Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-26
NEW WITNESSES.
Continued from page ~

which had been received by the Har-
ward and which had not been made
public heretofore. 1t was stated that
this message had been written on
May % A notation on ii showed that
it had been received on May &c. The
dispatch was in cipher and was di-
rected to the Harvard at Mole st.
Nicholas 1t was translated by Lieut.
Beall and as presented read: The
Spanish squadron at Santiago IL
previous to May 10 scout off Santiago.
Communicate with Schley if he Uhey)
moves west. Schley is expected May
"a at Santiago from Cienfuegos. Tele-
graph men from Nicholas Mole to Key
West if he (theD move east. and leave
letter for Schley. Then go to Santiago
TO meet him. l shall be at Cay Fran
els with squadron. If two scouts are
available one should keep track of the
Spanish squadron"
Admiral Cotton said that the copy
which he had read had been retained by
him. He added that if he had ever given
that dispatch to Admiral Schley ii hal
been on the 9th and not on the 3lst Of
May. -f'Rya
Mr. Rayner here raised the point THAI
the document read was Il copy and not
the original. He also called attention %
the fact that the document had not been
printed in the official reports of the navy
department. An animated controversy
followed in which Mr.. Rayner commented
upon the lin his opinion) inaccuracy of
the department reports. He demanded
the original dispatch and added: This
is an inquiry and not a prosecution, and
you are here to protect and vindicate Nd
miral Schcy much as we are"
lie said that Admiral Schley had turned
in all his papers and that Admiral Samp-
sons papers should also he available for
the purposes of the court.
capt. Lemly then produced the original
cipher copy of the dispatch. He asked
the witness how he had received the mes
SAGE and the latter replied:
II received from the cable office on
board the Harvard at ST. Nicholas Mole
the dispatch OF which this is a transla-
ton. Lieut. Beall made the translation. =
us it a correct translation of the
cipher
II believe it to be"
Did Beall SO state to you or did h..
hand it to you as a correct translation"
translation of the original dispatch In
cipher and l believe it correct"
Now. l will ask you whether accord
ing to the best of your knowledge ard
belief and your best recollection of the
subject, you delivered on the eth of May
TO Commodore Schley this Dispatch"
To the best of my knowledge and be-
lief, l delivered copy of that dispatch
to Schlcy on May 81 off Santiago, Cuba
and that is one of the dispatches to
which | referred as having delivered T.
the best of my knowledge, | delivered a
copy OF that dispatch because it was i'm /
portant Information for him and he was
mentioned by name in the Dispatch
Ultimately Mr.. Rayner consented to ac-
cept the copy as correct.
This point being settled. counsel for the
department passed to the point concern
ing the proposition of Lieut.. Beali to
communicate with the Cuban insurgents
and in doing so caused another object.o:
to be raised by Mr. Rayncr The qucs-
ton was put by Mr.. Hanna, who SAID:
Il will ask you whether YOU would
have considered that you had DISCHARGED
your whole duty, having knowledge Of
this, If you had not communicated WITH
Commodore Schlcy?"
Mr.. Rayncr indicated an objection sai--
ing: You are not pressing d question 0.
that sort
To this Admiral Dewey intericcted
The witness has already stated thai
very fact
Mr. Rayner-"FIe gave that as a rca-
son for verifying his recollection. but the
question is asked here whether he pcr-
formed his duty"
Admiral DeWey-''As the witness ya q
that he considered he had done his vho;r
dutN. think he has answered TIA: I
was struck with that very phrase, and !
thought how much time we were wasting
asking the same question over and over
again.
Mr.. Hanna was not however. Salts
Ecd with the status Of the matter ana
said he did not ask it for purpose Of
repetition but because the question
was very important and had not been
precisely answered
we have" said he, IAN order from
the department. saying: The depart
ment looks to you to ascertain facts
etc. We wish to know whether this
was done or not. as a part and an cs-
"N''A"i beill VI tHlS Is the suggestion
that the insurgents could have beer
communicated with. Here comes the
commanding officer of the Harvard
win an offer and ready made means
"a communicating with the insurgents
we desire to know whether that offer
vas communicated to Commodore
ochiey at that time and on the 9th
Oh May, not the 3lst or any other dav
IN order to fix this witness recollec.
ioh MS attention is directed to this
question and it is very importart
question. Three years have elaDsed
anu II IS necessary that such aids as
we can present to witnesses be given
ne ADMIRAL has stated that to the
Lest CT MS knowledge and belief he die
nave this conversation on May 81. Now
WISH to ask you whether YOU knew
Vi TINS instruction of the department9 p
Il did"
would like to know whether
knowing of that, you consider by an,
PosSloiiity you would have omitted (,
co,.,n Tue with Commodor
should think not"
AT 32a Admiral Cotton was excuse,