MR. STEAD—THE LAST PHASE.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13439, 10 June 1912, Page 8

MR. STEAD—THE LAST PHASE.

Tho Now York correspondent of the London "Morning Loader" waslortunato enough to find a fellow-passenger of Mr. W. T. Stead on the, Titanic who saw much that ho did during the illfated voyage, and was probably one of tho last persons, if not tho last, who saw him alive. His name is Frederic K. Seward, and ho is a famous Now York lawyer, and himself ono of tho most charming, popular men in the city. On the Titanic's first and last trip he sat at Purser Mcllro^r'sbtablo. Next to him wore Mr. Stead and an American • client with whom he- had been abroad. Tho party consisted of oight. Six of them were Englishmen. Mr. Soward is tho sole survivor. The correspondent, after describing various details of conversations which Mr. Seward had with Mr. Stead during the voyage, says:—Mr. Stead spoke a great deal about tho public difficulties ho had to faeo for nearly a generation, especially tho opprobrium heaped upon him, thanks to his opposition of the South African campaign. He gave what —to Mr. Soward and to most pcoi pie who were not in England in those I tremendous days—would havo.seemed an incredible description of the sinister persecution to which he and Mr. Lloyd "George were subjected. Ho .rejoiced that they had lived it down, and that time had at last vindicated them. One of the last conversations Mr. Seward had with him concerned Cecil Rhodes. Mr. Stead said iit ono time he was the solo heir to the empiro builder's eight millions sterling; Ho deliberately sacrificed that heritage by maintaining an unflinching attitude throughout the Boor war. Some Englishmen on tho I Titanic reproached Mr. Seward for boing seen so much in Mr. Stead's company. "My dear fellow," he was asked, do you know ho was a pro-Boer?" i For answer Mr. Seward repeated the Cecil Rhodes incident, and asked him if he knew a more inspiring example of soul in journalism. "I am afraid nobody living knows how ho died," concluded Mr. Seward. "He was ono of the very few who were actually on deck ; when the iceberg was struck. I saw Itim soon afterwards and was. thoroughi ly scared, btit ho preserved most beautiful composure. I deem it a privilege I shall prize for the rest of my days that I had the opportunity in the last hours of his lit.--, t.') hold converse with a groat

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