The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1901-10-15
Capt. Francis A. Cook Testifies
For the Defense in the
Court Of Inquiry.
He Gave Particulars Concerning the
Retrograde Movement and Ex-
planned the Brooklyn's Loop.
Witness Has Always Regarded Adm.
Schley as an Enthusiastically
Brave and Patriotic Officer
other Testimony.

washington, Oct. 1j.-MOnday in the
Schley court of inquiry Judge Al TO-
cate Lemly concluded presentation
of testimony for the government and
the first of Adm. Schley's witnesses
was introduced. Capt. Francis A.
Cook, who commanded Adm. Uhen
Commodore Schley's flagship. the
Brooklyn, during the Santiago cam
paign, and who acted, though unof-
ficially, in the capacity Of chiee of
staff for the commodore, was ON The
witness stand the greater part of the
day. He was followed by Lieut.. Com
mander William f. Fullum, who was
senior watch officer on the New Or
leans during the Spanish war. and
former Lieut.. Joseph Beall, who as
officer on the Harvard translated the
cipher dispatches between Commo-
dOre Schley and the navy department
carried by that vessel. Among these
dispatches was that sent by Commo-
dOre Schley May %. expressing his
regret at not having been able to
obey the orders of the department..
and explain the reason why he could
not 10 so. There are some verbal dis
crepancies between the original dra #
of this dispatch and the official print
of it, and these Mr.. Beall explained.
Lieut.. Beau was the last of the gov
eminent witnesses, although Capt.
Lemly said he would reserve the right
to call others if occasion should de-
mand that he do so. He had 40 SOON
er retired than the first witness for
Adm. Sehley was called.
This proved to be the Cuban pilot,
Edwardo Nunez, who told Schley on
May &c, 1898, that he did not believe
the Spanish feet under Cervcrl was
in the harbor at Santiago.
Capt. Cooks testimony was a re-
view of the entire campaign after
Cervera's feet, beginning with the &c
parture of the flying squadron from
Key West on May 10 and concluding
with the battle off Santiago July 3.
He said that at first it had been be-
lieved by both Sampson and Schley
that the Spanish feet was in the har-
Dor at Cienfuegos, and that no in
v
conveyed to Commodore Schlev until
the arrival of Capt. McCalla on May
"A; that it was Commodore Schley's
expectation to meet the Spaniards
in there, and his care was to have coal
enough for such emergency. He gave
particulars concerning the retrOgrade
movement, and explained the Brook
lynn loop, in connection with a graphic
account of the engagement of July
3. Asked for an opinion as to Adm.
Schley's bearing as a commanding Of
ficer, he said:
81 always regarded him as an en-
Enthusiastically brave and patriotic OF
ficer."
Capt. Cook, in his testimony, said
he ordered the loop and stoutly main
tanned that it was good Judgment.
After making the turn the Brooklyn
alone was receiving the fire of the
Viscaya, Colon and Oquehdo.
When Hanna asked a theoretical
question as to what would have hap
pened if the Brooklyn had been han
died differently, he said, with some
feeling: Il know that what we did
do was entirely successful. If we had
done something else | do not know
whether it would have been success
full"
Washington, Oct. 16.-Only one new
witness was heard in detail by the
Schley court of inquiry Tuesday.
This was Lieut.-Com. James H. Sears.
who was Adm. Schley's flag Iieuten-
ant during the Spanish war. He gave
a detailed account of the entire Gu
ban campaign, including the brief
siege of Cienfuegos, the retrograde
movement of the flying squadron in
search of coal, the blockade of San
tiago, the reconnaissance of the San
tiagO shore batteries and the bonn
bardment eff the Cristobol Colon May
81 and the battle off Santiago. July
3, when Cervera's feet was destroyed.
He placed distance out of Cienfuegos
at one to four miles and at Santiago
from three to six miles He expressed
the opinion that in battle of July it
mad been the Niscaya's intention to
ram the Brooklyn.
While Commander Sears was on the
stand. Capt. Lemly asked his age, but
the court, after quite a prolonged
consultation in retirement, decided
that the question was not admissa-
BILE. 1t held, however, the time of
service could be inquired into.
Mr.. Raines sought to secure the
introduction of a brief of the battle
of July 3, which Commodore Schley
prepared from transmission to the
secretary of the navy. 1t was stated
that Commander Sears had taken
this dispatch ashore to be cabled to
the secretary, but that it never had
reached that official. The dispatch
was ruled out on the ground as it
was not received it was not an Off
cial communication. 1t was not read
in the court room, but the following
is copy of it:
Secretary of the Navy, Washington:
Spanish squadron came out of San
tiago harbOr this morning, July 3, at
$3.50, and were all captured or de-
stroyed in running fight to the
westward of about three and one