Lightoller broke the law in 1900 in Sydney Australia pulling an invasion prank. Made the newspaper and all.
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Did any passengers ever break the law?
- Thread starter Andrew Maheux
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- crime criminals law passengers
Tim Gerard
Member
Wasn't August Wennerstrom some sort of criminal in Sweden from before the sinking?
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Quite the prankster, wasn't he? He also said he felt more like a "legal doormat," referencing his complicity in the whitewashing of the Titanic disaster by the British Inquiry which was held in London by the Board of Trade. Shady business.
Indeed he was. When asked if the Titanic broke apart he vehemently denied it and said she foundered in one piece. "It is utterly untrue. The ship did not and could not have broken in two." is what he said in response. Whether he knew she did break up but was told to deny it by his superiors or his vantage point was so poor that he couldn't distinguish what was going on (he was at the bridge when she went down), he certainly put the 'Bottom Line' first before the inconvenient truth in this case. His denial ultimately became accepted fact among many Titanic scholars and the general public until the discovery of the wreck 73 yrs later which vindicated the survivors who did say she broke before she sank. A very loyal company man all the way.
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I know. Titanic historians believed him over anybody else. Lightoller was born a leader, a true leader. Even the historians look up to him until the wreck was found. What a strong personalty he had. I'm attracted to those type of guys.if I was around in his day, I would had liked him more than a friend.
HelenaWojtczak
Member
Edith Bowerman Chibnall refused to fill in the 1911 census as a protest against women not having the vote. That was illegal and would attract a £5 fine or one month in prison. Over 1,500 women joined this protest, but not one was prosecuted.
Arun Vajpey
Member
Good for her! On paper she might have "broken" a law that was linked to something unfair and inappropriate. But she ended-up being one of the trailblazers who paved the way for a new law.
Her daughter Elsie was 22 years old when she also survived and lived long enough to see Britain get not only the female vote but also several female MPs over time. Sadly, Elsie died in 1973, 6 years before Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister.
Edwina "Winne" Troutt, who was 27 years old when she survived the Titanic disaster, was 95 (and destined to become a centenarian) when Thatcher became the PM. I wonder if there were any other British or British born women survivors who were adults (over 18) in 1912 and were still alive in 1979? Edith Brown (later Haisman) was under 16 and so does not qualify)
Henry Nicholas Lister
Member
Thomas McCormack assulted 14 year old Robert nudget when his wife reported to police in 1922
Arun Vajpey
Member
Two male 3rd Class survivors - Juho Niskanen and Fahim al-Zaini (Philip Zenni) - not only had brushes with the law on similar grounds, there were several similarities in their lives...and deaths. They were of course, complete strangers to each other and never met - unless by accident on the Carpathia.
Both men had lived and worked in the US for 3 years before they returned to their homelands - Niskanen to Finland and Zenni to Syria.
Both men were travelling alone as 3rd Class passengers on the Titanic.
Niskanen never settled down properly in the US despite working as a ranch hand; he had mental health issues and was accused of assault.
Zenni was frequently in trouble with the law through the 1920s usually due to assault charges.
Niskanen was constantly ad odds with his neighbour Emily Jenner, and was arrested for assaulting and threatening to kill her.
Zenni was arrested for assult and battery of his wife Elsie Zenni.
Both men died in 1927; Niskanen set fire to his house and shot himself while Zenni died from complications of typhoid fever.
Both men had lived and worked in the US for 3 years before they returned to their homelands - Niskanen to Finland and Zenni to Syria.
Both men were travelling alone as 3rd Class passengers on the Titanic.
Niskanen never settled down properly in the US despite working as a ranch hand; he had mental health issues and was accused of assault.
Zenni was frequently in trouble with the law through the 1920s usually due to assault charges.
Niskanen was constantly ad odds with his neighbour Emily Jenner, and was arrested for assaulting and threatening to kill her.
Zenni was arrested for assult and battery of his wife Elsie Zenni.
Both men died in 1927; Niskanen set fire to his house and shot himself while Zenni died from complications of typhoid fever.
Steven Christian
Member
Should have been titled was anyone convicted.
Everyone on Titanic broke the law. Some way some how. Most just innocent infractions they didn't even know about. I can't speak for other countries but in the the U.S. most people break the law around 5 times a day and are not even aware of it because most are stupid laws nobody cares about. Even more since the computer age. Many people break enviromental laws there not aware of also. You can be breaking the law just by what you pour down your sink. If your talking crimes of violence/theft against other people then very few people from Titanic did just as with most today. Cheers
Everyone on Titanic broke the law. Some way some how. Most just innocent infractions they didn't even know about. I can't speak for other countries but in the the U.S. most people break the law around 5 times a day and are not even aware of it because most are stupid laws nobody cares about. Even more since the computer age. Many people break enviromental laws there not aware of also. You can be breaking the law just by what you pour down your sink. If your talking crimes of violence/theft against other people then very few people from Titanic did just as with most today. Cheers
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