The man who faked his death on the Titanic (Pt. 2)
Mischief on the ocean liners Pt. 3
In the aftermath of the sinking of the Titanic, an account from an unnamed woman was given to a newspaper in New York about the heroism of a man who went by the name of J. H. Rogers. She stated, “He appeared very calm and assisted me and several others into the boat, shoving back frantic men in order to make a place for the women. When our boat shoved off he handed me this note, saying that it was for his sister and made me promise that I would see that it was delivered. He refused to enter the boat, and said that as the boat already was overcrowded one more would enchance the safety of you who are already in it.”
Along with her account she provided a note that Rogers reportedly gave to her before he bravely went down with the ship. It states, “if saved inform my sister Mrs. F. J. Adams of Findlay, Ohio lost. -J. H. Rogers.”
It was determined that Jay Yates, of Findlay, Ohio was the brother of Mrs. F. J. Adams, whose full name was Fanny Adams. Federal authorities had been searching for him after a crime he committed in 1910 and had been unable to pinpoint his location.
The crimes that led to Yates’ federal warrants
On January 7, 1910, a woman named Mary Haley worked at a substation of the postal office located in a drug store called O’Donnell’s in Washington D.C. Yates entered this substation claiming that he was a Post Inspector named John H. Harding. Haley handed over 27 money orders for him to inspect. Yates had been staying in the area at the Merchants’ Hotel since October 5, 1909, until he stole the money orders. He proceeded to leave town and later cashed the money orders for $100 each in Columbus, Ohio. Detectives searched for Yates but were unable to locate him.
The next that was heard of him was in 1910 when he cashed money orders at the Union National Bank at Columbus, Ohio, using the identification of his cousin John E. Cummins, who later made good on the orders to the government. Yates then again fell off the radar, although he had warrants out for his arrest by the federal authorities until the news of his supposed death in the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912.
Responses to the news of Jay Yates’ death
Yates reported death led to some sentimental responses despite his checkered past. When the victim of his post office swindle Haley heard of his death, she stated:
“Why when I read that he had met his death like a hero, I immediately forgave him and was extremely sorry that I had ever wished ill. When he entered the store and took the bundle of money order blanks from me and walked off with them, I thought, as soon as I found out that he had fooled me, that no punishment was too bad for him. He is a hero, and I am glad that I have seen him. He could have not more fittingly redeemed himself. He gave his life for three women, and what more could one ask? The matter of his forging those money orders for $2,700 is but a trifle beside the great repayment he made to humanity.
Now, instead of his being known as a crook and a forger, he should be hailed the land throughout as a hero, and a man deserving to be honored. His mother should be proud of him, and undoubtedly is, despite his previous checkered career. If I could, I would send her my sympathy, and tell her that I am sorry that his life should have been such a disappointment to her. Since he appeared in the store three years ago, I have wished many times that the post office inspectors might get hold of him and punish him, but now I am heartily ashamed of these wishes.”
Speaking of his mother, she was noted throughout the years to bail him out of his troubles. One time she made up for $1,900 that he had fraudulently borrowed on a farm owned by his wife by having another woman forge her name to a mortgage. When his mother heard of his reported death she stated:
“Thank God, I know where he is now. I have not heard from him for two years. During his life I spent nearly a fortune getting him out of trouble. I am glad that if he had to die, he died like a man.”
But did Yates really die on the Titanic? After some discussion between the authorities, it was realized that Yates was not a passenger on the ship. Yates concocted this ruse to get the federal authorities off of his trail.
Yates succeeded in staying off the radar after this incident. In the next part of “The man who faked his death on the Titanic,” we will discuss records that we have been able to find related to Yates and what possibility there could be in tracking down his historical record after 1912.
Sources:
“Forger died to save three women from sinking Titanic”, April 23, 1912, The Washington Post.
I'm very intrigued by Mary Haley's statement. I was able to find her in the 1910 census, and she's listed as working in a drugstore. Pretty neat to go back and find these folks.
Let's find this guy! Any ideas? 😉