The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-03

/ Washington. Oct. Am interesting
/ turn was given to the Schley court of
/ inquiry today by the introduction of
/ the first witness in admiral SchIey's
[ behalf. This was Lieutenant James 2.
/ Doyle, who was watch officer on
1 board the flagship Brooklyn during the
war with Spain. The fact that Lieu
tenant Doyle was put on the stand
does not mean that the navy depart
ment has concluded the presentation
/ of its side Of the case. Mr.. Doyle was
called by the department, but as it also
( had been the purpose Of Admiral
Schley to summon him, advantage was
/ taken of his presence on the stand
! to question him as an original witness
I for the applicant. He was under
/ examination by Mr.. RaynOr. in the in
/ terest of the admiral, when the court
I adjourned for the day.
Before undergoing examination at
! Mr.. Raynor's hands. Lieutenant Doyle.
/ at Captain Lemly's request. explained
his part in the battle of July g and
his original entry in the ships log
concerning the famous loop and his al
/ teration of that entry before he sUbse-
sequently discovered that his first en-
/ try had been erroneous.
Lieutenant Commander Sharp. who
commanded the Vixen during the Span
ish war, also gave his testimony dur
ing the day, giving especial attention
to the notes Of the battle of July
made by Lieutenant Harlow Of his ship.
Admiral Evans CAPTAIN Sigsbee and
Correspondent Dieuaide were all re-
called for the purpose of correcting
their testimony as given yesterday and
all made additional statements.
Just before the adjournment for the
day the court abandoned it's decision
not TO allow any questions concerning
the blockade of Santiago after July /
when COmmander-in-Chief Sampson
arrived there.
Evans Says He Did Not Drag.
Admiral Evans was the first of the
witnesses of yesterday who appeared
for the purpose of making corrections
in his testimony. Having made these
corrections. Admiral Evans rose and.
formally addressing the court, said;
May it please the court, in connec-
ton with one Of the questions asked me
yesterday. unless Admiral Schley or
his counsel object. ] should like to
make statement and produce a let
ter. If al any moment counsel object
or Admiral Schley objects VIII with
draw il and stop"
Mr.. Raynor-Could we look al the
letter?
Certainly Chanding it to Mr. Ray
nor). 1T is a matter entirely personal
to me, sir The way the question was
put TO me yesterday put me in the pc
sition of having Dragged of destroying
the whole Spanish fleet on board the
81, oklyn- The Identical words were
used in letter purpOrting to come
from the Brooklyn and published in a
Washington newspaper OF July %. 1898.
I Immediately went to the editor of
the paper to ascertain the author of
such letter, and he. after a good deal
Of trouble. ascertained that it was a
woman who had given this informa
ton Whether she was paid for it or
not 7 could not find out.
AT the same time I wrote to Captain
Cook of the Brooklyn, enclosing the (
article. and there is his reply. ] should
like that letter to go in the testimony /
in connection with the testimony, as !
the words are the Identical words used |
in this scurrilous letter published in |
the newspaper"
Mr.. Raynor-I do not object to any |
explanation at all that you may make. |
There was nothing wrong in the ques-
ton itself.
''The question was put to me as If I |
had stated I had shot the bow off 1
the PlutOn. raked this ship and /
knocked out another one etc. There is |
Captain Cooks letter. denying that |
such a conversation took place"
Mr.. Raynor-The point is whether /
the conversation was between you and |
Commodore SchIey?
Objected to Letter.
NJ. Raynosssaid he would object to /
the presentation of the letter at this |
time. but not at the proper time. He 4
said the proper time for this would be /
when Captain Cook is on the stand.
Admiral E,Vans-I withdraw it.
Mr.. RaynOr-I am perfectly willing !
you shan submit it at the proper time. /
After some further cOloquy the incl /
dent closed
Woman Becker was then recalled |
and was excused after brief question !
ing concerning the dispatches prepared /
by him at Key West for Admiral /
Sampson for Commodore SchIey. He /
again said that according to his recOl- /
lection these dispatches were forward /
ed by the Iowa and the Dupont. but /
said that his statement was based en-
tiTely upon his memory.
Lieutenant Commander Alexander n. /
Sharp. who commanded the converted /
yacht Vixen during the Spanish war, /
was the first new witness of the day /
He testified that he had first fallen in 4
with the flying squadron on the morn
ing of May "a off Cienfuegos. He said
that the weather on the cruise from
'squally,' but not sufficiently bad TO
with the speed Of the Vixen
The vessel had not he said been in
urgent need of coal on Nav Is.
IF I had been he said. 'and re-
ceived orders 10 coal. J should have
tired 10 90 so. tnouSH 81 NUutA nave
been an uncomfortable lob. because the
VIXEN WAS a very small shin"
Never Discussed Retrograde Move
ment
Commander Sharp said that notwitb-
he had been on board the
Brooklyn several times. Commodore /
sohley had never discussed with him
he retrogTade movement toward Key
West. begun on May 20
Describing the service Of the Vixen
Turing the siege Of Sas3ttago under
commodore Schiev. Commander Sharp
aid that he had been placed on picket
iuty at the eastern end OF the line on
ne night of May % and had continued /
his duty afterward- He was about
We miles from the shore. he said, and
probably three miles from the mouth
u the harbor. He said that the entire
ieet could not have been discerned at
light. and that the shore line could
MY be discerned as black mass ia
he distance.
Mr.. Hanna-Could you have seen a
-essel undertaking to pass out near
he shors under those conditions2
IF ne had shown no lights and