The New York Times, Saturday May 4, 1912
The White Star Line Agent at Halifax reported to White Star Line's New York Office yesterday that the Captain of the SS Minia sent the following wireless message to White Star Line:
"Returned to position last night during east gale and fog. Searched all day but found no bodies.
"I omitted giving you the following who were found:
"Joseph Finney, Second class passenger, employed as a rubber merchant, Liverpool.
"Thomas Mullin, Badge 32, steward on crew of Titanic.
"Have searched from latitude 49.25 eastward to 48 and north from 41.20 to 41.50
"No doubt some single bodies remain, but no groups. As they cannot be seen more than half a mile, you will understand how difficult it is to search every square mile for them. Regret that we must leave by Friday night, but will make another search tomorrow.
"Passed one body during dense fog; unable to find it on return trip.
"Stanton Abbott, an Englishman residing at Providence, Rhode Island, inquired at the White Star Line Office yesterday for his two sons, Rossmore Edward, age 17, and Eugene Joseph, age 13 who were passengers on Titanic with their mother, Mrs. Rhoda Rose Abbott, age 45. The mother, he said, got separated from her sons and was taken to a New York hospital in a dangerous condition from shock and fever.
"Informed him that the two boys were gone, but the body of the older boy had been recovered. Mr. Abbott said he would go to Halifax to claim it.
"Chief Engineer R H Fleming, who was reported lost on the Titanic, is the chief engineer on the Olympic. The name of the Chief Engineer on Titanic was J. Bell. (mistaken identification)
The officials at White Star Line said that several persons had called to put in claims for relief funds alleging that they were survivors of the Titanic, but upon investigation, they were discovered to be imposters.
Patrick O'Keefe, an Irishman who sailed on the Titanic as a steerage passenger, arrived asking aid of the White Star Line yesterday. He was referred to the Red Cross Society and to the Irish Immigrant Home. He believes he was one of the last to be saved. He said he swam toward a life raft when the steamship went down, was hauled aboard and that the raft was covered with firemen and other members of the crew.
He said the raft had as many as it could hold when he was dragged aboard, and of the scores struggling and fighting around them, not another man could scramble up to safety.
Patrick O'Keefe's story holds much doubt because there were no rafts on Titanic, none were recovered from the water and there were no lifeboats full of firemen and other crew members.
- End of New York Times article.
Hundreds of people tried to take advantage of the bountiful donations that came pouring in to benevolent societies and government facilities, and a few actually succeeded.
Until the relief funds were empty, Patrick O'Keefe and many others claiming to be survivors continued filing claims against White Star Line trying to get a share of the thousands of dollars being donated.
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