Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-13
THE CAPTAINS SIDE.
w,rnesses FOR THE DEFENCE BEING
EXAMINED BY THE COURT.
n. rnort Being Made to Impeach the
Commanders Accuser and Equip
meut-Yeoman Fife.

When the naval court OF inquiry met
ON board the monitor AJAX yes'eiuay
morning ut 10 o'clock the examina'ion VI
witnesses for Commander Granam was
begun. certain line of questioning was
followed. the intent of counsel for the ue-
fence evidently being to break aown inc
evidence for the prosecution by impeacn-
ing certain witnesses Oh that sue
George s. Davidson, paymasteTs yeo ,isad
was the first witness called. ho ..Tna
Gantain ia down now; let US turn IN ana
down the Chief Engineer and the Doctor.
He said he would not like to say tna' ne
wouId not believe Fife on his oa,n uu a
,hat Il he (Fife) were the least under the
,nfuence of liquor and his personal inter-
est AZ stake he IDavidson) would nate 10
believe him. The witness was ashed MY NY
he did not report what he han hearu
saw 10 Commander tranan. .ho :,
niied that he did communicate tne III
Location TO the Chief Engineer
one of those against whom the threat was
made and that he was under the impress
a,on that this official would carry the mat
Ter before the Captain. In reply ~
orerv davidson stated that he knew OF tue
eyistence of no combination 70 DO INJURY
10 the Commander He said fite once n',, salr
10 him that he (Fife) had told niate UNI
a story. But do not know; epdnna
tho witness. whether or not TINS; was u sIo
70 brino Mr.. Fuller back to the shlps al.e y
he had been away beyond the usuai tiine'
THE CAPTAINS FIXED now.
c,.,os Po.rdon ships writer. testified
Cna na,sr nea o. follows II heard Fife say
s 80 time age. The Captains fixed nov,
end The Doctor and Chief Engineer ougho
90 he fxed., | could not believe fite on
his oath IN anything that would greatiy IN
terest him. do not know that he ever
told me lie A.. ob;,;ot said
no had known Equipment-i oeman flIe
since he came on board tho MONITORS an1
that he once heard him IN speaking OF
Commander Graham say: Cd dmn
him. I will report him to the navy" Inc
witness in continuing his evidence. SAID !:
"From what know of Prentlss would
not believe him on oatn. L was present
when Fife threatened 10 report the com,
handing officer, but he was on such GOOD
terms with the Captain that L thougho IL
would be useless for me to have sara any
thing; and while | know IT was my duty
| To have done so felt that l would nave
made no impression. He said he knew OF
no reason why he could not believe Fife
on OATH"
Robert Conley, ward-room steward. was
sworn and testified that he heard tlte. III
speaking of Commander Grahams trou-
blee saw: I'VE have downed old Jimmy,
and we will down old Taylor" Conley
SAID he reported tho matter TO the CON-
handing officer,
James NJ. Edmonds, ships painter,
state that he had said on the outside 70
the counsel for the accused that he would
- Lol,o,. Draptia1 or Fife on their OaI lis.
but that he would not like to say that
upon his oath. A question then intro
duced by Lieutenant Waller, for the de-
| fence. was objected TO by the Judge-Ad.
vocats on the grounds that the accused
was endeayoring 10 shake the integrity oil
his own witness. This Lieutenant Waller
| denied. The court was cleared and failed
| to sustain the Judge Advocates objection.
| The question was then asked: What
were the exact words you used 10 my
counsel concerning Fife and PrentissI
II said / would not believe Fife or Prem
tiss. or very few men in the ships" replied
| the witness.
HE DID NOT STEAL.
Master-at-Arms Christian G. Larsen ties
| tilted that, from Flies general reputation
| on board the ships and from MS Larsen
| knowledge of the man. he would not be
| lieve MIN on oath. He was asked his rea
son. and stated that on one night III last
| August Fife came TO HIM (the wit
| ness and said: Il saw man who
| had been q mail-carrier on the shore
who told me that you and Ma
| chinist Smith have stolen certain Things
from the government" Continuing III,
testimony Larsen, said :" asked Fife wha'
it was we had taken. but he would mo-
say. He asked me 10 tell him what l haC
stolen and he would make it all right.
! then told HIM that had not taken any
thing belonging to the government, mol
| had the machinist (Smith) 10 my know
| LEDGE Larsen then went on TO explain
| that the witnesses III whose presence th'
| conversation between the mail-carrier ant
| Fife was alleged TO have taken place. de
MED that the former had said any suci
thing concerning him and the machinist
| "PRENIIss A BAD MAN."
Fife also SAID to me-" stated the wit
ness, that this mail-carrler told him tina
Prentiss was a bad man and had been II
.he penitentiary. base my reason .upol
| the fact that the witnesses on shore falleC
TO sustain the statements of Fife to me.
did Fife ever lie 10 you!" asked tn
| Judge-Advocate.
only on that OCCASION" responded tn
| witness. Fife" the witness continued
twas at the time referred to. dong tn
duty of equipment yeoman and was at tn
time taking the inventory OF the stores
He did not tell me it would IN any wa.
affect the inventory
Machinst Smith evidence PRACTICAL,
corroborated that of the master at arms
except that the former stated that Fit
said he had been given the information
regarding their conduct by man name'
| Bushel. who was formerly a second-clas
fireman on the ships. He said he did no
know whether Fife ever lied to him at an
other time or not.
TIE BLACKSMITH TEsTlFIEs.
Blacksmith A. l.. Ford was next intro
duced by the accused. He said hay
known Equipment Yeoman Fife since n
first came here. / have heard HIM us
language showing his feeling towards Com
mander Graham. He once said -
him: will have him codrt-martialed an
kicked out of the navy once heard hir
saw one OF the petty officers should not b
shipped over Jones, the machlnist.' Fror
INV personal knowledge and his genera
reputation on these ships | would not be
lieve him on oath. No, do not see hoy
Fife had the authority to say who shout
or should not re-enlist. Fife and ] are no
on friendly terms. / base my statemen
that | would not believe him upon my per
sonal knowledge of the man. He accuses
me wrongly of things that did not do.
Court adjourned until 10 o'clock Mol