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Show VERDICT IN NORTH SEA CASE. Killed Without Provocation or Warning Warn-ing by Russian Warships. HULL. Eng., Nov. 2. "That George Henry Smith and William Leggelt were, at about 12:30 a. in., on October 22, while out fishing with trawlera aboard tho British Bri-tish steam trawlor. Crane, with board of trado marks exhibited and regulation lights burning, killed by shots llred without with-out warning or provocation from certain Russian war vessels at a distance of about a quarter of a mile." This li the text of the jury's vordlct at the Coroner's lnquet on tho fishermen victims of tho North Sea tragedy. At tho request of the British Govorninont, represented rep-resented by tho Earl of Dysart, Secretary Secre-tary of tho Treasury, this award was engendered by the First Court of Inquiry, preceding tho session of the International tribunal. The. Government asked the Jury not to find a verdict of wilful murder or manslaughter, man-slaughter, because "delicate negotiations are going on which should not be mado moro difficult, nnd they did not want to let anyone know they had prejudiced tho case before having heard both sldeB." in consequence the jury set forth tho facts proved by the evidence of physicians, experts ex-perts on explosives and the trawlers themselves. To tho verdict tho Judgo added add-ed the following order: "On this occasion, probably tho moat momentous In the annals of the British Empire, the Jury would record tholr appreciation ap-preciation of tho efforts mado by the Governments Gov-ernments Interested to arrive at a satisfactory satis-factory conclusion of the matter, which wo foel has no parallel in the history of tho world." |