The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-11-07

I he s~ssions WIN Ciose Ihis w-~a
Court VIII Thea Pass Upoa sAe Tessi-
mosy-wm be Many Weeks R<sor-
Coorss Verdict May be Reached

mosy- wTl be Many Weeks Reforv
Cosrs Verdict May be R-.eA~s.
Washington, Nov. Judge Ad
yocate Lemly announced At 1898
p. m. to-day that he had no wit
Eesses TO call, and then Mr.. Rayner
followed him, saying that no " IL
nesses would he summoned on he-
half of Admiral schley ia surrebui-
'sl. For a moment 1t Appeared e.
Ii the now famous case was about
TO reach q sudden conclusion. But
this delusion was soon dissipaied by
the announcement on the part Of
Captain Lernly that he might ask
TO be allowed to bring in one more
witness on Monday, and also state
ment from Mr.. Rayner that Admiral
Schley would himself desire TO re-
turn to the itand on Monday to cor
rect errors In his evidence as Off
esaily reported. There Is proba-
Eility that the admiral will consume
considerable time in going over the
printed record Of whist he said, and
there also Is an understanding that
he Will make some additions to his
former statements. But it Is not
believed that beyond what he may
have to osay there will be much more
testimony taken in the case. The
only witness that the judge advo-
cate still has in mind is Lieutenant
Strauss, and Captain Lemly said to-
day that if the lieutenant's attend
ance could be secured he would de-
tain the court for short time only.
Captain Sigsbee also will return to
the stand Monday to make correc-
tions in the testimony given yester-
day by him. These details COM
pleted, the argument of counsel will
be begun. and then counsel and the
public will withdraw and leave the
court to it deliberations.
The task before the court is not a
light one, and it may be weeks be-
fore the final verdict will be reached.
How long the court may take to
consider the evidence is entirely
problematical. The members of the
tribunal are evidently preparing to
devote considerable time to the con-
sideration of the testimony, for they
have taken rooms in the city for
this purpose. The testimony covers
1900 printed pages and the court
sat 36 days in listening to it. With
the additions yet to be made in the
way of argume mt and documents,
the record probably will run over
100 pages.
Admiral Schley was in the court
room half an hour before proceed
ings began, but he announced that
he would not be able to undertake
the correction of his testimony be-
fore next Monday. "There were
five whole days Of it," he said,
Sand to go over it and make the
nj cessary corrections is not light
tax" 1t is probable that he will
have something more to say con-
cernipg his interview on May IS,
with Admiral Sampson, relative to
which Captain Chadwick spoke
yesterday.
To-day's witnesses were Sylvester
Scovel, former newspaper CORE
spondent who saw service in the
Cuban campaign; Lieutenant Hood,
who commanded the Hawk during
the Spanish war, and al-o number
of officers who were heard yesterday
and who returned to the stand tC
correct testimony. The court held
only one session and adjourned ovel
until Monday. The attendance upon
the court to-day was the smallest
since the sessions began.
Washington, Nov. 4-The CHIEF
feature of today's session of the
court Of inquiry was a decision
which the court rendered in regard
to the admission of evidence. II
was practically the first material de
cision which has been adverse K
Admiral Schley since the inquiry
began. 1t excluded evidence of tht
utmost importance to the applicant
The testimony, had it been admit
ted, would have shown conclusively
the reason for the retrograde move
ment upon which Sampson baset
his charge of reprehen sible conduct
In substance the decision Of th'
; court is this: That the statement O
J a witness as to a conversation b,
may have had cannot be contradict
ed by another witness, provided
!, Admiral Schley did not hear th
conversation.
3 Testimony of this character ha
upon several occasions, been admit
; ted, notably in the case Of Mr.. Grs
: ham, Mr.. Hare, Mr.. Seovel, and
large number of others, not only il
regard to Captain Sigsbee's deelars
tion that the Spanish feet was nc
in Santiago, but also affecting othe
. conversations. While this testimon
remains upon the record the test
D mony Of similar character Offere'
. today was excluded.
: Mr.. Hanna Opens the Argument.
Mr.. Hanna then began his argl
= ment Of the case, the first which tn
court is to hear. He prefaced b
remarks by saying that he woul
9 endeavor to do two things-first,
be brief and terse; second, to give
g careful and exhaustive review Of tt
= testimony and reference to the in
portant points which it embrace
l. Mr.. Hanna referred to the fact tina
- owing to the scope of the inquir
= the testimony had been voluminou
< and declared that this was perha
the most important inquiry ev
- held.