The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-03-10

hour The naval officers sat in Judge
Iockes private chambers. No ma.
rines were on guard but all the doors
we're closed
Those who were called as witnesses
before the luncheon recess were Lieu
tenants Blandir. Heed. .Jungen and
BLOW and Cadets Bronson and Bovd.
No enlisted men were examined at the
morning session.
The court of inquiry recOnvened at
. o'clock in the afternoon. Lieut..
Holman. who testified ut Havana.
was again called. Lieutenant of Ma.
rines Catln gave his evidence quickly
and was followed by Boatswain Lar
lin. Gunner Hill and Carpenter
! Holmes. The two latter were on shore
At the time of the explosion and could
tell little of value. At $40 the court
adjourned over till 10 o'clock in the
morning.
Capt. Sampson seemed satisfied with
the days work but said nothing could
be given out. After the court room
was cleared for the day Capt. Sampson
| held a short interview with Rear Adj
miral Sicard and then returned TO the
Iowa. Capt. Chadwick and Lieut..
Potter were taken on board the New
York Few know more than was
known in the morning. An officer Of
the Maine. however, who had been ey-
amined by the court during the day,
talked at length with the correspond.
ent of the Associated Press.
Il can't tell You" he said. what line
Of questioning was adopted. but the
court Will find, | believe, that the
Maine Was Blown Up by Design.
though | don't think II will be able to
ascertain exactly how. The courts
finding will be based OF, negative rath-
er than positive evidence. BY this |
mean that all of the testimony heard
so far has, bit by bit. upset the theories
Of those who think the explosion was
of internal origin This negative evil
dence is so strong and so general that
see no possibility of the court decid-
ing that explosion was internal. The
only alternative then left for the court
is TO fall back on evidence which
POINTS 70 the intentional blowing up Of
the Maine. This, think. will be done,
unless the court fOrmulateS Il theory
of its own or declares that ii does not
know how the disaster occurred both
Of which coniecturoS | think imprOha-
Lle"
As bearing on the value Of the Opin~
ion of the officer in question, it must
be borne in mind that be was before
the court for about fifteen minutes
only, and that he has ut all times ex-
pressed himself as confident that the
explosion was not due to accident
Members of the court. when the sub
stance Of the interview was brought to
their attention, declined to have any
thing TO say. All the high naval and
military officials here, when asked
crucial questions, positively profess is
nOrance.
Washington, March 3.-The main in
tercst of the Gay in connection with
the Maine inquiry centered In state.
ment by Secretary Long, following the
cabinet meeting. that in his personal
opinion any official participation by the
Spanish government in the blowing up
or the Maine was now practically
eliminated from the situation. This
statement was not Of a formal or Of
ncial character and was made by Mr..
Long as he walked away from the
white House. AS usual the various
cabinet officers were besicged with in.
qulrieS as TO the questions before tho
meeting, and in response to these inn
portunities the secretary rather casual.
~ summed up the situation in few
words, stating that most Of the time
mad been given to the outrages on col
ored pOstmasters in the South. Nat
urally the Cuban situation had been
gone over, he said. but there were NO
actual developments. and he felt that
public excitement over the subject had
materially abated Then he added the
statement, in the same passing way.
mat any participation by the Spanish
government in the blowing up Of the
Maine WAS practically eliminated. in
his judgment This last remark was
speedily given wide circulation apart
from the quieting references which
had accompanied il. Persons occupy
Ing the closest relations with the Sec
rotary said that the opinion expressed
vas such as any one might give with
'he Facts now at hand. Ii was not in
any sense. IL was explained. a con-
cilSion drawn from new evidence. not
made public, either from the court OF
inquiry or any officer now concerned In
the inquiry Neither ilctS or intima-
IONS have come from such sources. II
Is SAID ut the department, which would
serve as the basis of an opinion. The
OHcial Declaration
., senior du Bose. the Spanish charge
uaHaires, that no mines or submarine
oelenses exist in the harbor Of Ha-
Naha had come to the attention Of Sec
Ie'afy Long. and this statement from
u cue authorized representative of the
spanish government was felt to have
neeh given its due weight in the opin-
ron expressed By the secretary. 1t
vas ported out by persons bearing
IpSe relations TO the secretary that the
,,ahguage used was official part!cipa-
non on tho part of the Spanish gov
'nileH This II was said, had no
georlp- or the l.,,netinn nf Snnin's 70.