Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-09-20
SCHLEY COURT
OF INQUIRY
It Reconvened at the City Of Wash
ington at Eleven O'Clock This
Forenoon.
HIGGINSON ON THE STAMP
He Said He Did Not Believe That Admiral
schley Did All He Gould to
Destroy the
Colon.

| washington, otpl lU.-Ii ile koShiSJ
court of inquiry reconvened at II a. m
today. All the members of the court
Admiral Dewey, Rear Admirals Ben
ham and Ramsay-were present, as
was Admiral Schley. Mrs. Dewey was
among the spectators, but the general
attendance was not large.
| Judge Advocate Lemly read the or
der of the navy department appointing
Rear Admiral Ramsay to a place on
the court, then asked whether he had
any objection to urge against any
member of the court. The admiral re-
piled: "I have not" The judge advo-
cate swore the members of the court
collectively, then, in turn, was sworn
as Judge advocate.
A letter from Admiral Schley to the
navy department, requesting to be
supplied with all papers bearing upon
the case, and the departments reply
granting the request, We're read. The
court retired to discuss the methods of
procedure. At 11:25 the court returned
from consultation. Lemly then pre-
sented the report of the bureau of
for 1898, photographic
chart of the West Indies and adjacent
seas and other charts. He stated ex-
plicitly that they were introduced not
as testimony but as books of refer
ence. "Will they preclude the intro
duction of original documents?" Judge
Wilson asked.
mot at all,' was the reply. "On the
contrary, we shall desire to introduce
original documents when opportunity
Offers"
Captain Parker objected to the hy-
geographic chart. "It is grossly in
correct" he said. "As matter Of
fact, the coast line Of Cuba is six miles
further south and four miles further
west than it should be-"
He, however, withdrew his objec-
ton when assured that the chart
would not be used as evidence.
Admiral Higginson, commander-in-
chief of the North Atlantic squadron,
was the first witness. He said he had,
as captain, commanded the battleship
Massachusetts during the Spanish war
and that for time the Massachusetts,
hssd been pare of the 'fyins SOUR 'T'o,f''
OF which Schlye had command. He
told of going to Cienfuegos on May 22,>
1898.
What was then done to secure CON-
with the Cuban forces on
shore?" Captain Lemly asked.
Nothing to my knowledge" the
witness replied, "but I understand that
information concerning the Cubans
was received through Captain Nc
Gala"
He also told of the presence of the
collier Merrimac; the departure from
Cienfuegos and arrival at Santiago on
the evening Of the 26th. In reply to
question, he said the Massachusetts,
had at that time taken on about thir-
teen tons of coal, but, as the weather
was rough, this was done with diff
Guilty.
In reply to a question by the court,
Higginson said he did not be-
lieve Schley did all he should have
done to destroy the Colon while she
lay at anchor. The defense objected.
Dewey said the court consid-
cred itself obliged to get at all the
facts. Judge Wilson, for Admiral
Schley, said he would reserve the right
later to take exception to requests for
the opinions of witnesses, even when
put by the court.
The Schley court took a recess from
to g. After hearing the argument
they withdrew the question whether
every effort was made by Schley to
destroy, or capture, the Spanish
steamer Colon as she lay at anchor in
the harbor at Santiago between the
9th and 31st of May.
Higginson was excused. Captain
Chester was called. Chester's testi-
mony related to the coaling off the
coast Of Cuba and occupied but a few
He was followed by Major
Thomas N. Wood, Of the marine corps,
who was in the command of the ma
rine guard on the Massachusetts dur
ing the Spanish war.