The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-13
HoWIS0N Is FIRED.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

III ne then read his formal objection as
follows:
exercise of his legal right of challenge,
objects to Rear Admiral Henry l..
Howison upon the grounds:
First. That Rear Admiral Henry L.
14owison has already formed and ex-
dressed an opinion on the merits of the
use about to be investigated and that
he is therefore, ineligible for service
&c a member of this court.
"Second. That Rear Admiral Henry
7. Howison has already formed and
axnressed an opinion on the merits or
the case about to be investigated, ad-
,,ersely to said Rear Admiral w. S.
Schley, thereby indicating a bias and
nreiudice which renders him, said
bear Admiral Henry l.. Howison in
eligible for service as a member of this
court
Third. That Rear Admiral Henry
7, Howison has, in connection with
the subject matter about to be inves-
tigated, expressed an unfavorable opin-
ION on the personal and professional
characteristics of said Rear Admiral
schley, thereby indicating bias and
prejudice which renders him, said Rear
Admiral Howison, ineligible for SER
Fourth. That Rear Admiral Henry
T.. Howison, in connection with the
opinion formed and expressed by him
,1pon the merits of the case about to
he Investigated, has instituted and ar
nounced a comparison between the acts
and personal and professional charac-
teristics of the principal parties to the
present issue-viz.: Rear Admirals
Sampson and Schley--to the disadvan-
tage and disparagement of the latter,
thereby indicating a bias and prejudice
which renders him, Rear Admiral Hen
ry L. Howison, ineligible for service as
a member of this court"
A hurried consultation among the
members of the court followed Ad-
miral Dewey first turned to Admiral
Benham, then stepped around the table
and engaged Capt. Lemly in conversa-
ton He afterward spoke to Rear Ad-
miral Howison.
Capt Lemly then asked is there was
any evidence in support of the state
ments concerning ReaI Admiral How
ison, to which Mr.. Rayner, speaking
for Rear Admiral Schley said there
was. Admiral Dewey announced that
this would be heard.
LemIy Was Called Down.
In asking Admiral Schley for desig-
nation of his witnesses Capt. Lemly re-
ferred to the Admiral as the accused"
Admiral Dewey promptly called his at
tention to the error, and the judge adj
vocate general promptly corrected it,
referring to him then as 1.-THE appli-
can't"
Francis A. Frost, of the Boston Rec
ord, who had reported a conversation
with Rear Admiral Howison, in which
the latter 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
Charlestown Navy Yard. He then de-
tailed the conversation he had with
Rear Admiral Howison. He said this
occurred in the commandments office,
and while it had not been given with
the distinct understanding that it
should be published, there was no in
junction of secrecy.
Publications had begun to appear
concerning the credit for the victory.
This had been referred to during the
witness visit to Admiral Howison, and,
in reply the Admiral stated, the wit
ness testified, that Sampson was en-
titled to the credit of the victory at
Santiago. Admiral Howison described
the duties which had devolved on
Sampson; how vessels had been placed
OIL the entrance Oh J1e HdTOOT 10
against the escape of the Spanish fleet.
The witness said Rear Admiral Howl
son stated that if the American fleet
had been defeated Admiral Sampson
would have been asked why it had oc-
Cured. Mr.. Frost said he had suggest
ed that the public seemed disposed to
give the credit to Schley. In response
Admiral Howison went on to say that
SIMPSONS standing as an officer and
as a man was greatly superior to that
of Schley.
What he said" pursued the witness,
'inclined me to the belief that he had
no use for Admiral Schley."
The witness also gave in detail the
circumstances leading up to the publ
cation. 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 precept. The witness thought
he had not, as many points in the pre-
cept were not involved in the conversa-
ton. Mr.. Frost adhered strictly to his
first statement.
Howison Was Very Bitter.
On redirect examination, Mr.. Rayner
asked:
What was Admiral Howison's man
ner during this conversation with
your"
He spoke of Schley in what would
call a sneering manner" replied the
witness.
Occasionally during the examination
of Mr.. Frost there was slight issue be-
tween counsel, but on the whole there
was little objection to the lines on
which the evidence was developed.
There had been no announcement of
the names of the witnesses who would
be introduced to substantiate Mr..
Frost's testimony as to Admiral How
ison's attitude toward Admiral Schley,
and considerable interest was manifest
ed when the next witness, William e.
Spon of the firm of Spon & Chamber
lain, booksellers and publishers in New
York and London, made his appear
ance.
Mr. Spon testified that he had been
passenger on the steamer Minneapo-
lis, which had sailed from London to
New York on Oct. IL, 1890 and that
Rear Admiral Howison also had been
passenger on the same vessel on this
voyage. The witness told that, one day,
during the voyage, the Sampson Schley
controversy came up, and some COLO
guy had followed. after which Admiral
Howison had said:
Anyhow. Schley should have been
courtmartialed. He was the main
cause of all this controversy in the
newspapers"
Mr.. Spon added that Admiral Howl
son had seemed much excited during