Hi Dan,
Your article on Wilde is fantastic! Thank you for bringing this relatively underappreciated man into the spotlight. I have a question for you though. In one of your other articles you state your belief that- based on psychological profiling among other things- Murdoch is a more likely candidate for the rumored suicide than Wilde. Do you still feel the same way after reading Beatty's book? There's been much speculation as to what effect the death of his wife had on Wilde, with some suggesting that he never came to grips with his loss and argue that it might even have made him suicidal . Does this book, with all its new information, lend any credence to this theory?
Hi Amanda - thanks for the question and apologies for the late reply, I don't think I received any notifications of a reply (must check the ET settings). Anyway, in answer to your question as to whether after reading Beatty's book if my opinion has changed: Yes, I have to admit to realising that Wilde was in a more fragile psychological state than I had previously realised after reading his letters which are quite emotional. However that being said, on the night of the sinking,
Lightoller later reported (Christian Science Sentinel, October 1912) that Wilde said 'I am going to put on my life-belt.' which prompted
Lightoller to do the same (although, curiously, this is just after Wilde had initiated the retrieving of firearms, probably noting the security of the lifeboat evacuation was becoming compromised) which suggests he was not in a suicidal state of mind.
The location, timing and number of times Murdoch's name is used in the various testimony also suggests Murdoch is a more likely candidate, as is the fact that he was a demoted Officer of the Watch on duty and giving orders at the time of the collision, one can understand the pressure and frustration he was under. His OOW duty would have finished at 2am, and he had worked heroically throughout the starboard evacuation (he had three lifeboats launched before Lightoller had even got one lifeboat launched on the port side, and more survivors can thank Murdoch than Lightoller for their lives that night).
It seems likely there was an officer shooting/suicide. But the only thing we can be 100% sure of, is that in reality we really don't know which officer it was and so it will only ever speculation.
By the way, I will soon be expanding my biography of Wilde - I have a new officer's website under development (
www.titanicofficers.com) and once all the Titanic officers are completed I will revisit Wilde, as I have more information to add to it
