Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-09-30
plsnatches Were AItered.

AAAG A1l61 "a NNANe--%+ f~-~---
Dispatches Were Altered.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-As. usual Ad-
rniral Dewey was prompt today in or'ng-
ing the Schley court of inquiry TO order,
and. as usual, the counsel on both sides
were in their seats and prepared TO pre-
coed promptly with the business before the
court. Indeed Captain Lemley ana Mr.
Hanna, the navy departments representa-
lives, had been in the courtroom Tor on
hour or more. preparing the details CT To-
DAYS work. They consider the present
stage OF the proceedings an important enc,
requiring the most careful attention. Cap
tain Lemley estimates that ne VIII De
able to conclude the presentation OF the
government side Of the case by the close
OF next week, IL no unforeseen contingency
arises TO cause delay. He says ne VIII
have about fifteen or twenty more Wit
nesses to introduce.
One OF the most regular attendants upon
the court is Mr.. William A. Slayton, the
attorney who is understood to be Dre-
pared to represent other naval oncers
than Admiral Schley. He sits outside the
rail and does not in any way participate
in the proceedings. He said yesterday that
so long as Admiral Sampson was kept
out OF the case he would have nothing
to say.
Today's session begun with the recall OF
Captain Wise to make verbal changes In
the official copy of his testimony.
He altered his previous statement con-
corning the order Of the navy apartment
OF May %. 1896, in which he wa- directed to
inform every vessel of Santiago that the
flying squadron is of Cienfuegos, saying
that he desired TO correct his response to
the courts question as TO why this order
was not carried out by stating that 1t
had been carried out.
zmF m Inform The rOmn1O-
dore OF the flying squadron of his own
movements. The order was % inform
commanders OF the movements or the hy-
ing squadron"
Lieutenant Spencer S. Wood, who COM
manded the dispatch boat Dupont during
the Spanish war, was then called and
continued his testimony begun yesterday.
Mr.. Raynor resumed his cross examina-
ton. The witness said that while OF Glen
fuegos he had been on picket duty two
miles from shore on the night Of May
I'D and had been instructed to signal the
squadron with the-Ted lights in case the
enemys torpedo boats came out Of the
harbor.
Mr.. Raynor then read from the testimony
OF Captain Harder, 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.
VIII make an announcement MAAAAC
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 Har-
ward May q from of Santiago by the
commanding officer OF the flying squadron.
II appears that in the process of transla-
ton from the commander in chief to the
department some changes in the language
OF that dispatch occurred. I do not de-
sire at this moment to interrupt the pro-
ceedings by any discussion Of that point,
but I shall merely make the announce
ment here that we intend TO enter into
that matter very fully and completely;
that Is 10 say as fully as the court may
desire before we leave It,"
The witness then read dispatch No. s,
from Sampson to Admiral Schley, May p,
telling the latter that the Spanish squad
ron was probably at Santiago. He also
read the BrOoklyn's receipt memorandum
showing that this dispatch as well as the
accompanying memorandum had been re-
eeived at Sis. May %. The witness iden-
tilted these as the orders he had car
ried.
In response TO a request from the Judge
advocate Lieutenant Hood related the
conversation ne had had with Admiral
schley after delivering the message. say
ing that he Cwitness) had told the admiral
that It was Admiral SIMPSONS wish that
mediately to Santiago. as his informa-
ton was very positive. His statement
was as follows:
commodore schley read the dispatch
and. then turning 20 me said. Captain
Admiral Sampson wishes me TO go 10
Santiago. I cannot do it.
u told Commodore Schley that Admiral
Sampson expected the squadron 10 leave
the instant I arrived. Admiral Schley
said then in nearly these words:
"T am not at all satisfied that the
spaniards are not in Cienfuegos.
Besides my ships all wanted coal; the
/ Massachusetts,. the Texas and Brooklyn
wanted so many tons OF coal and that
the day before Sampson had sent him
down TO the Iowa with only half her coal
SUNNY. so that she could not go anywhere;
that II was useless to send such ships
down there only half filed with coal. l
told Commodore Schley that had passed
a collier conveyed by a gunbOat only a
| little before daylight that morning and
Il would certainly be there with at least
four or five thousand tons of coal within
/ two or three hours. He referred again to
his belief Of the Spaniards being in Glen
| fuegos and said that he had heard some
firing about forty miles from port which
he took TO be a welcome TO the Spanish
squadron; he had also seen some smoke
| which he conceived to be the Spanish
i
/ said TO Commodore Schley then that IL
/ the information which the admiral had
be considered as definite he had no doubt
1 but that the Spanish squadron was at
Santiago. Commodore Schley then said to
me:
Captain. Sampson does not under
stand. He is not on the spot and cannot
/ Judge.
Describe the commodore's manner on
| this occasion" said Captain Lemley.
The commodore was sitting in his
| chair at the time / was talking to him,
very quietly. He seemed to be very much
perplexed at what to do"
Mr. Raynor then changed his line Of
questioning
He said: II want 10 ask you whether in
this conversation with Commodore Schley
upon this occasion he did not tell YOU that
Admiral Sampson had instructed MIN be-