The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-15
GOVERNMENT CONCLUDES.
JUDGE ADVOCATE ANNOUNCES END
OF TESTIMONY.

Reserves the Right, However, to Call
Other witnesses Later If He So Desires
Captain Cook, Who Commanded
schiey's Flagship, Makes Strong
Witness for Him-Praises the Ad-
miral's Bravery-Cnptain Cook Him
self Ordered the Loop Which He De-
clares Was Eminontly Successful
Nunen, tho oubsn Pilot, the First
Witness for schIey.
Washington, Oct. 14.--To-day in the
Schley court of inquiry, Judge Advo-
cate Lemly concluded the presentation
of the testimony for the government
and the first of Admiral Schley's wit
nesses was introduced. Mr.. Lemly,
however reserved the right to call fur
ther witnesses if he so desires. Captain
Francis A. Cook who commanded Ad-
miral (then Commodore) Schley's flag
ship, the Brooklyn, during the Santa
go campaign, and who acted. though
unoff1cjally, in the capacity Of chief-of-
staff for the commodore, was on the
nitness stand the greater part of the
day
He was followed by Lieutenant
Commander William F. Fullam. who
was senior watch officer on the New
Orleans during the Spanish war and
Former Lieutenant Joseph Beale, who,
as an officer on the Harvard, translat-
ed the cipher dispatches between Schley
and the navy department carried by
that vessel Among these dispatches
was that sent by Commodore Schley
May 28, expressing his regret at not be-
ing able to obey the orders of the de-
partment and explaining the reason
why he could not do so. There are some
verbal discrepancies between the orig
inal draft of this dispatch and the Off
cial print of it, and these Mr.. Beale ex-
planned.
Mr.. Beale was the last of the govern
ment witnesses, although Captain Lem
lv explained that he would reserve the
right to call others, If reason should de-
mand that he do so. The lieutenant
had no sooner retired than the first
witness for Admiral Schley was called
This proved to be the Cuban pilot Ed
wardo Nunez, who told Schley on May
26. 1898, that he did not believe the
Spanish fleet under Cervera was In the
harbor Of Santiago.
Captain Cooks testimony was re-
view of the entire campaign after Ger
yera's fleet, beginning with the depart
ure Of the flying squadron from Key
/. West on May 10, and concluding with
a the battle off Santiago. July 3. He
said that at first it had been believed
by both Sampson and Schley that the
Spanish fleet was in the harbor at Glen
fuegos and that no information to the
contrary had been conveyed to Com
modore Schley until the arrival of Cap
tain McCalla on May "a: that 1T was
Commodore Schley's expectation to
meet the Spaniards in the open sea and
his constant care was to nave coal
enough for such emergency. He gave
particulars concerning the retrograde
movement and explained the Brooklyn's
loop in connection with graphic ac-
count of the engagement of July 3.
Asked for an opinion as to Admiral
Schley's bearing as a commanding Of
fcer. he said: IT have always regarded
him as an entirely brave and patriotic
officer"
CAPTAIN Cook also testified that he
fcook) rave the order for the Brook
lyn's loop at the battle off Santiago
end that he considered the movement
"eminently successful" He said the
order for the loop was seconded by
Commodore schley.
Testimony of Pilot Nunez,
An interpreter was introduced, as Pi-
lot Nunez cannot speak English. He
said he had been pilot for twenty-one
years In all the southern Cuban ports.
The interpreter used the word guide"
in Interpreting his statement as above,
and Admiral Dewey corrected him, say
ing the word should be pilot"
Nunez said that he first met Commo-
dore Schley on May 26, having been
taken to him by the ST. Paul. The
commodore, he said, had asked him il
he knew of the presence of the Spanish
fleet at Santiago. He replied that he |
doubted it, as he did not think the wa
ter was deep enough for vessels of such |
size. One June he had gone on the |
Vixen to the Cuban coast with a mes
sage for General Calixto Garcia which
ne had delivered to Colonel Cebereco.
Commodore Schley had sent him on this
mission, sand he had then been told by
Cebereco that the Spanish fleet was In
the harbor. This information Nunez
said he had carried to Admiral Samp-
son under the direction of Commodore
Schley.
CAPTAIN Parker then read copy of
the letter which the pilot said he had
ca rried from Commodore Schley to the
Cubans in which he suggested code
of signals similar to the code arranged
by Captain McCalla at Cienfuegos.
On cross examination the witness said
that Cebereco had given him the names
of the Spanish vessels inside the har-
Dor. He gave the names of these ves-
sells, saying that they were given to him
at that time by Cebereco.
The witness also said that prior to
going ashore June he had not seen the
Colon. He had not seen that vessel,
indeed, until July 8. He said that his
reason for thinking that the vessels
could not get into the harbor at San
tiago was that such large vessels as
those of the Spanish fleet had never
before been seen there; he thought the
harbor both too narrow and too shall
low. He had expressed the opinion
that unless they had double machin-