Evening star., 1901-08-30
of the court without partiality as the law
requires.
Yours sincerely and respectfully,
"(Signed) H L. HOwISoN,

Hon. FRANK W. Hackett, Washington, DC.
Mr.. Hackett's Reply.
Personal.
WASHINGTON, August 26, 1901.
eDear Admiral:
Your personal letter of oath deserves
an immediate reply.
You say substantially that there is no
foundation for the statements attributed
| to you as having been set forth in an in
| terview afterward published In the Boston
Record. and lately made the subject of a
communication from Rear Admiral SchIey
to the department. You evidently have
| read the correspondence between the ad-
| miral and the department as published last
week in the newspapers.
"The department. let me assure you, has
| no purpose of relieving you of this duty.
1t has implicit confidence in your sense of
justice and fairmindedness.
Should the counsel for Rear Admiral
Schley proceed to offer to the court objec-
tion to you it will be for the court itself
to decide the question Of your competency
to sit as a member.
"Were your letter Official instead of be-
ing merely personal. 1 should refer it to
the judge advocate of the court, to be laid
before the court. 1 would like to know If
you have any objection to my giving to the
public your frank and manly letter, in the
event that it shall seem desirable to do So
What you have said only confirms me
in the belief that the department has been
fortunate In selecting you as the third
member of the court.
Kindly accept the assurance of my per-
sonal esteem, and believe me,
yours truly,
FRANK w. HACKETT''
Rear Admiral H. L. Howison, Z. S. Navy,
Yonkers, New York.
Admiral Howison consented that his per-
sonal letter shall be given to the public.
A copy of Rear Admiral Howisons letter
has been sent to Rear Admiral Schley.
wainwright Confers With Lemly.
Commander Richard Wainwright super
intendent of the Naval Academy, came
over to Washington from Annapolis today
and spent some time in conference with
Capt. Len1ly, judge advocate of the Schley
court, in reference to the testimony to be
furnished by the commander, who is one Of
the witnesses on the government list. Capt.
Lemly has been engaged in this kind of
work for the past week, laying the base for
the presentation of this case.
No Word From Capt. Forsyth.
Nothing has yet been heard by Acting
Secretary Hackett from Capt. Forsyth in
answer to the departments interrogatory
touching his reputed interview in relation
to the Schley case. Mr.. Hackett's attention
has not yet been directed formally to the
publication this morning ascribing certain
expressions bearing on the Schley case to
Rear Admiral Watson, but when the mat
ter was referred to informally Mr.. Hackett
intimated that it was not one of sufficient
Importance to warrant letter writing by the
department.
Opinion of Schley's Friends.
Admiral Schley, with Mr.. Jere NJ Will
son, Mr.. Isador Rayner and Capt James
Parker, was in Mr.. Wilson's apartments
at the Shoreham a greater part Of the day
Mr.. Rayner came over from Baltimore
shortly after the noon hour. When
Star reporter called upon them the letter
written by Admiral Howison to Assistant
Secretary Hackett had not been received
by Admiral Schley, and neither he nor his
counsel cared to express any opinion on
the subject
Some Of Admiral Schleys friends said
that it looked as though the Navy Depart
ment in giving out personal correspondence
between a member of the court of inquiry
and the department acting head had given
denial to the recent assertion that the
Howison episode was a closed incident, and
had, in roundabout way, taken the ac-
ton regarding the alleged interview which
Admiral Schley had recently requested and
which was then officially refused.
Looking for WheeIman of the Texas.
For some time past Judge Advocate Cen
eral Lemly has been trying to discover the
whereabouts Of Gustaf E. Claeson, who was
the ''man-at-the-wheel'' on the battle ship
Texas at the time that vessel was said to
have been endangered by the execution Of
the much-talked-of loop of the Brooklyn
at the battle of Santiago bay. He is
wanted as a witness In the forthcoming
court Of inquiry. He is no longer connect
ed with the navy, and was supposed to be
in Sweden, the land Of his birth. Claeson
enlisted at Boston, and was discharged
from the receiving ship Vermont at New
York in July, 1899.
Having failed to secure any tidings of the
man by telegraph to his friends in Sweden
and elsewhere, the Navy Department got
the newspapers to advertise the fact that
Claeson's presence was desired in this city
The result was that telephone message
was received by Captain Lemly from res
ident of this city today giving him Claes-
on's address. Captain Lemly said today
Lhdt he now knew tHdC Sld6SOn was IN Cne
United States, but exactly where he would
not say.
The success in this case has induced the
department to follow similar course in the
case of another missing witness whose tes-
timony is desired by the judge advocate of
the court. This is an apprentice who was
on the Brooklyn during the West indian
campaign, but who is no longer in the
naval service. The exact nature OF the in
formation he is supposed to have is not
disclosed.
Admiral Watson Quoted.
The New York World today publishes
special dispatch from its Washington cor
respondent, commencing with quoting Ad-
miral Watson as follows:
'If any naval officer asserts that Admiral
Schley is coward and the fact comes to
my knowledge, I will see that the dein-
quent is given a chance to vindicate his
opinion before court-martial. / will pre-
fer charges against such an officer myself"
Admiral John c. Watson said this few
days ago in conversation in hotel lobby
where the Schley-Sampson controversy was
being discussed. The little gathering was