The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-25
PIRACY VICTIMS
WIDOW RELATES
DEATH DETAILS
Rich Yachtsman's Drown,
ing RetoId by Mrs. Coll
ingS at Formal Inquest.
BY JOHN NJ. COOPER
United Press stan Correspondent

HUNTINGTON. L. l., Sept. 25.--
Mrs. Lillian Ceilings. young widow
OF Benjamin P Ceilings, slain
yachtsman, testified at resumption
Of the coroner's inquest today as
to how she had begged for the life
OF her husband.
The attractive widow, CARRIED in
black, insisted that neither she nor
Ceilings, a retired engineer, at first
had suspected that the two pirates"
elderly man and boy, she said
came aboard their cabin cruiser
Penguin in Long Island sound, in
tended to do either of them bodily
harm.
The old man told my husband,
we've got a wounded man with US
who is weak from loss Of blood. We
are going to bring him aboard The
door was closed between the cabin
and cockpit, but 1 was sure they
were fixing a bed for the wounded
man. The door swung open and
the man was saying to my husband,
I got to do this to you because you
might get excited at the sight of
this wounded man He was indi-
eating he would have to tie his
hands"
Consented to Being Tied
Another significant point brought
out in Mrs. Ceilings story was her
assertion that her husband con-
sented to being tied.
My husband consented to put
his hands behind his back" she
continued. II could see the boy
making motions Of tying him. They
ordered him to sit in the rear.
Betsy cried, Don't hurt mama The
man said to go tell the child to keep
still. 1 went inside and locked the
door.
mot much time passed when I
heard the crash of glass and a
noise. When I heard that, it went
through me. Almost simultaneously
in a normal tone, Ben said: They
are putting me overheard 1 grabbed
a mattress and threw it to him. I
called him and told him it was
there. He never answered me from
the water"
On Verge of Tears
The young widow, who for the
most part had been calm during the
recitation, for a moment, seemed on
the verge Of tears. She stopped and
bowed her head still further. drank
a glass of water and proceeded.
Il went to the life preservers,"
she testified in the packed court
room of curious in Huntington town
hall, "but before could get to them,
the older man pinned his arms
around me. I begged him to do
something for my husband. All I
know is l was held by the man, and
the boy was out in a rowboat get
ting the mattress I had thrown
over. The next thing I recall, each
man had hold of one of my arms.
They helped me into a canoe.
The widow then said the older
man padded endlessly, until we
came TO the Bo-Peep" She said he
put her into the Bo-Peep, a motor
boat in which she was found at
dawn that morning, where she
finally was rescued and taken to
Mineola.
No Mention of Attack
The inquest adjourned for lunch
as she completed her story, without
mentioning an attack by the older
man.
One point regarded as significant
in offering a motive for putting
Ceilings out of the way, was brought
out in the widows story. She said
her husband asked the older man
If he was "a clam digger" and told
the fellow that his voice seems
familiar"
This intimated recognition of the
pirate" some believed, may have
caused him to become frightened
and suddenly dispose of Ceilings.