Page 41 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

11889. If he heard Hendrickson it is possible you would have heard? - I should think so; if he heard him I suppose I ought to have heard him. 11890. If he said that a suggestion was made by someone, you would not doubt his statement, would you? - No. You cannot doubt his statement, because I cannot say whether he said it or whether he did not. 11891. (The Commissioner.) Or whether it is truthful or not? - Or whether it is truthful or not. 11892. (Mr. Lewis.) If he said he was opposed by a lady passenger, you would not doubt that would you? - You cannot doubt a man’s word till you find out for certain. 11893. Or if he says a man passenger said it was dangerous? - Then you cannot doubt that. 11894. You would not doubt that? - No. 11895. And the lady may have said she was afraid of the boat being swamped? - She may have said it, yes. 11896. You said you went back to the wreckage after the ship sank? - Yes. 11897. (The Commissioner.) He went back and saw nothing? - Saw nothing. The Commissioner: Not to any wreckage. 11898. (Mr. Lewis.) The wreckage was mentioned in the American evidence. You went, at any rate, to the scene of the wreck? - As soon as possible. 11899. How long do you think it took you to get back to what you thought was the spot? - Half an hour or more; three-quarters of an hour nearly. 11900. Was there any conversation of any sort at the time of the sinking of the boat? - I never heard nothing. 11901. Nothing whatever? - No. If they were speaking between themselves, I was not hearing. I never heard nothing. 11902. I understand you to say that Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon was quieting Lady Duff-Gordon? - Yes; once I heard that. 11903. Calming her? - Yes. 11904. Soothing her. Did he speak to her? - Yes, he spoke to the lady. 11905. You heard that? - That was at daylight, at the break of day; that was when the “Carpathia’s” lights were in sight. 11906. If I were to suggest to you that immediately after the sinking of the boat, a few minutes afterwards, you gave the order to pull away, and that you did not pull to the scene of the wreckage, would I be speaking an untruth? - Yes, you would. The Commissioner: You are not assisting me in the least by these questions. Mr. Lewis: Not in the least? I believe, my Lord, you will have evidence - The Commissioner: That may be, but I am thinking about the assistance that you are affording to the Court, and in my opinion, at present you are affording the Court none. 11907. (Mr. Lewis.) I am very sorry, my Lord, that you should think so. Personally, I think I am. (To the Witness.) You expected the people in that boat to say something? - Yes, you would expect to hear something of some description. 11908. What did you expect them to say? - You expect - The Commissioner: I will not allow such questions to be put - “What did you expect them to say.” How can it assist me in any way? Mr. Lewis: Because I want to know - The Commissioner: You may ask him about facts - what he saw, what he did, what he said, what other people did and what other people said, but you must not ask this man about his expectations. Mr. Lewis: I want to know, my Lord, whether he thought that the people in the boat would suggest going back. The Commissioner: He has told us already that he was surprised they did not suggest it.