The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-11-15
GEN. RAYNER'S ELOQUENT PLEA IN
DEFENSE OF ADMIRAL SCHLEY.

chief counsel 1Of Aumlral Scnley,
concluded a brilliant argument of
over three hours with a peroration
so eloquent and impassioned that
all within the sound of his voice
were profoundly touched.
This remarkable trial, he said,
sought to condemn the man who had
brought to a successful termination
as great a naval triumph as was
ever won. In vivid colors he
painted the picture of the Brooklyn,
with Commodore SchleY OH the
bridge, fighting the entire Spanish
fleet until the Oregon appeared out
of the smoke.
The thunders of the Brooklyn,
music for the ears of his country
men, he said, aroused Admiral
Schley's envious foes. He pictured
the victorious sailor, suffering as
few have suffered for three long
years, while the fires of persecution
leaped around him, and now await
ing the hour of his vindication in
the verdict of the court.
''And when it comes" he con-
cluded, sshe can, from the high and
exalted position that he occupies.
look down upon his traducers and
maligners and with excellent pride
| exclaim:
60 Il care not for the venomous
gossip of clubs, drawing-rooms and
cliques and the poisoned shafts of
envy and of malice. | await, under
the guidance of Divine Providence,
the verdict of posterity.' %
The scene in the courtroom as he
finished with these words was thrill
ling. The attendance had been
large all day, and at the morning
session a lady had tainted from ex-
citement. AS Mr.. Rayner began
his eulogy of Admiral Schley those
in the audience, many of whom
were ladies, leaned forward in their
seats. The spell of his oratory was
over them, and when he described
the Admiral's gallant deeds and the
long persecution TO which he had
been subjected many of them broke
down and wept.
The members of the court dis
played evidences OF emotion, and
Admiral Schley himself was plainly
moved. He sat, leaning back. with
his hands behind his head. His
chin twitched, and as his counsel
said he could afford to await the
verdict Of posterity, two big tears
rolled down his cheeks. He moved
uneasily to conceal his emotion, aud
under the pretense of adjusting his
glasses, brushed the tears aside.
| For full thirty seconds after Mr..
Rayner closed, there. was not a
sound. Then the tension broke in
a loud burst of applause. Admiral
Dewey, after about half minute,
arose to remind the spectators that
such a demonstration was out of
place. A moment afterward the
court adjourned, the Judge Advo-
cate pleading that he could not we'll
go on to-day. Another remarkable
thing happened. As soon as the
gavel fell the entire audience surged
forward to shake the hands of
Admiral Schley and Mr.. Rayner.
But tie oncoming spectators fell
back moment as they saw Admiral
Dewey and his two assistants move
around the table, as if by common
impulse, and congratulate Admiral
Schley and his counsel. Even
Captain Lemly, the Judge Advocate,
came forward to join in the con-
CALCULATIONS. Then the public had
it's inning, and for fifteen minutes
after the court adjourned Admiral
Schley and Mr.. Rayner were kept
busy shaking hands.
Mr.. Rayner closed as follows:
81 now have briefly presented
this case as it appears to me in its
general outline. Such a trial as
this has never, to my knowledge,
taken place in the history of the
world. 1t seems to my mind that
this case had hardly opened with
the testimony of Captain Higginson
before it commenced to totter, and
from day to day it's visionary fabric
dissolved from view. When Captain
Cook, their last witness, was put
upon the stand, the entire structure
collapsed, and now, when the wit
nesses from our own ships and the
gallant Captain and crew of the
Oregon and Admiral Schley have
narrated their unvarnished tale, the
whole tenement, with all of Its
compartments, from it's foundation
to it's turret, has disintegrated and
lies here like a mass of blackened
ruins.
''It has taken three years to re-
veal the truth. There is not
single word that has fallen from
the tongue of single witness, friend
or foe, that casts the shadow Of a
reflection upon the honored name OF
the hero of Santiago. He has
never claimed the glory of that day.
No word to this effect has ever gone
forth from him to the American
people. The valiant Cook, the
heroic CLARKE, the lamented Philip,
the intrepid and undaunted Vain
wright, and all the other captains,
and every man at every gun and
every soul on board of every ship
were equal participants with