Page 86 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 10 -13

12836. And did you have a conversation with him then about the matter? - No, I do not think so. I think I said, “I have not got this; I will see you tomorrow or the next day.” 12837. Now, on your way to New York did you cause Miss Francatelli to write out a form of cheque for each of those persons whose name was in the list? - Yes. 12838. And did you sign those? - Yes. 12839. I think you had not a book of cheques? - No. 12840. And I think it is your common practice to draw cheques upon your bankers - Coutts, are they? - Yes. 12841. Upon notepaper? - Yes. 12842. Did Miss Francatelli write them? - Yes. 12843. Did she give them to you? - Yes. 12844. How did you get the men together? - I went on to the deck just by the smoking-room and saw Hendrickson down below, and beckoned him up and told him to get all the men together, and when they were up there I just gave them each their cheque, asking each fellow what his name was. 12845. Whereabouts on board the “Carpathia” was that? - That was on the deck just by the side of the smoking-room door. 12846. And was anything said as between you and those men when you were giving them each successively the cheque? - Yes. I said, “I am sorry I cannot give you money; but if you had it, you would probably spend it all in New York, so it is just as well it should be in a cheque which will enable you to start your kit again.” That is all I said to them. 12847. Did anything more take place with regard to the giving of these cheques? - Well, when they were given, a friend of ours, a man we had met on board, came up and photographed the whole lot of us there, and I think one or two of the passengers snapshotted us. 12848. There were passengers with cameras? - Yes. 12849. And there was some snapshotting going on? - Yes. I think one was subsequently reproduced in a London paper in which Hendrickson happened to appear. 12850. Had he put on a lifebelt for the purpose of being photographed? - Yes, he had. 12851. It is suggested that Mrs. Astor was in that boat. There is the reproduction of the photograph, and does it show at the bottom that the group includes Mrs. J. J. Astor. Just look at it and see (Handing photograph to Witness.)? - Yes. 12852. (Mr. Duke.) It is in the Sphere, Mr. Attorney. (To the Witness.) It is quite a mistake, is it not. Who is the lady? - That is Miss Francatelli. 12853. That is the lady who is identified as Mrs. Astor. Now I want to go back to the time you were in the boat. You have told me of a man who was in the boat. I think you said a passenger who was constantly calling out while you were on the sea, “Boat ahoy, we ought to go this way, we ought to go that way.” Do you know who he was? - Yes. 12854. Was he one of the other two men who had been passengers of the “Titanic”? - Yes. 12855. Did anybody take any notice of those exclamations of his? - No. 12856. Did they lead to any discussion either with Symons or Horswill or anybody else in the boat as far as you are aware? - No. 12857. Did they have any effect at all on the course the boat took? - Not the least. 12858. And from first to last from the time you and the other passengers were on board that boat, as far as you are aware, had anything that was said by any of you any effect on the direction taken by the boat? - No, nothing. The Commissioner: Is there anything more, Mr. Duke? 12859. (Mr. Duke.) I think there is only one general question, my Lord. (To the Witness.) So far as you were concerned, Sir Cosmo, when did the first suggestion reach you that you had failed to do in that boat anything you could have done? - When I arrived at Fishguard last