The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-10-31
scnLEY COURT of INQUIRY

|
Washington, Oct. 25.-Admiral
Schley yesterday took the stand in
1 his own behalf at the court of in
quiry which is investigating his con-
duct as commander-in-chief of the.
| flying squadron during the Santiago
campaign. He was summoned few
minutes after the court convened at
O'Clock for the afternoon session,
and when the court adjourned at
O'Clock he apparently had only gotten
| we'll under way in his testimony.
Captain Charles r. Clark of the Ore
gon had just concluded his statement
when Mr.. Rayner, rising from his
seat, said:
II should like to have Rear Admiral
Schley called"
The admiral accordingly was asked
to take the stand. He then in answer
to question from his counsel pro-
ceeded to give a careful and detailed
narrative of all the events of the
campaign up to the battle of Santi-
ago.
Washington, Oct. e6.--When the
Schley court of inquiry adjourned
yesterday Admiral Schley had not
completed his testimony in chief.
He took the stand about 1890
O'Clock, and continued his statement
until the court adjourned at 3:4O p.
m. The chief event of the day was
the admiral's relation of the events
of July 3, when the American fleet
sent Cervera's squadron to the bot
tom of the sea or to the beach. He
told his story of this historical oc-
| currence in plain words and in UNI
affected style, but the narrative was
straightforward and to the point,
indicating close familiarity with all
the phases of that event. He said
that the Brooklyn had for time
sustained the fire of all four of the
Spanish ships and also the fire of the
Spanish land batteries. Explaining
the historical turn of his own flag
ship, the Brooklyn, he said that she
had not approached to within less
than six hundred yards of the Texas
and that he never had considered
also stated, in response to an in
terrogation from Mr.. Rayner, that
he had never during the battle en-
gagged in any colloquy with Iieuten-
ant Hodgson and that he had not
used the expression attributed to
him by Hodgson. This refers to the
alleged colloquy in which The admi-
raj is charged with having said:
Damn the TeNas!" Admiral schley
also gave the details of the recon-
noissance of May 81 when the Span
ish ship Christobal Colon was bonn
barded. In this connection he de-
MED the statements attributed to
him by Commander Potts of the bat.
tleship Massachusetts.
Washington, Oct. 29.-The cross
examination of Admiral Schley began
yesterday before the court of inquiry
and hardly more than II rd of the
ground was covered when the court
adjourned at o'clock. Admiral Schley
concluded his direct examination,
which continued only about ten min
uues after the court convened in the
morning with a statement OF the eff
feet of the fire of the respective fleets
at Santiago, showing that SO per cent
of the hits suffered by the enemy
was scored by the BroolSlyn's five
inch guns, while his ship received 10
per cent of the hits from the Span
ish ships. Captain Lemley's cross
examination was very searching. Adj
niral Schley, however, appeared to be
unruffied throughout the examina-
ton, frankly admitting on several
Der little details after the lapse of
three years. One line of inquiry
which the judge advocate tried to
press to show that Admiral Schley
did not proceed with dispatch from
Key West to Cienfuegos by attempt
ing to contrast the speed made be-
tween Charleston and Key West with
the time between hey West and Glen
fuegos was curtailed by the court
which confined the questions to the
nme subsequent to May 10, the day
on which the flying squadron left
Key West The judge advocate in his
cross-examination dwelt upon the in
terview between Admiral Sampson
ard Commodore Schley at Key West
before the departure of the flying
squadron, at which the latter testi-
fed that Admiral Sampson instruct
ed him not to expose his ships to
shore batteries until the Spanish
fleet had been destroyed, on the fact
that Admiral schley issued no writ
ten order of battle, on the question
of coaling off Cienfuegos, and the
steps Schlev took there to ascertain
the presence of the Spanish fleet.
LOUISIANA RACE RIOT