The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-19
ADULA'S PAPERS ALL SEIZED.
COMMISSIONERS INVESTIGATION TO
BEGIN TODAY.


Admiral Benham If He Does Not
Come This Morning-Naj. Meldrim
viii BE Present as the Owners
Observation-Disclosures Fight 20 BE
Made to Prevent the sale OF the
Ship-Said That There Was Gun
Cotton on BoRrd-CIaims for shares
Coming in.
The prize commissioners Will begin their
work of taking testimony in the case Of
the British steamship Adula at 10 o'clock
this morning at the custom house.
All arrangements for beginning the work
OF the court We're made yesterday, and il
will be taken up whether Rear Admiral
ST. E. Benham, the other member comes
or>1aot The attorney general was wired
regard to the matter yesterday, and his
reply simply stated that Admiral Benham
had been appointed. The telegram did
not say whether he would come to Sa-
vannah or not He had not arrived yes
terday, and nothing had been heard from
him.
Mr.. Edgar Denmark the other member
OF the commission, who was out of the
city, returned yesterday and with Mr..
Julian Schley, took up the work Mr.,
Denmark's absence from the city has not
delayed the case at all, as there are many
preliminary matters 10 be looked after, and
these can be attended to by one commits
eioner as we'll as two The chances are
that Messrs. Schley and Denmark VIII
constitute the court, which meets this
morning.
Judge Emory Speer was wired with re-
gard to the case yesterday, and a reply
was received from Mount Airy stating
that he was ready to take whatever ju-
dicial action in the matter that might be
necessary. 1t Is probable that Judge Speer
viii come to Savannah when the taking
of testimony has been concluded, in order
40 take up the case at once. District at
torney Marion Erwin wired yesterday that
he would be in the city this morning. He
WIll come for the purpose of assisting AS
sistant District Attorney w r. Leaken
in the conduct of the case on the part
of the government MIR. Leaken has had
charge of the matter so far as Il mas
gone, and now has everything in shape
for the proceedings to begin.
A thorough search of the Adula was
made yesterday for the purpose of making
an inventory of everything on board, and
also to secure all the papers, letters and
everything else which can be used as evil
dence in the case. Ii is said a large num-
Der of letters written fTom Kingston, ia
maica, to parties in Cuba were found on
board, and these have been cOnhscated,
along with the other papers. An inven-
tory of all these papers, as well as the
ships papers, has been made and Lieut.
Z. A. Anderson of the Marblehead has
made his report to Mr.. Leaken.
In addition 10 this, Il is said that there
was quantity of wet gun cotton on board.
Whether this has been disposed of or not
t.
purpose it was being taken to Cuba. Out
side of these things. the steamship had
no cargo, and according TO all the reports
in the case, was going to Cuba merely for
the purpose of taking away refugees.
Messrs. Garrard, Meldrim & Newman
have been retained to represent the own
ers of the steamship. the Atlas Steamship
Company of Liverpool, England. Maj Mel
grim, IL is understood, will apply at once
for bond for the vessel on grounds which
will set forth in mis- answer to the libel,
or whatever proceedings are taken. II
is said the case will be put on the ground,
that the object of the Adula's expedition
was one of humanity. in that she was go
ing TO take away from the island refugees,
people who We're actually suffering under
the conditions prevailing there 1t is fur
Their said that one feature of the defense
Will be that the master and owners of the
vessel were not aware that a blockade
against certain ports on the southern coast
OF Cuba was in existence az the time.
The owners viii be allowed to have a
representative or agent present at the
hearing before the prize commissioners.
but will not be allowed counsel in the
sense in which the term is usually under
stood. That is, no cross-eXamination or
argument before the commissioners is per
mitted. Mai. =. w. Meldrm win prob
ably appear before the commissioners as
the Representatives. the owners.
wi no a1a in, o,,ar tr.a
of the United States marshal to-day, and
he viii bring them one by one before the
commissioners. AS soon as their examina-
tion is concluded, they will be released.
but they are not allowed to return aboard
the ship until all the testimony has been
taken.
This course will be pursued with all of
the witnesses, except the Spaniard j. r.
Soils, the charterer of the vessel, who may
be put on different footing. 1t is possible
he may be held as a prisoner of war
though nothing of this is known as vet
lie Is said TO have a brother who Is quite
prominent in the Spanish army. among
the guerilla force and both of them are
said TO be quite wealthy.
Claims for part of the prize money are
already coming in. As has been stated
all of the United States vessels composing
the feet which captures a prize are enti-
tied 70 participate in its proceeds. The
torpedo boat Porter, for instance was in
Guantanamo bay at the time of the cap
ture, and is entitled 10 share in the pro-
ceeds from this prize, should she be sold.
claim was received yesterday by the
commissioners from the United States
hospital ship Solace. which was at Guam
tanamo when the Marblehead made the
capture The government employees on
board the Solace all claim a share in the
prize, and have lodged their claim with
the prize commissioners The Marble
heads claim was put in by Lieut. Ander-
son at The time he made his report There
are about 800 officers and men on the
MarBehead, and they are all entitled 10 a
share of the proceeds, if the ship is sold
The owners, OF course, win put up a
strong fight In the case, and every possible
effort will be made to prevent the sale of
the vessel, on the ground chat she was
flying a neural flag. carries a neutral
crew, and was on a mission of humanity.
STEWARD AND MONEY MISSING.