The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-10-04
IN SCHLEY'S BEHALF
LIEUTENANT DOYLE TESTlFlES
BEFORE THE COURT OF
INQUIRY.
OFFICER ON THE BROOKLYN

Called by the Navy Department, bu
Is Questioned as an Original Wit
ness for the Applicant-knew Moth
Ing of a Secret Code of Signals
Court Will Not Consider Sampson's
Conduct of the Blockade.
Washington, Oct. 3.-An interesting
turn was given to the Schley court Of
inquiry by the introduction of the first
! witness in Admiral Schley's behalf
This was Lieutenant James J. Doyle
| who was watch officer on board the
flagship Brooklyn during the war with
Spain. The fact that Lieutenant Doyle
was put on the stand does not mean
that the navy department has con
cluded the presentation of it's 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 ques
ton him as an original witness fol
"the applicant" He was under ex
animation by Mr.. Rayner in the inter.
est Of the admiral when the court ad
| journed for the day.
| Before undergoing examination at
Mr.. Rayner's hands Lieutenant Doyle,
at Captain Lemly's request, explained
his part in the battle of July and
his original entry in the ships log
concerning the famous loop and his
alteration of that entry because he
subsequently discovered that his first
entry had been erroneous.
Lieutenant Commander Sharp, who
| commanded the Vixen during the
Spanish war, also gave his testimony
during the day, giving especial atten-
ton to notes of the battle of July 3,
made by Lieutenant Harlow of his
| ship.
Admiral Evans, Correspondent Dine
aide and Woman Becker were all re-
called for the purpose of correcting
their testimony, and all made addi-
| tional statements.
Just before the adjournment for the
| day the court announced it's decision
not to allow any questions concern
| ing the blockade of Santiago after
July l, when Communicating Chief Ad-
miral Sampson arrived there.
vixen's Commander on the Stand.
After Admiral Evans, Correspondent
Dineaide and Woman Becker had cor
rected their testimony and made addi-
tional statements, Lieutenant Com
mander Alexander M. Sharp, who
| commanded the converted yacht Vixen
| during the Spanish war, took the
stand. He testified that he first fell
in with the flying squadron off Glen
fuegos on May "a. He described the
weather on the trip to Santiago as
"squally," but that if he had received
| orders to coal he would have tried to
! do so, though it would have been an
uncomfortable job because the Vixen
was very small ship.
Describing the arrival of the Vixen
at Santiago under Commodore Schley,
Commander Sharp said that he was
placed on picket duty at the eastern
end Of the line on the night of May
20 and continued this duty afterward
He was about two miles from the
shore, he said, and probably three
miles from the mouth of the harbor.
He said that the entire fleet could not
be discerned at night and that the
shore line could only be discerned as
black mass in the distance. He
could not have seen vessel under
taking to pass out near the shore If
she had made no noise and shown no
lights. One night the Vixen sighted
light running apparently along shore
with good deal of speed and sig
nailed that it was a torpedo boat es-
Gaping. It turned out to be a loco
motive headlight on the railroad.
Passing to the battle of Santiago he
said that when he first saw the Brook
Ign she was headed about south and
swinging very rapidly under her port
helm. Afterwards he had a discus
sion with the officers of the Brooklyn,
who claimed that the helm was put
to starboard. His impression was
that It was conceded finally that the
helm was put to port. He saw the
Texas about the same time he saw
the Brooklyn. She was lying appar-
emily dead in the water.
schIey's First Witness
Lieutenant James J. Doyle, who was
watch officer on board Commodore
Schley's flagship, the Brooklyn, dur
ing the Spanish war, then took the
stand. There was much interest in
his appearance, as he is the first of the
Brooklyn's officers to be called to the
stand since the inquiry began. He
was called by the department, but
when Captain Lemly had concluded
his examination Mr.. Rayner announced
that 1t had been Admiral Schley's in
tention to have Lieutenant Doyle sum-
moned as witness in his behalf. He,
therefore, with the consent of the
court, questioned the witness as if his
examination had been in chief and
did not confine himself to cross ex-
animation.
In response to questions by Captain
Lemly, Lieutenant Doyle said that
during the battle off Santiago he had
had charge of the two waist turrets.
He had, he said, written the log Civ.
ing the account of the battle as there
recorded, but afterwards an addenda
bad been made by the navigator.
When the Brooklyn steamed west
ward witness was first in the port tur-
ret and then in the starboard turret.
did you have an opportunity of OBJ
serving which way the vessel turned?"
Captain Lemly asked. Witness re-
sponded in the affirmative. He said,
however, that he did not hear orders
given to the man at the wheel.
what did you observer"
81 observed while in the port turret