The age-herald., 1901-09-13
A Reporter Examined.

Admiral Dewey announced that thls would be heard.
 A Reporter Examined.
 Francis A. Frost of the Boston Record who had reported a conversation with Rear Admiral Howison, in which the lat ter was alleged to have made reflections upon Admiral Schley was called to the stand.
 The witness explained the nature of his duties in securing news from the Charles ton navy yard. He then detailed the con- versation he Is said to have had with Admiral Howison. This occurred, he said, In the commandant's office, and while it had not been given with the distinct un- derstanding that 1t should be published there was no injunction of secrecy.
 Publications had begun to appear con- cerning the credit for the victory These had been referred to during the witness visit to Admiral Howison, and in reply the admiral stated, so the witness said, that Admiral Sampson was entitled to the victory at Santiago. Admiral Howison described the duties which had devolved on Sampson; how vessels had been placed off the entrance of the harbor to guard against the escape of the Spanish fleet.
 The witness said Admiral Howison stated that if the American fleet had been defeated Admiral Sampson would have OSNh eShCA nhS IL CNNNAASN'
 Sampson Superior to Schley."
 Mir Frost said he had suggested that the public seemed disposed to give the credit to Schley. In response, he testi- fed Admiral Howison went on to say that Sampson's standing as an officer and as a man was greatly superior to that of Schley
 What he said," pursued the witness, "1nclined me to the belief that he had no use for Admiral Schley."
 The witness also gave in detail the cir> cumstanoes leading up to the publication.
 On cross-examination, he was shown the precept, and was asked by Solicitor Hanna if Admiral Howison had expressed an opinion on the points in the precepts The witness thought he had not, as many points in the precept were not involved in the conversation. The witness adhered strictly to hls first statement
 On redirect examination, MT. Raynor asked:
 What was Admiral Howisons manner during his conversation with you?'"
 "He spoke of Schley In what I would call sneering manner" replied the wit ness.
 Occasionally during the examination of this witness there was slight issue be- tween counsel, but on the whole there were little or no objections to the lines on which the evidence was developed.
 The Other Witnesses.
 There has been no announcement of the names of witnesses who would be intro- duced to substantiate MT. Frost's testi- mony as to Admiral Howisons attitude toward Admiral Schley, and considerable interest was manifested when the next witness, William E. Spon, of the firm of Spon & Chamberlain, book sellers and publishers in New York and London, made his appearance. MT. Spon testified that he was passenger on the steamer Minneapolis which had sailed from Lon don for New York on the 11th of October, 1900, and that Admiral Howison also had been a passenger on the same vessel on this voyage The witness related that one day during the voyage the Sampson Schley controversy came up and one gen. tleman expressed himself as favorable to Admiral Sampson. MT. Spon had taken the opposite side and in his effort to show that Admiral Sampson was not fit man for that position, had remarked that the admiral had been the last member of the board of ordnance to agree to the use of smokeless powder by the navy. Continu- ing, MT. Spon said that Admiral Howison came within hearing of the conversation at this point and walking up to the group said:
 HoWison's Statement on the Steamer.
 q correct you this is not so. You men don't know what you are talking about. You don't know anything about 1t. Sampson Is very much respected and looked up to, and particularly by the younger members of the navy.
 Continuing, the witness said that some colloquy had followed, after which Ad- miral Howison said: Anyhow, Schley should have been court-martialed. He was the main cause of all this contro- versy in the newspapers"
 MT. Spon added that Admiral Howison had seemed much excited during his con versation and that the other members of the party had listened in silence to what he had to say. From his whole manner" the witness went on, T infer that he was a very violent partisan of Sampson and correspondinsly prejudiced against Schley. He was not content to correct me as to Admiral Sampson, but seemed willing to say bitter things al- most vindictively against Admiral Schley."
 Foster Nichols on the Stand.
 MT. Spon was succeeded by Foster Nichols of Yonkers, N. Y, which is Ad- miral Howison's place of residence. MT. Nichols Is interested in naval publica- tions and in this capacity called upon Ad- miral Howison July l last for the pur- pose of securing from him notes for a biography of the admiral He stated that the day on which the call was made was very hot and that on this account the admiral had asked to be excused from granting an interview. MT. Ntch- ols said after this conversation he had produced copy of the work which his house was getting out containing sketches of leaders of the Spanish-Amer- lean war and containing pictures Of Sampson and Schley. The witness said that at the sight of Schley's picture Howison said Schley had no business in the navy and added that If Schley were in the English navy he would have been put out for less cause than there is sn his case"
 'I asked' the witness continued, the reason why Schley should have been put out. Admiral Howison relied, for dis. obedience of orders.' I asked why, If he dsobeyed orders, he was permitted to remain. The admiral replied, because he gave the excuse that he had to go to port to coal; yet everybody knows that coaling at sea is possible The witness said that he expressed sur prise at Admiral Howison's attitude, and that In reply that the admiral had said 'you would not be surprised if you were in touch with the sentiment among naval officers"
 Witness said that in response to an in. quiry from himself, Admiral Howson had exDlatned the absence of Admiral