The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-30
BEST RECORD OF THE WAR.
ADULA CASE ADVOCATED QUICK
ER THAN ANY OTHER.

Vessel Adiudged "A Prize Twelve
Days After Her Arrival in Port.
Appraisers Appointed TO Place IA
value Upon Her-She VIII BE Al
lowed TO Give honda Petition for
Further Proof 10 Be Heard at Mt.
Airy, Aug. o.
The disposition Of the Adua case. the
prize steamship captured at Guantanamo,
Cuba, by the Marblehead, is the quickest
on record during the present war.
The Adula was brought into port here
on Saturday July Is. She was turned over
TO the prize commissioners that afternoon,
and they proceeded as soon as possible
thereafter TO take the preliminary tesu-
mony. Within less than ten days the case
was ready for a hearing, and within twelve
days from the time of her arrival in port,
the case was adjudicated by the court.
This speaks well for The machinery of<the
court, and its officers. all of whom have
attended promptly to their duties in the
case pushing it as rapidly as the proper
care would permit.
For expedition this case beats the record
during the present war. Most Of the prize
cases have taken at least a month for adj
publication and some of them longer. Some
of the cases at Key West are not yet finish
ed, though the prize vessels involved were
captured at the beginning of the war; and
a few days ago it was found necessary to
send the Miguel Jover, the Buena Ventura
two others to New York to be attended
TO on account of the delay at Key West.
Under these circumstances with the courts
able to promptly transact the necessary
business, there is no reason why more of
the prizes should not be sent to Savannah.
The decree of court declaring the Adula
q lawful prize of war was filed with the
clerk of the court yesterday, as were also
several other papers in the case. Judge
Speer granted the petition OF the owners,
providing that the Adula should be re-
leased On bond, the amount of the bond
10 be her actual value.
Col. John Screven. Vice President John
Nj. Egan Of the Central and Mr.. c. S.
Connerat were appointed appraisers in the
case. These gentlemen are TO set a value
upon the vessel and that valuation will
be the amount of the bond required. If
the owners fail to give bond within three
days after such valuation is made, then the
vessel will be sold at public cutlery in Sa-
vannah or such other place as the court
may uiLtcts he ptOST permitting the OWL
ers to give bond was granted on the show
ing that the vessel is of greater value
TO the owners than her mere intrinsic
value.
In the event the attorneys for the gov
ernment and those for the claimant agree
on valuation, there viii be no necessity
for the services Of the appraisers; but 1t
is understood there is liable to be some
dispute on this point, since the owners
want the valuation put at about $4,000,
while the attorneys for the government
want il fixed at 100000. The owners were
not heard from yesterday with regard 10
the matter of giving bond, and it has not
seen definitely decided just what steps viii
be taken.
One thing has been determined, however,
and that is the owners are not going to
aet the matter stand just where ii is. They
filed a petition with Judge Speer asking
him to order further proof and to permit
them to take further proof in eXpldna-
ton of the various matters alleged in the
libel regarding the last voyage TO Glen
fuegos and to Guantanamo, concerning
which IL is claimed by the attorneys for
the libellant that the evidence shows cause
for condemning the Adula. Judge Speer
granted an order providing for hearing
on this petition before him at MI. Airy
on Aug. 8, at 4 o'clock p. m. The next
step after that win be an appeal to the
Supreme Court of the United States.
Rear Admiral A. Z. X. Benham, retired
who has been acting with the prize commits
sioners in this case, left the city yesterday
20 return to his home in New York. Lieut..
T.. A. Anderson, the prize master, will
leave to-day 70 return 10 the Mar
biehead. The crew of the Adula are all
here yet, and are waiting to see whether
bond will be arranged so that she may
carry them back to Jamaica.
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