Evening star., 1934-09-11
Wiper Is Also Questioned,
While Attorneys for Quar-
tet Are Barred From Pro-
CeedingS.
JUSTICE AGENTS SEEK
ADDITIONAL WITNESSES
Chief Engineer Tells Commerce
Probers He Left in Lifeboat
With 80 of Crew and 2 Pas
sengers Half Hour After. Alarm
Was Sounded.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 11.-Eben
S. Abbott, chief engineer of the liner
MORO Castle, today told a board Of
inquiry that within half an hour after
an alarm awakened him, the morning
of the fire, he took off in the No. /
lifeboat with 80 persons, two OF them
passengers
What 1 want to know" demanded
Dickerson N. Hoover, chief of the De-
partment of Commerce inquiry, is
why No. boat did not take off more
passengers"
when I left A deck, there were no
passengers on deck" Abbott replied.
"Any one down below must have
burned up. We saw no passengers.
There were none in sight"
Abbott said he took the boat on or
ders of the captain, and he believed
his boat was the third to get away
from the burning liner.
Four Report to Grand Jury.
While Abbott was testifying at the
Department of Commerce inquiry,
three bridge officers and a wiper ap-
peared at the Federal Building in
answer to grand jury subpoenas in
United States Attorney Martin Con-
boys investigation of the disaster.
They were Chief Oflcer William
F. Warns, acting First Officer Clar-
ence G. Hackney, acting Second Off
Ger Ivan Freeman and Ellis Beau
mont, a wiper. They were accom-
Hxy IF offnrf1nuc
They were questioned behind closed
doors by Chief Assistant United
States Attorney Louis M. Treadwell,
Francis p. r. Adams, chief Of the
Criminal Division; Assistant United
States Attorney Joseph Prendergast
and Edward P. F. Eagan, assistant
United States attorney.
Justice Agents Seek Witnesses.
While the witnesses were being
questioned In advance Of the meeting
of the grand jury, agents of the
Bureau of Investigation of the De-
partment of Justice were seeking ad-
ditional witnesses.
All four men, it was learned later,
refused, on advice of counsel, to an
swer questions before being taken to
the grand jury room.
Shortly before noon George l.
Alagno, second assistant wireless
operator of the Moro Castle, ap-
peared at the United States attorney S
Office and was told to report to the
grand jury, without previous ques-
tioning. Chief Office Warns, Hack
ney, Freeman and Beaumont also were
taken to the grand jury room, where
their attorneys were barred at the
entrance.
George w. Rogers, chief wireless
operator of the Moro Castle, also
appeared at the grand jury ante room
May Continue Session.
He was called into the jury room
and questioned at length. Rogers has
been regarded as an important witness
and evidence of this was seen in the
decision of the jury to hold an after
noon session in order that his testi-
mony might be completed.
The investigating body ordinarily
holds but one session a day of about
two hours duration.
Questioning in the Commerce De-
partment inquiry was resumed today
in a Federal court room at the Fed
eral Building, the room at the GUS
toms house having proven inadequate
to handle the crowds.
Leading the investigation was Dick
erson N. Hoover, assistant director of
the Bureau of Navigation; Steamboat
Inspectors James Smith and John l.
Crone, and Capt. Karl c. Nelson
chief of hull inspection for the sec
ond district.
Engines Going Full Speed.
Abbott said engines and generators
were in perfect" condition. Neither
was there anything wrong with the
motor lifeboats.
He said the engines were slowed
during the day but were going full
CNol