The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-17
Schley Attorneys Are Determin-
ed to Show i'm Some Way
The Absent Admiral's COnnec-
tion With the Battle.
QUESTIONS PREPARED
Which Will Be Offered at a
Future Date.
Brooklyn Officers Continue to
Give Their Testimony.

Washington. Oct 1.-THE first new
witness called before the Schley court
of inquiry today was Lieutenant Com
mander T. d. Griffin, who as lieutenant
was the senior watch officer on the
Brooklyn during the war with SPAIN
After him came a number of the Junior
officers who served on the Brooklyn dur
ing that campaign As usual before
any of the new witnesses We're summon
ed, number of former witnesses were
called for the purpose of correcting their
former testimony
1t had been the intention of Admiral
Schley's counsel to PROFOUND yesterday
a number of questions to the court,
which it was proposed to put to the wit
nesseS for the purpose of determining
to what extent Admiral SIMPSONS con-
nection with the present inquiry could
be gone into and it was not decided until
the beginning of the afternoon session
to withhold the questions This decision
was then reached largely because it was
believed that TIE information intended
to be ELECTED by the questions could be
secured in a more direct certain way
by Lieutenant McCauley'S testimony re-
gSrding signals on July 3.
The questions which had been formu-
lated for presentation previous to Mr.
McCauley's taking the stand. related
principally to the movements of Admiral
SIMPSONS flagship, the New York. on
July 3, the day of the battle off Santi-
ago, and especially to the signals of that
day, directing the fleet to disregard the
HagSP1p'S movements. 1t is still the in
tention to present other questions in
volving Admiral Simpsons relation to
the inquiry before the close of the case.
1t seems probable that their presenta-
tion will be deferred until a time short
ly before the beginning of Admiral
Schley's testimony.
The first of yesterdays witnesses call
ed for the correction of testimony was
Commander Mason and after him came
in succession Lieutenant Commander
tenant Webster. Quite number of ad-
ditional questions We're addressed to
Lieutenant Webster by Mr.. Hanna. Re
plying the witness said that he had seen
signal lights at night on the shore, while
lying off Santiago In connection with
the question of distance off shore at
Santiago, Mr. Hanna asked: While
the questions were on blockade at San
tiago from May % to the 31st, inclusive,
were you able during the night to dis
tinguish points in shore readily while
you were on watch ?"
The witness replied in the negative
Gould you make Aquadores and Ca
banas?''
L was not familiar with the coast at
that time and would not have known
those points under any circumstances,
but it was so dark, I think 1 could not
have seen them
What was the background?''
THE high hills back of Santiago did
give us good points later when we were
familiar with them. We could see them
quite readily
Gould you discover the shore line at
night?''
mot the line of breakers. if there
were any,
Gould you see the vessels on the in
ner picket line at night?''
Not without the aid of searchlights.
On redirect examination, Mr.. Rayner
asked Lieut.. Webster concerning the
?, or-fr7 of
the morning of July g. the beginning of
the battle The witness said they bore
abaft the starboard beam of the Brook
lyn, the Texas being to the right of the
Iowa The Brooklyn was headed he
said, north, or north h-northwest
In reply to another question by Mr..
Rayner he stated that after the sur
render of the Colon, July 3, he had gone
to the fOrecastle to look for other ships.
He had only seen the Oregon and the
Texas The smoke of other vessels was
visible but not the vessels themselves.
When Lieut.. Webster was excused
Lieut.. Comm ander Griffin was intro
duced- He gave details of the Cienfue-
gos campaign, saying that the distance
of the blockading line there, varied
from three to seven miles, being farther
out at night
Speaking of the voyage from Glen
fuegos to Santiago, the witness said the
weather was heavy and that there
was "a short choppy sea-" He also said
that the heavy weather had impeded
the fleet by delaying the smaller vessels
especially the Eagle.
Asked by Mr.. Rayner concerning a
conversation between Commodore
Schley and the commander of the Ea-
gle, the witness said:
Il was present when the conversation
took place. although I cannot give the
exact words. When the Eagle came up
astern of the Brooklyn the commodore
hailed the commanding officer of that
vessel and told him in substance that
he could not delay the squadron any
longer on his account and that ha
wanted him to proceed to Jamaica for
coal The commanding officer of the
Eagle seemed very desirous of remain
ing with the squadron and expressed
sincere regrets at being obliged to part
company with the flying squadron
What kind of weather was the Eagle
making on May rs. when that converse
tion took placer
LAS I expressed it, heavy weather, a
short choppy sea and the Eagle and
Vixen were both pitching eonsidera-
bly,
did you hear the commanding officer
of the Eagle talk to the commodore
about coal on that occasfon?''
II do not remember"
You heard the whole conversation2''
Il did, but do not remember that
he asked permission to coal. It would
not have been possible at least. If
would not have been SAFE
At Santiago the witness said that the
blockading line was mile. or two.
closer in at night than during the dav
and on May 29. the fleet stood out three
or four miles. There We're picket boats
inside the line, but he did not see them.
Did you ever have any conversation
with Commodore Schley before July 3