Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-07
SERIOUS CHARGE
Made Against Lieut. Davenport Before
the Court of Inquiry.
Lieut.. Purcell Says the Accused Swan
Ashore Before the Order Was Given
to Abandon the Ship.

| Inc davenport court or inquiry continued
its sessions at the navy yard this morning
At yesterdays sessions Lieut.. Chas. s. Rip
ley, who was on the Vandalia at the time
Of the beaching of the Nipsic, testified that
| after he swan ashore he saw Lieut.. Daven-
port on the beach hard at work attempting
to make signals to the Trenton.
| An interesting incident developed when
Lieut. T. B. NJ. Mason gave his testimony.
He was asked as to his connection with the
applicant, and stated that at one time this
fall he proposed Lieut.. Davenport's name
for membership in the New York Yacht
Club. Afterward he was told by member
of the board of the club that charges in
writing had been filed against Lieut.. Daven-
port, and that he withdrew the name.
Lieut. Mason protested against showing
the letter because 1t was a private one from
a friend of his, not in the service advising
him, and incidentally the seconder, to re-
move the name of their friend, Lieut..
Davenport, to avoid any unpleasantness He
finally declined to give the character of the
contents as it would make a public docu-
ment out Of a confidential communication.
In this he was borne out by the members
of the court. He said he had nothing but
the kindliest feelings toward Lieut.. Daven-
port, and would not hesitate to propose his
/
could be more surprised than he was when
he heard that objections were made to the
name of his friend At the afternoon ses-
sion a letter from Lieut.. Mason to Lieut..
Davenport was read, in which it was stated
that the charges made against him referred
to his actions at Samoa.
| He had heard from other parties that the
rumor was that Lieut.. Davenport had swan
ash ore at Samoa, carrying some money in
| hat he had IN
American consulate and then disappeared
and was not seen again during the time OF
| the disaster.
Lieut.. Shearman was recalled and testi-
| fled that he did not write d letter to the
New York Yacht Club, and did not know
that the club received any information as
to Lieut.. Davenport's conduct from him.
| either directly indirectly. On Tuesday
Lieut.. Shearman testified that on the occa-
sion of the Samoan disaster he saw the ap-
| pliCant in nude condition on the fore
castle prepared to swim ashore before the
word given to abandon ship. Other
officers told him that they saw the appli-
cant leave the ship i'll nude condition by
| the gangway before the word was given.
Lieut.. PurccIIs Testimony.
Lieut.. j. L. Purcell, who was subpoenaed
by the judge advocate, testified that he was
an ensign on the Nipsic in the harbor of
Apia. He left the Nipsic prior to- the hur-
ricane and was on shore when the Nipsic
|
Davenport slip off the main chains by the
starboard gangway in a nude condition and
swim ashore Two others jumped from the
port side and were lost; this was after
| Lieut.. Davenport came off. The officers
came over the line, with the exception or
those who came in the cutter with the sick.
| Lieut.. Davenport swan ashore good While
| before a line was sent ashore. and he saw
| no other officer swim. Witness was pres
ent in the ward room when Lieut. Daven-
port stated that II any OF his brother ON,
! GERS had any criticisms to make he would
ask for a court of inquiry. Witness told
| him that If he was suffering from the strict
| ures of his brother officers as to his con-
| duct, as Lieut.. Davenport was he would
demand a court of inquiry, and get it. too.
| He heard number of unpleasant criticisms
passed upon the conduct OF the applicant
| in connection with this incident. lie DID
| rot think it a difficult matter to swim
from the starboard gangway to the shore.
| although II was impossible to swim from
| the other side Of the ship. Lieut.. Purcell
said that he was of the impression that ne
| had told of Lieut.. Davenports swimming
| ashore in the report he wrote out for Ad-
miral Kimberly. He afterward told the
| captain and Lieut.. Hawley of the Incident
| Upon being questioned by the court Lieut.;
Purcell testified, under protest. that he had
written to the New York Yacht Club an ac-
count of the incident. He had stated that
in his opinion no man was mt to be mem
ber of the yacht club who in the face OF
danger did not present an unfiinching front
He considered that to leave the ship under
such circumstances and before the order
was given was an act of puSillantmity. Wit
ness admitted that he had had personal and
official difficulties with the applicant, but
said that this had not affected his action
He wrote to the yacht club instead of max
| ing charges to the Navy Department be-
cause he did not consider 1t his place to
bring Lieut.. Davenport to account when his
superior officers were cognzant of the con-
dition of affairs. He was a member of the
/ n a doc hnf ry,nr yxvHf I'D
acted Lieut.. Davenport had done should
be member; did not desire to associate
with him or meet him any more than he
could help. He considered that the fact that
| the applicant did not come down to the
| beach during the storm and lend aid to the
men from the Vandalia was a very serious
matter
The witness said that he had entertained
dislike for Lieut.. Davenport prior to the
disaster, because he considered him a self
ish man and one who did all sorts of things
TO make the lives of the other officers on
| board ship unpleasant. In his letter to the
yacht club he had also stated that Lieut.
Davenport had abandoned a chronometer
which might have been saved by passing 1t
down the line the funds of the ward
room mess were saved before the caterer
had left
The entire morning session was taken I'D
with the reading of the record Of yester-
oay sessions and at 1910 the court took q
recess until afternoon
Settling Up His Accounts.
MIR. Frederick j. Grant of Washington
former United States minister to Bolivia,