The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-01

UuI1iNgd with amusement. that a New
York newspaper. favorable Co The navy
ring. treats yesterdays developments
before the Court of Enquiry as if they
were highly injurious To the cause of
Rear Admiral SchIry. All we have to
say on that subject is. that if the evil
Gance brought out on Monday in the
testimony of Sampsouite witnesses is
any comfort TO the prosecution" il is
quite welcome To the same. a little
more of the same sort would make
captain Lemly wish that he could nave
his friends throw themselves uuon the
mercy Of the Court, and get out of tine
case.
on the part of the Navy Department
il was the purpose yesterday 10 cIinch
: the charge against Rear Admiral
Schley that he failed 10 coal the squad
ron at CienfueEos, and between that
point and Santiago. when he could
have done so. But the positive test-
mony Of Rear Admiral Evans and Cap
tain NcCalIa was 90 the effect that no
coaIinE place can be found on the south
shore of cuba al either of the two
places or between them. Commander
Miller, who commanded the notorious
collier MerTimaC during the campaign,
and until Sampson earned the eternal
gratitude of the honest brokers" who
unlDaded the rottou old hulk on the
T. Government by sinking her, testified 10
her dangerous condition throughout. He
7 was afraid To go alongside the battle
ships with her. Her steering gear was
constantly breaking down. her pump
valves would not work. The Merri-
macs log shows that on the run from
Key West TO CtenfUegos she only ma Ic
from three To eight knots an hour. Fol
lowing the squadron to Santiago, by
continual tinkering the MerrimIc was
able 10 move a few knots AN hour uu-
der her own steam. but broke down
completely on her arrival off that har-
Dor. May %. SO it Will be observed
I that the witnesses who were 10 prove
, neglect Of duty by Commodore SchIey.
I in the matter Of cOaling. have proved
his innocence Of blame in the matter.
and that venomous fang in the pTelegt
is knocked out completely.
What Rear Admiral Robley =. Evans
( had u say on the stand was SO siguiH-
cant Of the treatment which tie Com
mander-in-C Of the Flying squad
ron received at the hands Of many #
his subordinates. that. assuming that
the character of his testimony was
thoroughly known 10 the judge advo-
cate in advance. il is a wonder that ne
should have been summoned by the
prosecution" Rear Admiral Evans
D
code haG been communicated To- him
on board Captain SIMPSONS flagship
at Key West. on arriving of Cieufue-
COS he sid not report the information
10 Commodore Schley. He assumed
that the latter already had It, At the
outset this was perhaps a reasonable
assumption, supposing that Evans was
aware of what appears To have been
the fact, that other captains in the
squadron knew al about the signals.
which were appearing day and night
on the shore. but like himself refrainei
/ from calling the chiefs
attention 10 them. But. it is a little
strange that, when the signals were
reported TO Evans by his officer Of the
deck. it should not have occurred 10
him to ascertain whether or not they
were understood on the flagship.
Comment on this description II evil
dence. which appears TO be the best
for its purpose at the command Of the
Navy Department, obviously would be-
sUperHuous. Il tells its OWE story.
which is not the story with regard To-
Commodore ScAley's conduct of the
campaign prior 10 his great victory.
that his enemies have hoped 10 pat be-
fore the country. That their enormous
and sIitefuI crusade against a man
who has brought glory 10 the flag and
To the service. has fallen as fiat as the
crusade Of Peter the Hermit, is sufi-
GENTLY notorious. one convincing proof
that they feel ii 20 be Sd is their sud
den change Of front in making Samp-
son too i'll again to appear or the
stand. They know that he would start
in as a witness FOR the prosecution"
but that the first ten minutes OF cross
examination would make the man be-
hind the horizon a Is hole constellation
Of Il witness for tie applicant. They
hope Al least To save Sampson out Of
the wreck. bUj il is quite imTrobaJIe
that they viii succeed Possibly Samp-
sUE may be- kept away in a personal
sense, but his actions and his charges.
deHunciations, and insiuuatiJus I=y-IeI
at Rear Admiral SchIey viii have t. be
considered That being assured. il will
matter little if on this as on most other
occasions in his brilliant career. he
should be absent IN the body. Where
there is likely to be trouble it would
be- unnatural 10 look for sampson.