Judge Thomas. at Liverpool County Court, heard an application by the White Star Company for the payment to them of the £75 they had paid into court under the Workmen's Compensation Act, consequent on the presumed death of Lazzaro Sartori. a seaman. said to have been a member of the crew of the Titanic.

Alternatively, the owners of the Titanic; applied that the defendant Domino Sartori should be put to strict proof of the death of; his son Lazzaro. Messrs, Hill, Dickinson. and Co. appeared for the owners. Mr. G. C. Rees (instructed by Messrs. Quilliam) resisted the application, and, on its alternative form, called evidence. Applicants in November last paid into court £75 for Domino Sartori. father of Lazzaro, who claimed to be a dependent. This payment was stated to be to avoid litigation, but the owners denied the dependency of the; father, and denied that Lazzaro Sartori was on board the Titanic.

The application was based on a fact that had recently come to the knowledge of the steamship owners, to the effect that in a Board of Trade form it appeared that the seaman failed to join the vessel.

Evidence was given on behalf of the defendant, Domino Sartori. to the effect that on the night before the Titanic sailed from Southampton the seaman was at a club playing games with a ship comrade; that he was due on board that night. and after having a drink with a friend at the African Hotel, he left, going in the direction of the ship in dock, and waving an adieu to his friend.

Mr. Rees produced a newspaper cutting, and stated that Lazzaro Sartori was included in the official list of the missing members of the crew.

The judge said he was satisfied on the evidence that the man disappeared at the time of the Titanic disaster. and the presumption was that he sailed on board that vessel on her last voyage. He dismissed the application with costs.