Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-10-11
.SCHLEY-
COURT OF INQUIRY
Lieutenants Bristol and Leip-
er on the Stand.
POSITION OF FLEET, ETC.

Assistant Judge Advocate Hanna and
c rker of Counsel For Adj
3 Being Absent, Proceed
ings Conducted by Mr.. LemIey.
WASHINGTON, Oct 10-The Schley
naval court began business at II o'clock
today with the recall of yesterday S wit
nesses for the correction of their testi-
mony and the addition of such points as
might have suggested themselves since
their retirement from the witness stand.
These were Admiral Taylor, Lieutenant
Commander Potts and Lieutenant Bris-
toll.
They were followed by Lieutenant
Edward F. Leiper, who had begun his
testimony yesterday, but had not con-
Gluded when the court djourned for the
day. Lieutenant Leiper was an officer
on the New Orleans and participated in
the bOmbardment or reconnaissance of
the Spanish steamer Colon on May 81,
1898, the day before the arrival at San
tiago Of Commapder-in,C Chief Sampson.
He was also on the New Orleans when
that vessel bombarded the Spanish shore
batteries off Santiago His testimony
again today dealt with those events.
day included Lieutenant Commander
Schuetze, who was on the Iowa in the
Santiago campaign; Lieutenant A W.
Grant, who was on the Massachusetts;
Lieutenant Commander Q. O. Marsh
and Lieutenant E. L. Bennett, both of
whom were on the New York, and Lieu.
tenant j. II. Holden, who was on the
Scorpion.
Captain Chadwick, who was in direct
command Of Admiral Simpsons flag
ship, New York, and who was the adj
miral's chief Of staff during the war with
Spain, is also expected to arrive during
the day and to give testimony, and es-
peCially concerning the sending Of dis.
patches to Commodore Schley when he
lay off Cienfuegos from May % to II.
Captain Cook, who occupied the same
relative position toward Commodore
Schley that Captain Chadwick occupied
towards Admiral Sampson, was also
present in the courtroom during the
day, but &c is not expected to testify IN
til Admiral Schley begins to present his
side of the case, he being one OF the
most prominent Of the admlrals wit
nesses.
Assistant Judge Advocate Hanna was
not present in the courtroom today. He
was detained at his home by illness and
the entire presentation of the case on
behalf of the government was conducted
by Judge Advocate Lemley.
Captain Parker of counsel for Admiral
Schley was also absent, having gone to
his home IN New Jersey.
Leiper Tells o. Blockade.
Captain Lemley resumed the ques-
tiOns of Lieutenant Leiper by asking
him concerning the blockade Of Santiago
by Commodore Schley. The witness
said that when the New Orleans joined
the blockade the vessels were lying in
column from TO miles off shore, a
little to the eastward or directly south
of the mouth Of the harbOr.
At night they steamed slowly back
and forth in front of the harbOr 800
yards apart. They were so far OUT
witness said, that it was impossible to
distinguish points on the shore or to de-
termine where the shore line met the
water line. He could distinguish the
vessel nearest to him ahead.
On the first night of the blockade he
had not been able to distin guish the
Brooklyn and the Vixen. The Marble
head and the Vixen had occupied places
between the blockade line and the shore,
but he had not been able to distinguish
them. Practically the distances of the
vessels from the shore line was the same
in the day as at night He could not
say how far east or west of the mouth
of the harbor the feet had steamed, as
ne could not see the harbor.
On cross examination Mr.. RaynOr
called attention of the witness TO the
statement of Captain Folger, who had
been in command of the New Orleans,
that the fleet was nearer the shore at
night than in the day. He asked
whether he agreed with his command
ing officer The witness replied:
LAS fleet or squadron | do not agree
that they moved closer to the shore at
night. I have an indlstinct recollection
that the New Orleans the first evening
was lying little further off shore than
the Brooklyn. When the Brooklyn took
up her course east the New Orleans had
TO go in probably a quarter or possibly
half mile TO get her position in rear OF
the Brooklyn, but it was no more than
that. I5 was simply to stand in. It may
have been that that gave the captain or
commanding officer the impression that
we were closer at night"
Position of the New Orleans.
Mr. Raynor called attention to the
fact that the log of the New Orleans
placed the distance of that vessel from
the MORO at AZ miles and the witness
said that this was true.
Lieutenant Leiper said in further re-
ply to questions that his estimate Of the
distance out was entirely due to visual
observation. Asked whether he agreed
with Captain Folger IN stating that the
reconnaissance of May 81, when the
Colon was bonn barded, was a success IL
developing the strength and number of
shore batteries, the witness replied that
he thought it had been a success to that
extent, but he could not agree with Cap
tain Folger in all that he had said.
He found that the fire of the batteries
was slow. He also found that the great.
est caliber probably was 6-inch gun on
the Zocopa battery; that there appeared
to be only two or three guns; that on
batteries east of Moro there appeared
TO be four or five guns fired, and from
the volume of smoke and the range at.