The Washington times., 1901-11-01

have omitted in your former testimony to
the Court. Undressing the Court1 Is
that not correct?
The Court-Yes. If you have anything
new TO offer give us the facts.
Al desire to state In regard to my
visit to Commodore Schley on the 18th; +;
first, that ! told him that the st. Paul
had been chased by a torpedo boat on
the night of our arrival; second, detail
ed to him the communication between the
captain of the st. Louis and mysef as
we passed each other when L was bound
for Santiago.
OFF there are any new facts, connect
ed with the testimony which you have
already given, you are permitted to state
these additional facts.
A-NoW, there is another point ] was
asked the question whether ! had COM
municated with any newspaper des- ss
iect / do recollect now. stat
ed that 1 could not then different
ate in the matter of the boat Soners \.
Smith This boat was chased on the af-
ternoon of the 2Sth. The same day about
six hours later, probably about 10 o'clock
at night we chased another press boat
and oyerhauled il For the !ad nFst fd tins, tims
the searchlight. / moved around her AT a
distance of about one thousand yards
in order TO observe II she carried any
torpedoes. l saw from the Riddle OF
her stern that she had no port bat
terry hailed her. She said she
was British steamer. She was under
l asked her where she was bound for.
She said Key West. / asked her what
she meant by going toward Santiago.
She said she was going to land and then
proceed. / held some conversation with
her about the personnel of a certain news
paper bureau at Key West, and then
knew from the knowledge of the facts
they had that those on board were Amer
leans. ! told her to proceed.
They asked me If they might remain
near me during the night l told them
hot SING 20 hi Ifflat he.
iards knew of our locality and might send
one of their destroyers out for us. l told
them ! was going to change my situation
to hide myself and advised them to do
likewise, and that they might follow us
or go IN some other direction.
Now, on board the Brooklyn in an in
terview with Commodore Schley, | was
told by him that he would go to Key
West with the squadron and l was told
that the Yale would take collier in tow
and that / would take the Texas the next
day. There was very little questioning
by Commodore Schley then. The infor-
nation / gave him at that tire was al
most entirely voluntary in character The
whole question under discussion in M
interview was coal. coal. and nothing but
coal Commodore Schley had already
made up his mind to go to Key West |
asked him If he were going to Key West
and he said he was. l asked him what
the occasion was.
The Old Questions Repeated.
Mr.. Hanna-Did you notice the manner
and bearing of Commodore Schley On
that occasion?
Captain sigsbee-Not in an invldious
sense. but simply as to his condition, l
should like to answer that question.
Mr. Rayner-I do not think that is ex-
actly proper This is a specification we
are not now on. The judge advocate has
had the fullest opportunity 10 go into
that. I do not think We ought to go into
it now.
Mr.. Rayner continuing and addressing
the witness:
o.-i understood you to say that the
torpedo boat destroyer would come out
Al say that they might come out aft
er US.
o.-How did you know anything about
torpedo destroyers being there to attack
you?
A.-They were supposed to be there.
Q.-But you state that on the night OF
the 29th you saw smoke to th.e westward,
and you thought that it might be the
Spaniards coming?
A--Yes; possibly.
Q.-What 1 want to get at is how on
the 2Sth you were afraid of an attack
from torpedo boat destroyers aud then
on the 25th you only believed then that
the Spaniards Wee coming.
Al did not kFow positively that they
were in the hasbor, whether they We're
coming or where they were They might
have been in and they might have been
j
was prepared for any event
Captain Sigsbee also said: The only
desps III l ever took from the brooklyn
was an Associated Press despatch handed
me by Commodore Schiey on May g. 1t
was read by Commodore Schley in my
presence and he asked me about it That
despatch said that during that period
Commodore Schley had aof I'd entirely
upon his own information and Judgment,
and it did not contain any statement that
the Spanish squadron was not at sanu-
ago..
Alfred B. Claxton, who was a chief
machinist on the Texas III the war with
Spain, was recalled TO testify with refer
ence to the statement on the stand by
Chief Machinist Hunley, of tslat vessel,
that .Ie and not Claxton was at the throttle
watch of the port engine when the alarm
of battle sounded on July 3. Nj ClaNton
had testified that the port engine OF the
Brooklyn was backed soon after the en-
gagement began, corrobOraunG officers OF
that ship who testified that the backing
was necessary to prevent the Texas from
being run down by tn. Brooklyn during
the execution of the loop. Machinist
Hunley testified that the port engine was
not backed. On the SLanu yesterday Mr..
ClaXtOn swore that he was at the port
throttle watch for fifteen minutes after
the alarm sounded and that he WIS re-
neved then by MachiHist John Hill and
not by Machinist Hurley. Hin, ne said,
was relieved by Hunley half an hour
after Hiu took charge OF the throttle
watch.
went on watch at O'Clock a. the throttle
of the port engine, and remained there
until fifteen minutes after the alarm
The Judge Advocate-Can you state pos
itively that the port engine was backed
during the early part of the battle OF
Mir. Claxton-I viii state that there is a
possibility of my being mistaken, hut that
j made the statement 1 did because my
recollection is very clear
Lieutenant RoyS Called.
Admiral sehley's testimony that the
Eagle had passed close to the Brooklyn
on May l9 OF Santiago but had given her
no information about the absence of Ger
vera's feet from Cienfuegos Harb II, or
as TO means of communicating with the
insurgents at that port, was contradicted
by Lieutenant 0unior gradel John F.
Roys, who was a watch officer on the
Eagle at the time, and is now stationed
at the Washington Navy Yard. Lierten-
ant Roys said in answer to questions by
the judge advocate that he remembered
meeting the Brooklyn and other vessels
Of the Flying Squadron on May 10. while
the Eagle was going 10 Key West and the
Flying Squadron to Cienfuegos. I'VE
communicated with the Scorpion on that
OCCASION, he said. We were directed
by the Marbishead to give them the sit
uatlon as we knew II.
was there any direct communication
between the Eagle and the Brooklyn
"Im positive there was not. / had the
watch that day"
How near did the Eagle go to the
Brooklyn that day2"
II should say mile and a half TO the
south" (Admiral Schley testified that il
was his impression that the Eagle passed
under the Brooklyn's quartcr)
did you go under her quartor?"
NO. sir"
Sure Of it?'
"AbsoIutely sure Of It,"
Did y5u hear the captain of the Eagle
fLieuteaant Commander Switzerland hail