Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-22
ADMIRAL SCHLEY
COURT OF INQUIRY

The following testimony, given before
the Schley court of inquiry Monday,
was received too late for publication
in our Issue of yesterday:
When the court met this afternoon
Mr.. Hanna continued his examination
of Lieut.. Wells.
How do you account specifically for
the absence Of the receiving stamp i'm
print on the duplicate Dear Schley'
dlspatohes?" he asked.
1T is possible that jotted down
that note on them when they were
handed to me. OF course 1t was the
custom 10 put the receiving stamp on
letters generally"
Can 1t be possible that the commo-
dore retained them for some timeY'
1T is possible, but not probable lie
sometimes held dispatches In the cabin
for time, but he generally sent them
down as soon as received"
In reply TO questions the witness
said he remembered absolutely moth
ing whatever about the receipt of dis
patch No. from Admiral Sampson to
Commodore schley saying that the
Spanish feet was probably at Santi-
ago, except that was revealed by the
receiving stamp endorsements. He
said that on this dispatch as on the
Dear Schley" letter there had at first
been an endorsement showing its re-
ceipt on May "a, and subsequently an
other written over the first indicating
its receipt on the 2Srd of that month.
Your pencil marks cannot be taken
as q very clear indication as to when
these papers were received" ques-
toned Mr. Hanna. but the witness re-
piled that they could be, saying:
Generally, ! should say yes / do
not intend 10 be infallible on that sub
ject"
but the Dear Schley' letter you
say would seem TO have been received
on the 22nd OF May?"
Yes, sir"
80 that, although actually received
on the 22nd, it bore the endorsement of
'23rd' and '24th?"
lone bore a date '2Srd, and another
bore a date '24th,' as | recollect"
Mr.. Hanna then put in as testimony
dispatches Nos. and 8. both from Ad-
miral Schley, directing a strict block
ade at Cienfuegos. and the latter en-
closing the McCalla memorandum. The
witness was again questioned concern
Ing the receipt OF more than one copy
OF the McCalla memorandum, but he
maintained that he remembered only
one copy. at the same time admitting
the possibility OF the receipt OF another.
THE COTTON DISPATCH.
Asked when he had first seen the dis
patch introduced by Capt. Cotton.
the witness said he did not remember
TO have ever seen H. This Is the dis
patch sent TO the Harvard saying that
the Spaniards were probably at santl-
ago. and the one which Admiral Cotton
said he had delivered to Commodore
schley May a. In this connection Mr..
Hanna said that he had not been able
TO find the original OF this dispatch
among Admiral Schley's papers. He
also remarked, incidentally, that there
were others Of Admiral Schley's papers
missing.
Going back 10 the arrival of the Du-
pont and the Iowa on May 22. the wit
ness said II was possible that they
brought dispatches and also possible
that they brought the McCala mem
orandum. Still he thought that II
there had been duplicate copies tcey
would have been found among Admiral
Schley's papers.
Mr.. Hanna then questioned Lieut..
Wells closely about Admiral Schley's
papers, but he repeated that since he
had boxed them up and turned
them over TO Admiral Schley In 1895 he
had not seen them until he saw them
recently at the navy department.
II saw them very much spread about
az the department since I have been
here" he said,
Under what circumstances did you
examine them OF the department."
II examined them TO make copies OF
certain papers. | applied 10 different
officers. They were handed 10 me.
made such copies as ! desired and
turned the papers over to the RESPONSE
bic persons concerned"
DEPARTURE FROM CIENFUEGos.
At Mr.. Hannas instance. Lieut..
Wells repeated his testimony concern
ing the departure Of the flying squad
ron from Cienfuegos TO Santiago He
said the commodore had made no sce-
cial communication to him that he
meant 10 take his immediate departure
for santiago, but that he had gotten
the impression from letters and dis.
patches written then by Commodore
schley that II was his purpose TO leave
the night they did.
Mr.. Hanna then called attention 10
two letters from the commodore cav
Ing that he would not leave Cienfuegos
until the next day. The witness said
he did not recall writing these letters,
but thought he had probably done so
He also thought that there probably
were other dispatches leading 10 hI,
Inference that the squadron was To-
leave that night.
There must have been something
else" he said. "because We ala leave
that night instead OF the next day."
Mr.. Hanna also questioned Lieut.
Wslls about the war bulletin ~
ccived from the Afula while the Nv
ing squadron Law OF cienfuegos. saw
ing that while Cervera's feet had en-
tered Santiago Il had left there later
He said that the document was IN the
shape ~ small hand bill and that
evidently II had been issued bv some
newspaper IN that vicinity. He also
said he recalled the paper very dis
,lncily hut could not recall by whom
II was issued.
Lieut.. Wells said that he had
never had any conversation with Com
fnodora gchlav Qoncarnfnu tha rotrn-