The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-22
sCHLEY SLAPPED SAMPSON.
Alleged Origin of the Strained Rela-
tiOns Between the officials.
=

st. Louis Globe Democrat.
1t has come to be pretty we'll understood
that there is an old feud between Commo-
dore Schley and Rear Admiral Sampson,
the two naval officers just now making his
tory for themselves and for the country
If a story that comes from a seaport in
North Carolina be accurate and which is
really vouched for by q well-knOwn naval
officer whose name is suppressed for oh
grudge against Sckley from the days they
were young officers in the navy The ac-
count of the feud as told by the naval Off
Ger was sent to a gentleman stopping at the
Benton Hotel in this city.
when Schley was either an ensign or a
lieutenant he was on board ship With Wit,
Guilty occurred between them, and ever since
grudge has ranked in the breast of
Sampson" the naval officers story runs.
1.-THE difficulty. years and years ago. orig
mated in this way: One day Sampson, then
a lieutenant missed some bananas which he
had hung in the ship to ripen He was very
angry over the loss of the fruit. and tried
to find the thief Finally, he came to the
conclusion that certain marine was the
cUlprit, and sent for him. and accused him
of taking the bananas. The marine replied
Indignantly that he had not seen the ba-
furiated Sampson. who said:, Il will punish
you for lying well stealing Sampson
sent for the druggist, and gave the poor
marine an immense dose of ipecac.
"Schley was ashore at the time, but when
he returned he saw the marine suffering.
Schley asked Sampson, who had admins
the suffering of the sailor. Sampson told
the whole incident. The matter so incensed
Schley that he exclaimed: No gentleman
would treat poor marine that way! And
Schley. following the exclamation, slapped
Sampson in the face.
"Then a scene followed Sampson de-
manded satisfaction. Schley reminded him
that it was against the regulations for naval
officers to receive or send challenges to fight
your getting satisfaction. sir We can both
resign to-day and then fight 1t out
sampson did not resign. did not seek sat
isfaction. and the matter, was apparently
dropped there. But it appears that Samp-
son has never forgotten the episode and the
sting of schley's slap is still felt;
Now, years after this difficulty of their
young days, the matter comes up again.
When the war with Spain commenced and
Admral t Scard, owing to to- Illness nad ad 10
lying at Key West. the secretary of the
navy looked around for an officer to take
command. Commodore Watson and Com
modore Schley both outranked Captain
Sampson. and either apparently should
have been selected to succeed Sicard. But
Captain Sampson succeeded in getting COM
mand of the squadron then at Key West,
and was made an acting rear admiral, and
meantime. a flying squadron was organized
at Hampton Roads, and Commodore Schley
was then in Spain. Sampson sailed over to
Porto Rico and bombarded San Juan. and
returned to Key West. In the meantime
Cervera had crossed the Atlantic and was
in the Caribbean sea. The administration
dore Schley was ordered to take his flying
squadron and locate Cervera. 1t didn't take
Schley long to locate Cervera in the Bay
of Santiago, where the Spaniard was bot
tied up
by this time Sampson was ordered to
Santiago. No sooner had he arrived at
Santiago than he was given authority to
write one brief order wiping the flying
squadron out of name and amalgamating
il with his own fleet. This act placed
Sampson in command of the combined fleets
and left Commodore Schley with the power
of a captain his former flagship. the
Brooklyn. But nobody heard any grum-
bling from Schley. He submitted quietly.
Then came the long blockade before San
tiago. Finally. Cervera made a dash out of
the harbor and attempted to escape. Samp-
son was twelve miles away on his flagship
New York Schley acted promptly. and the
great victory was followed by controversy.
And barking backward from this contro-
versy we hear the echo of that other con-
troversy years ago, between the two youth
full naval officers"