Evening star., 1934-09-12
RADIO ASSISTANT
ON SHIP DESCRIBED
ASTROUBLEM
Chief Operator Rogers Tes-
titles Capt. WiIImott Did
Not Trust AIagna.
CREW MEMBER IS HELD
FOR U. S. GRAND JURY
Passenger Tells Probers Walters
Were Drunk Shortly After
Leaving Havana.
ny the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 12.-George
w. Rogers, chief radio operator Of the
burned liner Moro Castle, testified at
q Government inquiry today that some
time ago his first assistant, George
Alagna and another operator tried to
instigate discomfort on the ship"
Rogers testified hesitantly on this
point and only after he received per-
mission to consult his attorney, who
subsequently was found not to be
present. The witness said he feared
his statements might be misconStrued.
Dickerson N. Hoover, conducting the
inquiry for the Department of Com
inerce, told Rogers he wanted to learn
whether discipline was maintained
aboard the liner.
When his attorney did not appear.
Rogers said:
Some time ago there was strike
among the radio operators. Alagna
and another operator tried to instigate
discomfort on the ship by seeking sig
natures to protest that the food on
the ship was bad"
Captain Did Not Trust Alagna
Rogers testified that one operator
s'got drunk and was discharged in
New York" and added that when he
became chief operator things went
along quite smoothly"
The chief operator said that Capt.
Robert r. Willmott, master of the
MORO Castle who died the night be-
fore the fire, conferred with him con-
corning Alagna and asked: What's
the matter with Alagna, is he
craZy?'"
The witness testified Capt. Willmott
told him that he and other of Alagna's
superior officers often received sar-
castle remarks from the operator,
'that he refused to obey orders, that
he was an agitator," Rogers quoted
willmott as telling Gim he wanted to
''get rid of Alagna IN New York" and
said u don't trust that man."
Alagna Is Recalled.
Alagna, who was arrested as ma
terial witness late yesterday after testi-
flying before the Federal grand jury
inquiry into the disaster, was taken
from the Federal House Of Detention
today and again was taken before the
grand jury.
DR.. Gouverneur Morris Phelps, a
passenger on the Moro Castle, was the
first witness before the grand jury
today. He testified for more than
two hours and was understood to have
repeated the story he told yesterday
before the Department of Commerce
Board.
Among those in the ante-room when
DR.. Phelps was testifying were Acting
Capt. William F. Warns, Acting First
Officer Ivan Freeman, Acting Second
Once Clarence c. Hackney, Chief
Ergneer Eben S. Abbott, First Assist
ant Engineer Anthony Bujia, Emanuel
Garcia, storekeeper; Antonio Georgeo,
oiler, and Ellis Beaumont, wiper, Of
the MORO Castle.
Subpoena Wireless Log.
The Government has subpoenaed
the wireless log Of Station WSC of
Tuckerton, N. j., and the Bush
Terminal, Brooklyn, N. Y, for the
period beginning at 1901 am. Satur-
day and continuing until noon.
The logs will be used by the Govern
ment in determining how long time
elapsed between the time when shore
stations were asked about the fire at
sea by one or more liners and the time
OF the sending of the standby and
SOS. signals from the Moro Castle
Civil warrants were served on the
others of the crew to prevent their
sailing away from the investigation
today on the Ward liner Siboney for
which United States Attorney Martin
Conboy said some were signed.
The Moro Castle herself, not yet
rid of her freight of fire and death,
coughed out her life on the Asbury
Park, N. j., beach, where fremen ex
pected to quell the flames today.
With the upper decks cooled and
the danger of further explosions dimin-
ished, officials of the Ward line hope
to be able to search the forward part