Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-11-02
NEWS OF THE WEEK
acHlgY couRr OF INQUIRY.

i
Admiral Schley took the stand Il
his own behalf Thursday and describ
4 ed In detail the Cuban campaign to the
battle Of July 3. He hrSt told OF tax
ing command of the flying squadron al
Hampton Roads March %, 1898, and
Of mapping out plan OF campaign be
i fore leaving there. Admiral Schley
1 then told of his orders to go to Key
i West and of his first meeting with
ESampson Detailing their conversa
| ton he said 1t was the belief of both
| Admiral Sampson and himself that
| the Spanish feet was at Cienfuegos
He then told OF his parting with Samp-
/ son for his post of Cienfuegos, telling
Sampson he would be loyal, absolutely
and unreservedly, to the cause they
were both representing. After leav-
| ing Key West he met Captain McCalla
| and his squadron returning to Key
West, hut the latter said nothing re-
| garding the signal code arranged with
Cuban insurgents The feet arrived
ct CienfuegOs at midnight May 81 and
| the admiral told OF hearing guns which
he supposed was a salute to the Span
ish feet. Regarding the blockade the
Sx4lu HUE1 V06@61S sIG1ldlu6Q
about three miles off the harbor in
day time and closer to shore at night.
He denied firmly the testimony Of
| Lieutenant Wood that he (Sehley)
spoke dlsrespeetfully Of Sampson On
the arrival Of Captain McCalla on
May "a Communication was had with
the insurgents and 1t was learned that
the Spanish fleet was not In the har-
Dor. The flying squadron then left
for Santiago. reaching there on the
afternoon, of May 26. Admiral Schley
then related the meeting with Captain
Sigsbee, who told him that the Span
iards were certainly not at Santiago.
Referring to the retrograde movement.
he had, he said, found 1t impossible to
coal at sea. The admiral maintained
that there was no disobedience of Or
ders in his act, even If he had orig
inally intended to go to Key West, as
circumstances changed and he again
turned towards Santiago. The court
then adjourned for the day.
In the court of inquiry Friday Ad-
miral Schley was on the stand nearly
the entire day and had not completed
his testimony when the court adjourn
ed until. Monday. In beginning his
testimony he referred briefly to the
retrograde movement to Key West for
coal and said he did not consider it d
disobedience of orders. The most of
the day was occupied in a description
of the battle of July 8. Admiral Schley
told the story of this historical oc-
currenee in plain words and in unaf-
fected style, but the narrative was
straightforward and to the point, in
dicating close familiarity with all the
phases of that event. He said that
the Brooklyn had for a time sustained
the fire of all four of the Spanish
ships and also the fire of the Spanish
land batteries. Explaining the his
terical turn Of his own flagship, the
Brooklyn, he said she had not ap-
preached to within less than 500 yards
of the Texas, and that he never had
considered that vessel in the least
danger. He also stated, in response
to an Interrogation from Mr.. Rayner,
that he had never during the battle
engaged in any colloquy with Lieu
the expression attributed to him by
Hodgson. This refers to the alleged
colloquy in which the admiral is
CAd1 Will ldVlAS DdlGA Liz
Texas" Admiral Schley also gave the
details of the reconnaissance of May
81, when the Spanish ship Cristobal
Colon was bombarded. In this connec-
ton he denied the statements attrib-
uted to him by Commander Potts Of
the battleship Massachuse
Admiral SchIey was under cross-ex-
animation in the court of inquiry near
" all day Monday. Captain Lemly's /
examination was very searching. Ad-
miral Schley, however, appeared to |
be unruffled throughout the exami |
nation, frankly admitting on sew
sral occasions that he could not |
remember little details after the |
.apse Of three years. One line
If inquiry which the judge advo-,
cate tried to press to show that Ad-
niral Schley did not proceed with
dispatch" from Key West to Cienfue-
JOS by attempting to contrast the
speed made between Charleston and
Key West with the time between Key (
Vest and Cienfuegos was curtailed by
! decision of the court, which con-
ined the questions to the time subse-
luent to May 10, the day on which the
lying squadron left Key West. The
Judge advocate in his cross examina.
ion dWelt upon the interview be-
ween Admiral Sampson and Commo-
lore Schley at Key West before the
departure of the flying squadron, at
which the latter testified that Admiral
sampson instructed him not to expose
lis ships to shore batteries until the
spanish fleet had been destroyed, on
ko 20 nj fhof Adrniro1 Cnb1oHI Ficacs11nd |
n written. order Of hattie on the nues-
ion of coalinp off Cienfnegos and the
teps Schley took there to ascertain
be presence of the Spanish feet.
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.