Volume 17 , Issue 14

1915 - Lusitania Deaths Wilful Murder

Four days after the sinking of the EMS Lusitania ship bound for Liverpool the Norwich Bulletin, dated 11 May 1915, reported these headlines: "Lusitania Deaths Wilful Murder" and "Germany Regrets Loss of Americans." This incident caused America to get in to World War I.

Kindle, Ireland, May 10 (1915) -- The verdict rendered by the coroner's jury which investigated the deaths resulting from the torpedoing of the Lusitania is as follows:

Coroner's Verdict

"We find that the deceased met death from prolonger immersion and exhaustion in the sea eight miles south-southwest of Old Head of Kindle, Friday, May 7, 1915, owing to the sinking of the Lusitania by torpedoes fired by a German submarine.

"We find that this appalling crime was committed contrary to international law and the conventions of all civilized nations. We also charge the officers of said submarines and the emperor and government of Germany, under whose orders they acted, with the crime of wholesale murder before the tribunal of the civilized world.

"We desire to express sincere condolences and sympathy with these relatives of the deceased, the Cunard company and the United States, many of whose citizens perished in this murderous attack on an unarmed liner."

Second Torpedo Was Deadly

Coroner Horgan said that the first torpedo fired by the German submarine did serious damage to the Lusitania, but that, not satisfied with this, the Germans had discharged another torpedo. The second torpedo must have been more deadly, because it went through the ship, hastening the work of destruction.

There was a propose to ask the jury to return the only verdict possible for a self-respecting jury, that the men in charge of the German submarine were guilty of willful murder.

Ship's Bugier, Livermore testified that the watertight compartments were closed, but that the explosion and the force of the water must have burst them open. He said that all the officers were at their posts and that earlier arrivals of the rescue craft would not have saved the situation.

Captain Turner testified briefly as the coroner asked him: "You were aware threats and been made that the ship would be torpedoed?"

We were," the captain replied.

"Was she armed?"

"No, sir."

"What precautions did you take?"

"We had all the boats swung when we came within the danger zone, between the passing of Fastnet and the time of the accident."
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