd stated trat he oper- ated the mail boat Santa Rita fol 16 months between Juneau and Skagway, on a weekly run and hat encountered the Princess Sophla many times in those waters, ant had been met and passed by hel several times during fogs and snow storms and on none of these oc casions had the vessel been slowed | down as required by the regula tions On one occasion, declared the witness, Captain Locke nae told him that he always got in of time, in fact boasted of his ability l to make time regardless of log snow or other unfavorable weather conditions. He asserted that he hae heard Captain Locke state that h' was making a reputation for hlm self with the company for makins time. The Princess Sophia master was working for retirement pen l sion, according to the witness. Ht had personal knowledge of the fac | that Captain Locke had operated the Princess Sophia on schedule II weather which had forced American boats to tie up, said the witness | Has UOI tHlS Deei d SOui M OA VII siderable danger to navigation!
 asked Mir Martin. "lt has, re piled the witness, adding that pro tests against it had been made bl American masters. He declared tha l Captain Locke had told him tha he had to make time or get out.
 McCloskey Called
 Following Captain Lloyd's exam | nation, James McCloskey was call ed to the stand by Proctor Martll to give information regarding tn weather conditions on Lynn Cana in October MT. McCloskey stated I that he had been resident o Juneau almost continuously sine 1898 and that he had been maklni occasional trips through Lynn Cana for 20 years. At anytime atte September 15. he stated, storms arising without warning and some times of great violence, would aris
 in that section of the passage. Il said that he knew nothing of Cap tain Locke's method of operatin boats