Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-10-10
.SCHLEYNAVAL COURT
Dispute Over the "Dear Schley"
Letter from Admiral Sampson.
SAMPSON LIKELY TO Be SUMMONED.
Lieut. Dyson Testifies Concerning Squad.
ron's Coal supply. Commander Rogers
About Dispatches and Commander
H0dgsOn About the Battle.

Washington, Oct. Sin the Schley
court of inquiry Mr.. Raynor, chief
counsel for Admiral Schley, asked
Judge Advocate Lemly to summon
Admiral Sampson as witness In the
case. The request grew out Of 8
difference in the construction Of q
sentence in Admiral SIMPSONS letter
to Commodore Schley written from
Key West. May 20, while Commodore
Schley, with the flying squadron, lay
of Cienfuegos. This is known as the
Dear Schley" letter and in 1t, as
printed in the navy department docu-
ments supplied to the senate, the I'D.
miral said, after expressing his opin-
ion that Notwithstanding that the
Spanish squadron was in Santiago it
was better to continue to blockade
Cienfuegos and Havana. 1--WE shall
continue to hold Havana and Santi-
ago until we receive more positive
information.
During the examination Of Com
mander Raymond P. Rodgers this
dispatch was under consideration
when Mr.. Raynor expressed the opin-
ion that the word Santiago" had
been inadvertently used by the COM
mander-in-chief, assuming that he
meant to use the word Cienfuegos
as better corresponding with the
context. As the document was print
ed there was a parenthetical note,
to which Admiral Schley's initials
were attached, saying that evidently
the wrong city had been mentioned.
Mr.. Rayner asked Judge Advocate
Iemly to make this concession, but
the latter declined to do so, saying
that he would produce the original
of Admiral Simpsons dispatch to
prove that he had said Santiago.
Then Mr.. Rayner said II cannot take
that word Santiago to mean any
thing but Cienfuegos. 1t is an impu-
tation on Commodore Schlcy and |
cannot permit 1t to rest without sum-
moning the author Of that Dispatch
to which Capt. Lemly responded;
# have told you once before you can
Summon anyone you wish" "fhen,"
retorted Mr.. Raynor, Summon Nd
rira Sampson"
This occurred only short time be-
| fore the adjournment of the court
FOR the day and was the subject OF
more or less conversation of an ami
mated character after the days work
was concluded. Mr.. Raynor would
Only say that he would insist on the
n miral being summoned unless the
correction was conceded.
The witnesses for the day were
Lieut.. c. w. Dyson, of the bureau OF
steam engineering, concerning the
coal supply Of the flying squadron;
| Commander r, ?. Rodgers, who was
second in command Of the battleship
Iowa during the Spanish war and
carried Admiral SIMPSONS dispatches
Of May 20 to Commodore Schley, and
Commander Alban c. IIodgson, who
was the navigator of the flagship
Brooklyn. While Commander Rodg-
ers was on the stand Mr. Raynor sub
mitted computation of shells from
the American feet which had struck
the wrecked vessels of Cervera's
squadron, showing that at least "a
per cent. of them were fred by the
Brooklyn. This computation Mr.
Raynor said had been prepared by
Admiral Schley on the basis of re.
port made by board of survey OF
which the witness was the senior
member. Commodore Hodgson gave
graphic description of the battle
off Santiago describing the part taken
in it by the Brooklyn and explaining
the firing in the entry of that ves-
sells log.