Atlantic?”
“Yes.”
Lord Mersey suddenly broke in. “Did you pay your fare?”
Ismay paused for a moment, embarrassed, feeling as though he'd just been reeled in. “No, I did not.”
Sir Rufus quickly resumed, allowing Ismay to save face. “Now I think we understand what you mean when you say you were travelling as a passenger. Now on this day, on the 14th, did you get information from the captain of ice reports?”
Ismay coughed vigorously before answering. “The captain handed me a Marconi message which he had received from the Baltic on that Sunday.”
The Attorney General seemed startled. “He handed you the actual message as it was delivered to him from the Baltic ?”
“Yes, sir,” Ismay replied, confused and uncomfortable. How can the Attorney General not be aware of that ghastly awkward exchange I had with the Americans at their inquiry? he wondered.
“Do you remember at what time it was?”
“I- I think it was just before lunch.”
“On the Sunday?”
“Yes, on the Sunday.” Ismay replied, trying hard to sound truthful, but not frightened.
The Attorney-General fell silent for a moment, shuffling through his notes, before turning to Lord Mersey. “Your Lordship remembers the copy of the message from the Baltic . I am going to hand you a little later a document which gives the messages in their proper order of dates, but this copied message is the one I am referring to now. I will read it.”
Ismay's mind was reeling; the Board of Trade certainly had to have known of the whole telegram affair. He had been thoroughly humiliated at the American Inquiry, telling every detail of a story he knew sounded implausible and yet as far as he had known, it was the truth. His eyes blinked rapidly as the Attorney General continued.
“It is sent at 11:52 a.m. to Captain Smith, Titanic : 'Have had moderate, variable winds and clear, fine weather since leaving. Greek steamer Athenai reports low on coal, also passing icebergs and large quantity of field ice today...' If your Lordship will take this list you will see how convenient it is,” Sir Rufus stated, as he offered up a copy to Lord Mersey. “We will have some more printed to hand up to the assessors.”
The Attorney General then continued. “Now, if your Lordship would like to complete this whilst you have got it before you, you will find, if you turn to the bottom of the page, the answer: 'Time received 12:55 p.m., to the commander of the Baltic. Thanks for your message and good wishes. Had fine weather since leaving, Smith.'” Sir Rufus turned his attention back to Ismay. “Now what I want to understand from you is this- that message was handed to you by Captain Smith, you say?”
“Yes.”
“He handed it to you because you were the managing director of the company?”
“I do not know, it... it was a matter of information.”
“Information which he would not give to everybody, but which he gave to you,” Sir Rufus replied, his eyes narrowing. “There is not the least doubt about it, is there?”
“No, I do not think so.” For the first time since the proceedings began- and he had been battling the urge to do so for several minutes- Ismay pulled out a handkerchief and patted it gently to his forehead.
“He handed it to you, and you read it, I suppose?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say anything to you about it?”
“Not a word.”
Sir Rufus placed down the papers he had been shuffling throughout the testimony and addressed Ismay directly. “He merely handed it to you, and you put it in your pocket after you had read it?”
“Yes, I glanced at it very casually,” Ismay stated, quickly clearing his throat. “I was on deck at the time.”
“Had he handed any message to you before this one?”
“No.”
“So this was the first message he had handed to you on this voyage?”
“Yes- I daresay the only
“Yes.”
Lord Mersey suddenly broke in. “Did you pay your fare?”
Ismay paused for a moment, embarrassed, feeling as though he'd just been reeled in. “No, I did not.”
Sir Rufus quickly resumed, allowing Ismay to save face. “Now I think we understand what you mean when you say you were travelling as a passenger. Now on this day, on the 14th, did you get information from the captain of ice reports?”
Ismay coughed vigorously before answering. “The captain handed me a Marconi message which he had received from the Baltic on that Sunday.”
The Attorney General seemed startled. “He handed you the actual message as it was delivered to him from the Baltic ?”
“Yes, sir,” Ismay replied, confused and uncomfortable. How can the Attorney General not be aware of that ghastly awkward exchange I had with the Americans at their inquiry? he wondered.
“Do you remember at what time it was?”
“I- I think it was just before lunch.”
“On the Sunday?”
“Yes, on the Sunday.” Ismay replied, trying hard to sound truthful, but not frightened.
The Attorney-General fell silent for a moment, shuffling through his notes, before turning to Lord Mersey. “Your Lordship remembers the copy of the message from the Baltic . I am going to hand you a little later a document which gives the messages in their proper order of dates, but this copied message is the one I am referring to now. I will read it.”
Ismay's mind was reeling; the Board of Trade certainly had to have known of the whole telegram affair. He had been thoroughly humiliated at the American Inquiry, telling every detail of a story he knew sounded implausible and yet as far as he had known, it was the truth. His eyes blinked rapidly as the Attorney General continued.
“It is sent at 11:52 a.m. to Captain Smith, Titanic : 'Have had moderate, variable winds and clear, fine weather since leaving. Greek steamer Athenai reports low on coal, also passing icebergs and large quantity of field ice today...' If your Lordship will take this list you will see how convenient it is,” Sir Rufus stated, as he offered up a copy to Lord Mersey. “We will have some more printed to hand up to the assessors.”
The Attorney General then continued. “Now, if your Lordship would like to complete this whilst you have got it before you, you will find, if you turn to the bottom of the page, the answer: 'Time received 12:55 p.m., to the commander of the Baltic. Thanks for your message and good wishes. Had fine weather since leaving, Smith.'” Sir Rufus turned his attention back to Ismay. “Now what I want to understand from you is this- that message was handed to you by Captain Smith, you say?”
“Yes.”
“He handed it to you because you were the managing director of the company?”
“I do not know, it... it was a matter of information.”
“Information which he would not give to everybody, but which he gave to you,” Sir Rufus replied, his eyes narrowing. “There is not the least doubt about it, is there?”
“No, I do not think so.” For the first time since the proceedings began- and he had been battling the urge to do so for several minutes- Ismay pulled out a handkerchief and patted it gently to his forehead.
“He handed it to you, and you read it, I suppose?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say anything to you about it?”
“Not a word.”
Sir Rufus placed down the papers he had been shuffling throughout the testimony and addressed Ismay directly. “He merely handed it to you, and you put it in your pocket after you had read it?”
“Yes, I glanced at it very casually,” Ismay stated, quickly clearing his throat. “I was on deck at the time.”
“Had he handed any message to you before this one?”
“No.”
“So this was the first message he had handed to you on this voyage?”
“Yes- I daresay the only
Similar Books
![To Catch A Warrior [Unearthly World Book 5]](https://fs.collectorofbookboyfriends.com/540064/thumbs/152x264/to-catch-a-warrior-unearthly-world-book-5.jpg)