The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-01
TO |BE ALLOWED REPRESENTATION
BEFORE THE COURT DECLINED
MGALLA THE STAR WITNESS.
At Yesterday Session or the Schley
Court-His Delay In Giving Schiey
Important News-Hfs Advice to the
Latter TO Take His Fleet to Key West.
Government Counsel Stirred up Over
Discovery OF b a Altered Dispatch.
HARDER Contradicted as to Inner Line
of Blockadlng Boats
OF ~Blockadlng Boats

W1sninstcon september q. In the
Schley court OF inquiry today a letter
was presented from Rear Admiral Sam
son asking to be allowed to be repre-
scented in the court by counsel, but the
court refused TO grant the request on
the ground that 1.-The court does not
at this time regard you as a party to
the case"
The principal witnesses Of the day
were Lieutenant John Hood, who COM
manded the dispatch boat, The Hawk.
during the Spanish war and Captain
Rovman H. McCalla, who was in COM
mand Of the M~arblehead. The testi-
mory Of both these officers dealt with
the delivery Of dispatches from Ad-
miral Sampson and Commodore Schley
and both related conversations with
the latter.
Today's session began with the recall
of Captain Wise who said he had car
ried out the order to Inform every YES
sci off Santiago that the flying squad
ron is Off Cienfuegos."
LIEUTENANT WOOD CRosS-EX-
AMlNED.
Lieutenant Spencer S.. Wood. who
commanded the dispatch boat Dupont.
was cross-examined by Mr.. Rayner.
The witness said that while off Glen
fuegos he had been on picket duty two
miles from shore on the night of May
22nd, and had been instructed to sig
nal the squadron with two red lights
in case the enemy's torpedo boats came
out of the harbor.
WOOD CONTRADICTS HARBER.
Mr.. Rayner then read from the testi-
mony Of Captain Harder of the Texas,
saying that there had been no picket
vessels within the line of the feet off
C~ienfuegos. The witness said thu the
statement was wrong.
Mr.. Hanna asked what steps had
been taken while the flying squadron
off Cienfuegos to ascertain if the
Spanish fleet was inside the harbor
there.
None, thai L know Of" was the re-
Spouse.
WAS there any effort to destroy the
shore batteries there?'
The witness replied that he knew of
none. He said, replying to another
question by Mr.. Rayner that vessels
in the inside harbor could not have
been decerned from the outside.
Lieutenant Wood was then dismissed
and as he was leaving the court room
Mr.. Hanna ook occasion to say:
THAT ALTERED DISPATCH.
Il will make an announcement while
we are waiting. There has been intro
duced before the court a question OF
the correctness or the identity OF a
certain very important dispatch sent
by the Harvard, May 9th, from Off
Santiago by the commanding officer
of the flying squadron. It appears
that in the progress OF translation
from the commander-in-chief to the
department some changes in the Ian
guage of that dispatch occurred. l do
desire at this m to interrupt
the proceedings by any discussion Of
that point, but I shall merely make
the announcement here hat we do in
tend to enter into hat matter very
fully and completely: that is to say,
as fully and as completely As the court
may desire before we cave it,"
LIEUTENANT HOOD TESTIFIES
Lieutenant John Hood, who COM
manded the Hawk, said that on May
23rd, he had delivered dispatches from
Sampson to Admiral Schley,
the latter was off Cienfuegos.
His instructions were contained in a
handed him to be deliv-
eTSO 10 AuIlllTdi SCIlcy, WHICH, was
read to him.
Lieutenant Hood related the onver
he had had with Admiral Schley
after delivering the orders, saying that
he (the witness) had told the admiral
that it was Admiral SIMPSONS wish
that the flying squadron should pro-
coed Immediately to Santiago. as his
information was very positive. His
statement was IS follows:
saN~~~@Ioro Cah1axy rnoI tho 1icnoah
and then turning to me said: Captain,
Admiral Sampson wishes me to go to
Santiago. I cannot do it. I told Conf
modore Schley that the admiral GER
tainly expected the squadron to cave
instant I arrived. Commodore
then said, in nearly these
words: L am not at all satisfied that
the Spaniards are not here in Cienfus-
COS. Besides my ships all want COAL
I old Commodore Schley h a I mad
passed a collier conveyed by a gun
boat only a little before daylight that
morning, and it would certainly be
there with at least foul or five thou
sand tons Of coal within two or three
hours. He referred again to his belize
of the Spaniards being in Cicnfaegos
and stated that he had heard some
firing about forty miles from port.
he took to be a welcome to the
squadron: he had also seen
smoke which he conceived to be
the Spanish squadron and he believed
they were there. / said to Commodore
Schley then hat the information which
admiral had he considered as def
he had no doubt but that the
Spanish squadron was at Santiago.
Schley then said 20 me:
Captain Sampson does not understand
He is not on the spot and cannot
Judge 1 also informed Commodore
that they certainly expected the
squadron to leave Immediately and
that I had verbal orders from the COM
mander-in-chief which did not appear
my written orders to remain with
he Hawk alone at Cienfuegos after
The squadron had left and conduct a
blockade for a day OF two or as long
as my coal supply lasted"
Can you state whether or not dur
ing the time you were in Cienfuegos
with the Hawk any effort was made
communicate with the insurgen1
-ubans?"
There was not"
The witness then testified that b
steamer Adula in passing had reported
q the Brooklyn that a cable report a
,een received at Kingston on May 18TH