Captain Harwood abandoned all thought of the Lusitania’s call for help, because he thought it was a decoy message sent out to trap the Narragansett into the submarine’s path. “My opinion,” said Second Officer Letts, “is that submarines were scattered around that territory to prevent any vessel that received the S. O. S. call of the Lusitania from going to her assistance.” When attacked by the submarine the Narragansett had out her log, according to Second Officer Letts, and the torpedo passed under the line to which it was attached. The torpedo was fired from the submarine when the undersea boat was within two hundred yards of the tanker. The Narragansett when turned back had not sighted the wreck of the Lusitania, and her officers, who were led to believe the S. O. S. was a decoy, did not learn of the sinking of the Cunarder until the following morning at two o’clock. The Narragansett, under charter to the Standard Oil Company, is one of the largest tank steamships afloat. She is 540 feet long, has a sixty-foot beam, and 12,500 tons displacement. CHAPTER VI BRITISH JURY FINDS KAISER A MURDERER “THE CRIME OF WHOLESALE MURDER”--CAPTAIN TURNER’S TESTIMONY -- SAW THE TORPEDO -- DOUBLE LOOKOUTS ON LINER -- NO WARNING GIVEN -- OTHER TESTIMONY -- CORONER HORGAN’S STATEMENT. One of the first official acts with reference to the loss of the Lusitania was the impaneling, on May 10, of a coroner’s jury at Queenstown to fix the responsibility for the death of the passengers whose bodies were recovered and taken to that place. The inquest was conducted by Coroner John Horgan. The coroner’s proceedings were comparatively brief, and were concluded with the return of the following verdict of the jury: “THE CRIME OF WHOLESALE MURDER” “We find that the deceased met death from prolonged immersion and exhaustion in the sea eight miles south-southwest of Old Head of Kinsale, 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 submarine 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 the relatives of the deceased, the Cunard Company and the United States, many of whose citizens perished in this murderous attack on an unarmed liner.” CAPTAIN TURNER’S TESTIMONY Captain W. T. Turner, the Lusitania’s commander, was the chief witness at the inquest. The Coroner asked the captain whether he had received a message concerning the sinking of a ship off Kinsale by a submarine. Captain Turner replied that he had not. “Did you receive any special instructions as to the voyage?” “Yes, sir.” “Are you at liberty to tell us what they were?” “No, sir.” “Did you carry them out?”