Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-12
IN HIS OWN BEHALF.
Lieut.. Davenport Goes on the Stan d
and Testifes.
ASSERTS THAT HIS STATEMENT Is TRUE.
Sharply Questioned on Various
Points by the Judge Advocate,
TES TIMON BY CABLE.

The court of inquiry into the Davenport
case was continued this morning In the
court-martial room at the navy yard. More
than an hour was consumed in reading over
the testimony taken at the morning and
afternoon sessions yesterday
The first witness at the afternoon session
was Lieut. Purcell, who was recalled and
questioned by the Judge advocate. A por-
ton Of the statement which Lieut.. Daven-
port submitted to the Secretary of the
Navy was read over to him and he took
exception to a number of the particulars
mentioned In this statement. He did not
remember to have seen Mr.. Davenport as
sisting upon the rope which was run ashore,
though the witness thought that If the ap-
plicant had worked upon 1t as he claimed
ne would have remembered 1t. Other mat
tiers Of this sort referred to by Lieut. Dav-
enport either had not occurred, Lieut. Pur-
cell testified. or else they had escaped his
recollection.
Others Note Inaccuracies.
Lieut. Shearman was also recalled and
portions Of the same statement, referring to
events Immediately following the beaching
OF the Nipsic, were read over to him He
noted several discrepancies and inaccura-
cies In the statement Then Lieut. Shear
man, as Lieut. Purcell also had done, went
over In chronological order the events of
the beachins as they occurred
Ensign Jones was recalled and asked who
threw the line from the ship to the shore.
A similar method of procedure was followed
with him as with the others in going over
the sequence Of events in connection with
the disaster
Lieut. Davenport. the applicant in this
case was then placed upon the stand and
testlned as to the correctness OF certain
MINOR entries In the log book of the Nipsic
Lieut.. Davenport i'm His Own Rehnlr
rms morning Lieut.. Davenport was plac-
eo upon the stand in his own behalf. He
testined that within a week after the shin
80. ahoat ne heard that animadversions as
10 MS conduct were being spread about and
within half hour he wrote out a request
Tor court of inquiry. The admiral de-
MED the request, he said he had not the
omcers to spare for that purpose. and fur
thermore he had no fault to find with the
apphcants conduct At the request of his
counsel, Lieut. Davenport read extracts
1n 1roIn the Army and Navy Register and the
NeW York World. printed in the summer
or 1889, casting discredit upon his conduct
ana stating that he had stripped and swan
ashore as soon as the ship was beached
Lieut. davenport told of the efforts he had
made to have the rumors about himself de-
MED In the public press. He had endeayor-
ed to have the department refute the
charges, but he was told that there was no
fault to be found with his conduct and that
the trouble was one between himself and
the Associated Press correspondent. He
asked for a court of inquiry, but Acting
Secretary Solely said that they could not
take cosntzance of mere newspaper charges.
Lieut. Davenport testified that the state
ment recently made to the department was
correct and contained all the matters first
made to the department that were relevant
to the present case.
The Reaching of the Ship.
With reference to the bleaching of the
ship the applicant testified that when he
went to bed he was attired only in his paja-
mas and that when later he was called on
deck he simply donned his slippers and
service coat He conversed with the cap
tain about beaching the ship. He did not
lower himself into the water until twenty
nVe minutes after the ship was beached
ana this was some time after the hawser
was sent in. He had doffed his clothing
before leaping into the water. II took him
only Few minutes to reach the shore and
within twenty minutes of that time all
the men from the Nipsic were ashore.
Did Not Hear Lieut.. PurcelPs Remarks
Lieut. Davenport testified that he did not
hear Lieut. Purcell make the statement
In the ward room mess that if such charges
We're being tossed around about him as
were made about the applicant he Pur-
CELL would demand a court and would have
IT, too. If other officers who were present
stated that they had heard such a remark
ne would not say that they had sworn to
wnat was incorrect. but simply that he did
NOT near IL he thought that if the remark
was made so loud that others could hear IN
ne would have heard it too, for he was only
table. O. 'Ae AieSS
Lieut. Davenport was questioned at some
length by Lieut. Laucheiner the Judge ad-
5,,eas,i VI Ine court as to the time of his
olVestlng himself of his clothing and his rea-
sons for so doing. He removed his clothing
because there was a hurricane blowing
waves We're going over the shin and he ba5
no lQea now they would
He did not think a boat could ever live in
sne water and was simply prepared for any
after communication had been estabusbsd
with the shore by means of a rope
Did Not See Anyone Else Naked
Witness did not see any one else in
similar condition. and did not think that
MS oeins naked was setting a bad example
10 tne crew and one that would be likely to
incite them to panic. He was asked bv the
Judge advocate IL It was not CUSTOMARY In
such cases for the officers, and especially
the senior line officers, to stand by the shin
until all the crew were safe ashore Iieut
Davenport stated that he did know this
ana that when the gig was lowered some of
tne men suggested that he go ashore in IT.
hut that he declined.
Questioned by Lieut.. Laucheimer. Lieut.
Davenport said that when he did lower
himself into the water he knew that the
ofncers and men had not all gone ashore
He had injured his foot but this was NOT
sufficient to prevent him from swimming
Well and from working on the beach after.
ward When he decided to swim ashore ne
was on the poop and the other officers were
FORWARD, where he thought at the time II
would be impossible to join them. He was
OF the opinion that as he was the nayigat-
ing offcer he had performed his duty when
ne had successfully passed the reef, and
tnat there was nothing left for him to do
on board.
A Hypothetical Question.
Lieut. Laucheimer propounded him a hy-
oothetical question at this point. LAS you
were the third in line. might not something
have happened to the captain and the ex-
ecutive officer that would have incapaci-
tated them and left the command with
your
The applicant admitted that such a thing
might have happened, but that it did not
happen. and that inasmuch as he had Just
seen MS two superior officers well and in
sa1e POSITIONS, he was of the opinion that
there was no chance Of his being called
upon for active duty.
DO You not now think that YOU left the
ship rather prematurely?" asked the Judge
advocate.
Z nder the circumstances / do not think
d. araHf .