The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-10-05
SAVED FROM A %CoURT-MARTlA
By sCHLEY.s FoRBEARANCE AND
THE STATUTE OF LINZ
TATIONs.
SLIGHT ERROR or JUDGMENT
THE WORST THING PROVED THUS
FAR AGAINST ADMIRAL
sCHLEY.

Washington, Oct. admiral Dewey
and his associates on the Schley court
of inquiry have been busy for ten
days or so listening to evidence sub-
mitted by the navy department. and 1t
is a curious a. that up to the present
time absolutely nothing has been de-
veloped which could convict Rear Ad-
miral' Schley of anything worse than
an error of judgment. but this same
evidence shows beyond the shadow Of
a doubt that Rear Admiral Sampson,
who was Schley's superior during the
war, out since then has been his sub
ordinate, has been guilty, of gross
SANDER against his superior officer.
The evidence against Rear Admiral
Sampson is so complete that he could
hardly escape a trial and conviction by
court-martial If it were not for the
fact that the scandalous attack was
published more than two years ago.
and hence is barred by h naval stat
ute of limitation. The evidence sub
mitted to the court the past week has
shown that any time since the Span
ish war Rear Admiral Schley might
have
Demanded the Court-Martial
Of Rear Admiral, Sampson, and it Is
apparently only Schley's f~orbearance
which has saved the professional rep
utation of Rear Admiral Sampson.
That the whole fabrick OF Admiral
SIMPSONS charges would be swept
away by the testimony of his own
friends was too much to expect, but
the court Of inquiry has developed
this extraordinary state Of affairs,
and 1t is Sampson, and not Schley,
who has been shown guilty Of con-
due which must necessarily be pro-
nounced conduct uhbecoming an Of
ficer and a gentleman.
One Of the most striking develop
ments is hat official charts, log books.
reports Of the commanding officers OF
the North Atlantic feet. and the OFF,
cial report of h war compiled by the
bureau of navigation have been
changed without regard to facts and
are worthless as evidence. This has
been sworn to by a number of wit
nesses, and when confronted with
these judges the judge advocate Of
the court has frankly admitted that
the official documents relating to the
Spanish war
ACC .rH - ~
and consequently entirely worthless.
The most significant fact in this con-
nection is that all h mistakes" az
Counsel Rayner generously character
ICES them are against Rear Admiral
Schley, and in every instance this
testimony has been badly shaken on
cross-examination. This Is regarded
by fair-minded persons who have fol-
lowed the cas closely to indicate
prejudice against Schley. on the part
Of the officers who have already given
their version Of the circumstances in
connection with the battle Of Santi-
ago. @ Il
Rear Admiral Evans. who, as cap
tain, commanded the battleship Iowa
during the Santiago campaign. was .
witness yesterday. His testimony
covered the entire period from the
time the Iowa left the port of Key
West on the Goth of May. 1898, until
the 5th of July, when Admiral Evans
testified he had a conversation with
Admiral Schley
Concerning the Battle
Of the Sd. He described in detail the
principal battle off Santiago, and also
kdV0 PARTICULARS AA SAS 0OAA
bar6ment Of the Colon on the S1st Of
May. Nothing new vas developed. by
the testimony Of Admiral Evans. He
covered the principal events Of the
campaign much as those who have
preceded him on h stand. He said
that he did not communicate the code
Of signals to Schley when he Joined
his squadron. at Cienfuegos because he
supposed the admiral was fully In
formed on the subject. In his opinion
there was only n day, the 26th Of
May, when 1t was not possible to coal
at sea.
Other witnesses of the day were
Capt. Theodore F. Jewell. who was
commander Of the cruiser Minneapolis
during the Spanish, war, and Com
mander James M. Miller. who was in
commend Of the collier Merrimac UNI
til that vessel was turned over to
Lieut.. Hobson to be sunk in the mouth
Of the harbor at Santiago. Admiral
Evans had not concluded his testi-
mony when the court adjourned for
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