The Inquest 1916

The inquest took place on Tuesday morning at the Town Hall before the Borough Coroner (Mr S. Payn). It dealt with the largest number of deaths that Mr Payn, during his experience of over thirty years, and had to inquire into at one time. During the course of the procedure Mrs Asquith, the wife of the Prime Minister was present for about half an hour. In the quaint old-world formula with which the Coroner always opens inquests, he described it as an “on George Saunders and fifty-four others”. 

The jury of which Mr Hookway was foreman was as follows - Messrs. E. Wood, 
H. Crundell, W. Langley, A. Hughes, S. Leigh, W. Pepper, H. Hentall, G. Spain, 
J. Alexander, A. King, W. Law, J. Hogben, G. Thomas and J. Lukey. 

The Coroner . "I am sorry to have to call you all together at this early hour, but this case necessitates it. It is a very sad occurrence and one of the worst we have had happen here since the war. It appears this ship belonging to the P. and O. line the “Maloja” had just started on its outward voyage and passed here last Sunday. When about a mile and a half from the port the vessel was suddenly blown up and sank in about twenty minutes and the crew and passengers were practicably cast into the sea."

"I understand that 155 out of the crew and passengers were lost and the others were saved by the timely help of boats and other craft that put off to their help. Most of the bodies were landed in the town, but some of them drifted to various places, and all were brought in here so that one inquiry only would be necessary as to their deaths. I shall have to detain you a little while in trying to get the names and description of the various bodies, I understand that only fifteen out of the fifty-five we have as yet have been identified. There are several Lascars and I do not suppose we shall ascertain the correct name of these."

More>>>