The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-10-03
SHUTS OUT SAMPSON
Admiral Seeks Representation in
Court of Inquiry.

Schley court at 2:30 o'clock Friday
afternoon Judge Advocate Lemly
read a letter from Admiral Sampson
dated at Lake SunaPee, n. H., Sep
TENDER 2, asking that Messrs. Stay
ton and Campbell be allowed to rep
resent him in the case. The court
decided that they could not appear.
After the court adjourned Mr.. Stay
ton said he would again renew his re-
quest to be allowed to appear in Ad-
miral SIMPSONS behalf. He added that
the continued references to Admiral
Sampson were offensive and should be
properly met. He further stated that
he did not regard favorably efforts on
the part of the judge advocate to pre-
vent exploitation of Admiral Samp-
sons part in the war. He thought it
better to bring the matter in and meet
the questions squarely.
Proceedings of the Court.
Fridays session began with the re-
call of Capt. Wise, to make verbal
changes in the official copy of his tes-
timoIy. He again stated that he did
not direct Capt. Sigsbee to give Com
modore Schley the information con-
tanned in the dispatch from the navy
department regarding the where
abouts of the Spanish squadron.
Lieut.. Spencer S. Wood, who COM
manded the dispatch boat Dupont dur
ing the Spanish war, was then called
and continued his testimony, begun
Thursday. Mr.. Rayner resumed his
REORGANIZATION.
The witness established the fact
that picket boats were stationed with
in line of fleet off Cienfuegos May 22,
Capt. Harder having testified that
there were no pickets so far as he
could recall.
Mr.. Hanna objected to Mr. Rayner's
methods of questioning, and especial
| " to his characterization of Capt. Har-
ber's testimony as wrong, when Capt.
| Harder had said distinctly that he only
spoke from his best recollection.
"This." he said. sis an indirect impeach-
ment Of theI witness"
Mr.. Rayner again insisted that he
had only intended to bring out the
facts.
Point Tor Schiey.
Lieut.. John Hood, who during the
war commanded the Hawk, was the
next witness. He said that on May %
he had delivered dispatches from Ad
miral Sampson to Admiral Schley,
when the latter was off Cienfuegos.
Mr. Raynor objected to the introduce
ton of conversation or verbal orders,
saying that the orders would speak
for themselves and must necessarily
supersede any verbal instructions.
After argument the court retired to
consider the objection. The court sus-
| tanned the objection, so far a. it re-
| lated to conversations that took place
on board the New York, but the ruling
did not apply to any verbal orders
which the commander in chief directed
witness to convey to Commodore
Schley.
Objected to ObeyinE sampson.
The witness then read dispatch No 8
from Sampson to Schley on May 81,
telling the latter that the Spanish
squadron was probably at Santiago.
He also read the Brooklyn's receipt
memorandum showing that this dis
patch as well as the accompanying
memorandum had been received at S:15
a. m, May %. The witness identified
these as the orders he had carried. The
witness said:
commodore Schley read the dispatches
and then, turning to me, said: Captain,
Admiral Sampson wishes me to go to
Santiago. I cannot Go it. told Commo-
dOre SChley that the admiral certainly eX-
pected the squadron to leave the instant
| arrived. Commodore Schley then said,
in nearly these words: 4 am not al all
satisfied that the Spaniards are not here
in Cienfuegos. Besides my ships all want
coal; that the Massachusetts, Texas and
the Brooklyn wanted so many tons of coal,
and that the day before Capt. Sampson had
sent him down the Iowa with only half
her coal supply, so that she could not go
anywhere; that it was useless to send
ships down there only half filled with coal.
l told Commodore Schley that I passed a
collier conveyed by a gunboat only lit
tie before daylight that morning, and II
would certainly be there with at least 1000
or 5000 tons OF coal within two or three
hours He referred again to his belief
of the Spanards being in Clenfuegos and
stated that he had heard some firing about
40 miles from port which he took to be
a welcome to the Spanish squadron; he
ceived to be the Spanish squadron and
he believed they were there. l said to
Commodore Schiey then that the infOrma-
ton which the admiral had he considered
as definite: he had no doubt but that the
Spanish squadron was at Santiago. Com
modore Schley then said to me: Captain
Sampson doesn't understand. He Is not
on the spot and cannot judge / also in
formed Commodore Schley that they GER
tainly expected the squadron to leave i'm
mediately and that l had had verbal or.
ders from the commander in chief which
did not appear in my written orders to
remain with the Hawk alone at Cienfuegos
after the squadron had left and conduct
blockade for day or two or as long
as my coal supply lasted"
The witness then testified that the
steamer Adula, in passing, had report
ed TO the Brooklyn that a cable report
had been received at Kingston on May
10, saying that the Spanish squadron
was in the harbor at Santiago. Ad.
miral Schley's report of this occurrence
was also read, as was his statement dis.
crediting the information, because he
believed the squadron to be in Cienfue.
gos harbor. All these reports have
heretofore been published.
Capt. MeCaIIa on stand.
When the court began its after.
noon session Mr.. Rayner continued
his cross-examination of Lieut.. Hood.
When Lieut.. HC ID was excused, Capt.
Bowman M. McCalla, who commanded
the Marblehead during the Spanish
war, was called. He stated that he had
first come into contact with the fly
ing snnadrnn on Nav 10 1909 He