The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-09-28
WHY SCHLEY DIDN'T GO
Dispatch Bearer Gives Important
Testimony.
THOUGHT SAMPSON WRONG.
Comm SdOre Believed Spanish ships
at Cienfuegos and Didn't Want
to Sail For Santiago as Direct-
ed by Fleet Commander.


the Schley court of inquiry to order
and, as usual, the counsel on both side
Of the case were In their seats and pre-
pared to proceed promptly with th'
business before the court.
The session began with the recall O.
Captain Wise to make verbal change!
In the official copy Of his testimony
He altered bis previous statement con
cerning the order Of the navy depart
ment on May 20. 1893 in which he was
directed to Inform every vessel of
Santiago that the flying squadron is of
Cienfusgos." saying that he desired tc
correct his response to the courts ques'
ton as to why this order was not car
ried out by stating that it had been
carried out 1.-The flying squadron was
ordered to proceed with all possible
dispatch" he said aud added: Il did
not desire to inform the commodore of
the flying squadron of his own move
mcnts. The order was to inform the
commander Of the movements of the
flying squadron"
The court then asked, did you d.
rect Captain Sigsbee to give Commo-
dore Schley the information contained
In the dispatch from the navy depart
ment regarding the whereabouts of the
Spanish squadron"
81 did not"
Lieutenant Spencer 8. Wood. who
commanded the dispatch boat Dupont
during the Spanish war, was then call
ed and continued his testimony. Mr.
Rayner resumed his cross examination.
The witness said that while off Glen
fuegos he had been on picket duty two
miles from shore on the night Of May
% and had been instructed to signal
the squadron with two red Fights in
case the encmy's torpedo boats came
out Of the harbor
Mr.. Raynnr then read from the tcsti
mony OF Captain Harher of the Texas
saying that there had been no picket
vessels within the line Of the fleet of
Cienfuegos. The witness said that the
statement was wrong.
Mr.. Hanna asked what steps had
been taken while the flying squadron
was off Cienfuegos to ascertain if the
Spanish fleet was INSIDE the harbor
there.
None that | know Of" was the re.
sponsc.
"Wns there any effort to destroy tho
shore ba atteries therHt'
The witness replied that he knew OF
none. He sad, replying to another
question by Mr., Raynrr, that vessels
in the inside hnrbor could not have
been tlscerred from the outside.
Mr.. Hanna Makes n Statement.
Lieutenant Wood was then dismissed
and as he was leaving tile courtroom
Mr.. Hanna took occasion to say:
II will make an announcement while
we are waiting. There has been intro,
duced before the court a question of the
correctness or the identity of a certain
very important dispatch sent by the
Harvard May 81 from off Santiago by
the commanding officer OF the flying
squadron. 1t appears that in the proc
ess of translation from the commander
in chief TO the department some
changes in the language of that dis
patch occurred. do not desire at this
to interrupt the proceedings by
any discussion Of that point, but l shall
merely make the announcement here
that we do intend to enter into that
matter very fully and completely--that
Is to say, as fully and as completely as
the court may desire before we leave
Lieutenant John Hood, who during
the war commanded the Hawk, was
t he next witness. He said that on May
90 he had delivered dispatches from
Admiral Sampson to Admiral Schley
when the latter was off Cicnflegos. He
related that lie had been called aboard
he New York, Admiral Sampson's flag
ship, on May 21 when the officers OIL
bourd were preparing dispatches. He
spoke Of the presence Of Admiral Samp |
son. Mr.. Rayner objected to the intro
iuction of conversation or verbal or
lers, saying that the orders would
speak for themselves ana must neces 1!
sarily supersedc any verbal instruc
tons. The question was argued al
some length by Mr.. aayncr and Cap
tain Lemly. In closing his respons,
he Judge advocate said:
"An objection of this character is al I
most equivalent to withdrawing the re'
quest for an investigation, He has ask
ID to have the Judgment of his brother
ofiicers in this matter. Let us have it
md don't put technical obstacles in the
way Of having the investigation"
Mr.. Rayncr responded briefly:
II only desire to state that while this
s our investigation these are your
under the preccpt. We
lskcd for this investigation, and in.
,tcad of letting us give the precept un.
Ter which we would like to have the
inquiry take place you form a precep'
~ your O"u Llele lS All NlJ
SKIS for u court of inquiry under speci
lcatons framed by others and not by
himself"
Court sustnins objection.
The court retired to consider the oh.
ection. remaining out longer than on
NY previous occasion. Admiral Dewey
cad the courts decision as follows: I
"rhe court sustains the objection Of
ounsel so far as 1t relates TO conversa.
ions that took place on board the New
Iork, but this ruling does not apply to
ny verbal orders which the command.
r In chief directed witness to convey
0 Commodore Schley."
Replying to a question put in accord
nee with this decision, the witness
aid that his instructions were contain.
A II, tho tnomorop6o hanHAd hin, t0