The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-09-12
GRAND JURORS.
SEEK BASIS OF
PROSECUTION
Conflicting Stories Sifted
as First Arrest Made
in Ocean Tragedy
MAY SPELL DOOM OF
WOOD FINISHED SHIPS

HYDE PARK, Sept. .1z.-(UP)
Appalled, by the MORO Castle dis
aster, President Roosevelt said to-
day congress will be asked for leg
islation eliminating future con-
struetion of passenger ships with
wooden interiors.
The president indicated that he
is watching closely the MORO Cas-
tie investigation, saying that If
new evidence 10 uncovered the de.
partment of justice will take
charge. 80
NEW YORK, Sept. IL. (UPD
Chief Radio Operator George
Rogers told federal Investigators
that the first sos from the Nor
70 Castle was delayed 80 min
utes after the ship began burn
ing because First Assistant
George Alagna returned from
the bridge reporting he was I'M
able to get intelligent co-opera-
ton from the officers.
I Rogers said Alagna had trou-
BILE with the late Capt. Robert
Willmott. who had planned to
discharge him as soon as the
vehsel reached New York.
NEW YORK, Sept. IL. (UP).
Disclosures followed one another
in rapid succession last night tend
ing to substantiate charges that
lack of organization on the Moro
Castle and indiscipline Of her crew
caused the burning Of the $780,
600 luxury liner with an appalling
toll Of human life.
A purported statement by Louis
Perrine, of Princeton, N. j., that
he had seen acting Capt. William !
F. Warns shoot and kill seaman
aboard the MORO Castle later was
modified by Perrine.
After the Warns story had
gained circulation, Perrine, it was
understood, received word that he
would be summoned before the
federal board Of inquiry to tell
his story. He then denied ever
having seen Warns. He said he
was standing on "B" deck on the
liner and he saw, through a wall
of flame, q seaman lying on the
deck. An officer, revolver in hand,
stood about,15 feet away, Perrine
said, and he had heard q shot
few moments earlier.
IF the seaman lying on the
deck was shot," Perrine said, 81
think it was probably because he
was not obeying orders. All men,
bers Of the crew had been told to
stand BY"
George Alagna, second radio Of
fcer, was taken in custody on a
body Observation-Disclosures to
arrest-after he had spent two
and a half hours before the fed
eral grand jury which is seeking
possible evidence on which to
base criminal charges.
Meantime witnesses before the
governments inquiry board, hold
ing public hearings here, told
stories that were in sharp conflict
with the testimony Monday of
Captain Warns, who described
the crew well-disciplined and who
"saw no insubordination on the
ship"
An elderly New York physician
was bitterly critical Of the crews
actions, declaring no fire alarm
was sounded for the benefit of
and that they awoke
only after they had smelled smoke.
Ships officers themselves furn-
ished the investigation board with
the information that three of the
life boats launched during the fire
went ashore loaded with members
of the crew and carrying, between
them, only three passengers.
One boat carried 30 Of the crew
and two passengers, one had about
20 seamen and only one passen-
ger, and third cast off without
single ships passenger in tall
crew.