Evening star., 1901-10-31
Announcement of Counsel for Ad-
miral Schley.
PROGRAM OF THE COURT OF INQUIRY
Dispute Regarding the Testimony
Of Capt. Sigsbee.
CAPTAIN BORDEN'S STORY

ton of the court room rallied off near the
court and in the balance of the chamber
there was hardly more than a couple of
score of persons AS Admiral Schley had
rot completed the reading and correction
Of the printed report of his testimony he
did not go on the stand, and will not do
50 to correct his testimony until he has
carefully gone over all Of IT. When he
does SO it is likely that he may make addi-
tional answers to some of the questions
that were asked him by the court and it is
probable that more questions will be put
to him at that time.
When the court of inquiry opened Cap
tain r. s. Borden was called as the first
witness of the day, and x the last wit
ness who was to testify in Admiral Schley's
behalf 1t had been expected that Admiral
Barker would be called, hut it has latterly
been decided that his testimony would not
be material.
At the conclusion of Captain Bordens tes-
timony counsel for Admiral Schley an
nounced that they had closed their case.
The Program of the Court.
1t was expected when the court opened
that the remainder of the day would be
taken up with the hearing of witnesses call
ed by the Navy Department for the purpose
of impeachins certain parts of the testi-
y.
Included in the list for this purpose are
Captain Charles d. SigSbee of the St
Paul. Captain Francis f. Chadwick of Ad-
miral SIMPSONS flagship. the New York;
Mr. Sylvester Scovel who was Il newspa-
per correspondent in Cuban waters during
the campaign; Major T. y. Wood who
served on board the Massachusetts as ma
rine officer; Lieut.. Commander Potts and
Lieut.. Grant, who also were on the Massa-
chusetts, and Captain Joseph G. Eaton, who
was on the ResOlute.
Captain SiSsbCe has been called for the
purpose of rebutting the testimony as to
his message to the Somers y. Smith. press
beat, and also his conversation on the
Brooklyn, to which witnesses have testified
in which it was alleged he told Commodore
SChley the Spanidrds were not in Santiago.
Mr. ScOvel also was summoned for the pur-
pose OF rebuttIng testimony as to Captain
Sigsbee's message to the press boat Somers
\. Smith. Captain Chadwick was called to
testify concerning the conference between
Admiral Sampson and Commodore Schley
May 10. Major Wood. Commander Potts
and Lieutenant Grant were expected TO tes-
tify relative TO the ward room conversation
on the Massachusetts May 81. in which
Lieutenant Sears is alleged to have spoken
of the difficulty of getting Admiral Schley
TO embark upon the reconnOissance in the
harbOr at Santiago. which took place on
that day. The counsel for Admiral Schley
was prepared to make technical objections
TO most of this testimony, and the day be-
gan with the prospect that much of the
time would be occupied In discussing points
AT issue between the counsel on the two
sides of the case.
Capt. BOrden's Testimony.
The testimony of Captain Borden Of the
marine corps, who was the junior marine
officer on board the Brooklyn during the
battle of Santiago. was given in rather an
inaudible tone, which made it impossible
for any one TO hear him except those very
l.
counsel for Admiral Schley, what he knew
about the blockade at Santiago. He re-
piled he remembered that the distance in
his Judgment was about four and one-half
miles of shore, and he did not think that
by the manner and formation of the block
ade that any vessels could have escaped
from the harbor without being detected.
He said that he was on watch half of each
night and he could at all times distinctly
see the entrance of the harbor.
Several times he spoke of what he thought
and what he believed, but he was promptly
stopped by the judge advocate and Mr..
Rayner, and was told to cOnfine his state
ments entirely to matters of fact. He
stated that at all times he could see picket
beats at night inside the line of blockade.
q. tby Mr. Rayner) Can YOU tell how far
the entrance of the harbor seemed? A.
About four and One-half miles. The course
was past the harbOr an equilateral triangle
about four and one-half miles on each side.
.. What do you mean by each side? A.
Each side of this triangle.
In answer to a question as to where his
position was in the battle of July 3 and
what he observed during that battle the
witness said that he was stationed In the
cabin in the rear, where he had charge of
TWO guns. The range, he said, was about
$50 yards at first, Just before thev began
turning 100 yards; that the thing that i'm
pressed him most was the fifteen minutes
following the turn. when, on account of
the smoke. he could see no other ships He
said the maximum range during the whole
battle was . 500 yards. At no time did il
exceed that distance
q. Did You see the commodore during the
battle? A. i saw him three times
q When and at what stages? A. l saw
hun once just after the loop was made: |
saw him again about twenty minutes after
the loop and I him for the third time
after all the ships had been destroyed ex-
cept the NiSCaya and Colon.
q. What was his bearing? A. Every
tnlnS that could be expected in an officer
The Cross-Exeamination
The judge advocate then cross-examined
the witness. asking him what picket boats
he saw of Santiago on blockade prior to
the LIST of June. The witness answered the
Marblehead and Vixen.
Q. (by the judge advocate) Where were
they stationed? a. About two miles inside
the line.
Q. Which side Of the harbor were they
on? A One on either side
@ What was the distance between the
Cluerent vessels in steamiug in column? A
Seven or eight hundred yards
q You stated that this steaming on what
would be the base Of an equilateral TRAN
gle or about four and one-half miles NVhera
did you put the apex of that triangle? A
AT the harbOr entrance
Q. You Were stationed in the cabin. vo,
said, during the battle? A | had two guns
in the cabin. | spent some time there
.. Where Were you when you had a view
ahead during the turn? A / had no view
ahead. L had a view astern out of the
cabin ahead l could never see the way
the ship pointed.
O. You do not know, then, what was
ahead of the ship at any time? A No, sir
The judge advocate announced that he
had no further questions to ask, and as the
court had none the witness was excused
Mr.. Rayner arose and addressed the
court: IF the court please he said, I'VE
have closed our case with the exception
OF few papers which we wish to put in
Captain Parker designated these papers
and they were all admitted without ques-
ton.
Another Report by Sehley.
one OF them was the report of the battle
OF July Admiral Schley made from Monte