The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-10

opinion of the court, render it necessary
for Admiral Sampson to be represented
due notice will be sent him
GEORGE DEWEY,
Admiral, U. S. N, President Of the
Court.
To Mr.. w. H. stayton. Washington.
d. c.
THE DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The Schley court began at II o'clock
today with the recall of yesterday 5
witnesses for the correction of their
testimony and the addition of such
points as might have suggested them
selves since their retirement from the
witness stand. These were Admiral
Taylor. Lieut. Commander Potts and
Lieut.. Bristol. They were followed by
Lieut.. Edward F. Leiper, who had be-
gun his testimony yesterday but had
not concluded when the court ad-
sjourned for the day. Lieut.. Leiper was
an officer on the New Orleans, and par
ticipated in the bombardment or recon-
noissance of the Spanish steamer Girls
tobal Colon on May 81, 1898, the day
before the arrival at Santiago of Com
mander-in Chief Sampson He was
also on the New Orleans when that
vessel bombarded the Spanish shore
batteries of Santiago. His testimony
again today dealt with those events
The new witnesses on the list for to-
day included Lieut.. Commander
Scheutze, who was on the Iowa in the
Santiago campaign; Lieut.. A. w.
Grant who was on the SachuSettS;
Lieut.. Commander c. c. Marsh and
Lieut. E. L. Bennett both of whom
We're on the New York, and Lieut. j.
H. Holden, who was on the Scorpion.
Capt Chadwick, who was in direct
command of Admiral SIMPSONS flag
ship. the New York, and who was the
admiraPs chief of staff during the war
with Spain, was also expected to arrive
during the day and to give testimony
especially concerning the sending OF
dispatches from Key West to Commo-
dore Schley when he lay off Cienfuegos
from May % to May "a
Capt Cook who occupied the same
relative position towards Commodore
Schley that Capt. Chadwick occupied
present in the court room during the
day, but he is not expected to testify
until Admiral Schley begins to present
his side of the case, he being one of
the most prominent of the admirals
witnesses.
Assistant Judge Advocate Hanna
was not present in the court room to-
day. 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
Lemly.
Capt Parker. of counsel for Ad-
moral Schley, also was absent, having
gone to his home in New Jersey.
capt. l<e1nly resumed the question:
ing of Lieut.. Leiper by asking him con-
corning the blockade of Santiago by
Commodore Schley. The witness said
that when the New Orleans Joined the
blockade the vessels were lying in col
umn from six to eight miles off shore,
a little to the eastward of 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. the wit
ness said, that it was impossible to
distinguish points on the shore, or to
determine 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 distinguish the Brooklyn
and the Vixen. The Marblehead and
the Vixen had occupied places between
the blockade line and the shore, but he
had not been able to distinguish them.
Practically the distance of the main
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 fleet had
steamed as he could not see the harbor.
On cross-examination Mr. Rayner
called the attention of the witness to
the statement of Captain F'olger, who
had been in command of the New Or
leans, that the fleet was nearer the
shore at night than in day time, and
asked whether he agreed with his COM
manding officer. The witness replied:
that they moved closed to the shore 1t
night 1 have an indistinct recollection
that the New Orleans the first evening
was lying a little farther off shore than
the Brooklyn. When the Brooklyn took
up her course cast the New Orleans had
to go in probably a quarter, or pos
Sibly half mile, to get her position In
the rear of the Brooklyn, but it was
not more than that. 1t was simply to
stand in. 1t may be that that gave the
captain or the commanding officer the
impression that we were closer in at
night"
Mr.. Rayner called attention to the
fact that the log of the New Orleans
placed the distance of that vessel from
the Moro at four and half miles, and
the witness said that this was true.
Lieut.. Leiper said in further reply to
questions. that his estimate of the dis
tance out was entirely due to visual
observation.
Asked whether he agreed with Capt
Folger in stating that the reconnois-
sance of May 81, when the Colon was
bombarded, was a success in develop
ing the strength and number of the
shore batteries. the witness replied that
he thought it had been a success to
that extent but that he could not agree
with Capt. Folger in all that he had
said. He found that the fire of the
batteries was SLOW. He also found that
the greatest calibre probably was a
six-inch gun on the Zocopa battery;
that there appeared to be only two or
three guns there not of that calibre;
that on the battery east of the Moro
there appeared to be four or five guns
fired, and from the volume of smoke
and the range attained it appeared to
him that they were light guns less
than six-inches in caIibre.
The judge advocate asked: 'fWhat
really. as a matter of fact, was devel-
oped by the affair of May 81, as to the
or weakness of guns -
The witness replied: LAS compared
with the strength of the ships of the
or as compared with the
of the guns of any ship in the
squadron. any of the battleships, the
Brooklyn, New Orleans, or the Marble
head, the batteries were weak"
Lieut.. Commander VIM. Il. Schuetze.
who as lieutenant was the navigator