The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-10-24

there? He said: 4 have been very
close to the harbor entrance two or
three times. Captain Cotton has been
! in and cut cable and they are not
| there. Ne
"You heard Sigsbee say that?"
| eyes, sir; took some part in the
| conversation"
"Did you record that conversation
and did Captain Sigsbee know you re-
corded it?" ;.
captain Sigsbee knew was
newspaper man and was there look
ing for information and Captain Sigs-
| bee later took a dispatch written by
me and revised by Commodore Schley.
| He took it aboard his ship and he was
TO deliver 1t to one of the small boats
or else take it over himself"
"And Captain Sigsbee took that dis
pateh?" S
Eyes. sir. It was open. It detailed
the fact that the fleet was not there"
Bombardment of the Colon.
do you remember the reconnois-
sance on May 31?"
Eyes, sir. l was aboard the Massa-
chusetts." :
"Were you present at any CONVERSE
ton between Commodore Schley and
Captain Higginson in the pilothouse OF
the Massachusetts, :" =
"On the Brooklyn I heard that they
were going in to lombard and that the
flag should be transferred to the Mas
sachusetts. asked permission to go
aboard the Massachusetts with the
commodore. He had just given per-
mission to Mr.. McCauley to 60 and
turning to me he said: I do not think
you better CO. think you can see it
better from the Brooklyn She was
then coaling. He further said that
they did not intend to do anything ex-
cept find out what the batteries con-,
sisted of. I kept urging him to let
me go and he finally consented"
"Now tell me regarding the CONVEX
sation between Commodore Schley
and Captain Higginson."
"There was some discussion about
what the Spanish fleet had brought
with them. A report was current that
they had brought arms and ammuni-
ito: for the defense of Havana and
there was also a discussion as to
whether they had had time to mount
guns from the fleet. The two officers
smoked their cigars and chatted over
it. Commodore Schley said his idea
was to go in about 1000 or $500 yards
and fire simply to draw their fire. So
far as I remember Captain Higginson
acquiesced in that. Later Mr.. Potts
came in"
"Were you in the presence of Com
modore Schley during the whole of
this reconnaissance of the Massachu-
setts?"
only part of the time. At times
was behind the coming tower and he
was on the other side of it."
At this point Mr.. Rayner read to the
witness a portion of the testimony
given by Mr.. Potts, wherein he had re-
ferred to the conversation between
Commodore Schley and Captain Hig-
ginson as to going in for the bonn
bardment and asked: "Were you
present at that conversation"
mo-" answered the witness. "That
! conversation must have been when
they stepped outside the pilothouse.
| Potts was In there a short time with
u.s."
Did Not Hear SchIey Say 1t.
"Then you don't know anything
about the conversation about which
Potts testified that the commodore
said, Gentlemen, we are very con-
spicuous objects here, let's get out of
it?"
81 never heard such conversation.
I stood on top of the forward 13-inch
| turret. The commodore called to me,
Boy, that's bad place for you. Step
in here I afterward asked why and
he said that the conclusion would hurt
me. I had no serious intention of re-
naming there"
"Was Potts present at that time"
| ct think he was giving the ranges at
the time"
| The witness said he was with the
commodore during the whole of the
reconnaissance and did not hear either
of the alleged conversations.
/ Mr.. Graham also said that he had
not heard Commodore Schley say any
thing about "potting the Colon" when
the commodore went aboard the Mas
sachusetts, May 81, and that he was
with the commodore at the time.
Describing the battle of July 3
Mr. Graham said that Commodore
Schley had gotten to a position in
| front of the coming tower as soon as
the nose of the first Spanish ship ap
peared.
Continuing the witness said that by
the time Brooklyn completed her turn
(and he thought the turn had been
continuously to the right the three
leading Spanish ships had emerged
from the harbor.
| Commodore's Conduct July 8.
"The commodore" he said, "stood
all the time on the side of the fire so
that he could see what was doing. He
was absolutely cool and sent contin-
uous messages to the men to cheer
them up. When Ellis head was shot
off he wiped some of the blood from
his own person and as the men picked
the body up to throw it overheard,
when the rest of us stood Mortified, he
calmly said: Don't thrown that body
over. Take it below and we will give
| it Christian burial When the Wis
| caya went ashore the commodore went
into the coming tower and himself
called down the tube to the men be-
low, They are all gone but one. It all
depends on you, boys"
did you ever see Commodore
Schley when he appeared to be labor
ing under any mental excitement?"
ooh, no; he was jovial and good ma
tured at all times, and did not OBJ
serve the least trace of excitement or