The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-10-09
The COURT OF INQUIRY.
Evidence of Doyle in schIey's
Favor.

EVIuoliCe vi OUyio Ill OCiioy ,
Favor.
Washington, Oct. 3.-After Lieut..
Doyle, formerly of Commodore Schley's
flagship p the Brooklyn, had completed
his testimony before the Schley court
of inquiry today, Capt. William G.
Dawson, of the marine corps was call
ed, and he was followed by Lieut..
Chas. W. Dyson of the bureau of steam
engineering of the navy department..
Lieut.. Dyson was introduced to
testify concerning the coal supply of
the flying squadron, but the court ad-
iourned for the day before he could be
heard.
Al the opening of court, Lieut..
Doyle resumed his testimony. Mr..
Raynor asked:
ssWhat was Admiral SchIey's con-
duct and bearing at any time either
during the bombardment or during
the battle of July 8, when his ship
was under fre?''
CONSIDERED sCHLEY COOL.
"He always struck me as being just
about as we'll possessed as it was posi-
BILE for anybody to be under those cir
cumstances. -
Mr.. Raynor then asked the witness
whether on July 2, 1898, he had OBJ
served smoke coming from Santiago
harbor over Zocopa hill.
Capt. Lemly objected, contending
that the certain effect of such ques-
tions would be to open the gates for
interminable inquiry, and that if one
side should enter upon such questions
the other side also must be allowed to
do so. They did not object except for
the reason of the time involved.
Admiral Dewey said if the question
was confined to the Brooklyn there
could be no objection.
Mr.. Raynor was then permitted to
ask his question, which he did in the
following words:
"Was the smoke observed on July 2
by Commodore Schley, communicated
to the squadron?''
SAMPSON TOLD OF SMOKE.
The reply was: "Smoke was observ-
ed rising in the harbor on July 2, and
my impression now is, and always has
been Esince that night, that that in
formation was conveyed to the COM
madner-in-chief.'
The witness was then requested to
give brief account of the part ia
ken by the Brooklyn in the battle of
July 8, which he did, repeating much
that he had said yesterday.
Describing the chase of the Colon,
Lieut.. Doyle said the Spanish ship
had secured lead of five or six miles.
''The order was given to cease firing
and to come out of the turrets and
take 'spell' during the chase Of the
Colon. The Oregon, during that
chase, and while we were on the top Of
the turret, was directed to try her 13-
inch guns on the chase, which she did,
and the shots fell short. In little
while they were tried again and came
little closer.
Admiral Dewey-"Directed by
whom?"
"By Commodore schley: sir, by wig
wag signal as 1 remember it.
Admiral Dewey-'You saw that
signal?"
Eyes, sir; I saw the signal being
made.''
Admiral Benham-"Did you read
the signal?''
"I did not, but I understood what
it was; and, if I am not mistaken, it
was McCauley, an ensign we had on
board, who made the signal himself. :"
Lieut.. Doyle, during cross ss-examina-
+bo+ coap IN o
shore lights at night at Cienfuegos,
he had never suspected that they were
signals. He told of seeing three horse
men on the shore during the day time.
eve regarded them as Spanish
cavalry he said, and they were so
brazen that some one suggested that
we should stir them up bit, but we
did not fire at them.
In response to Mr.. Hanna's ques-
tions Lieut.. Doyle said that upon
approaching Santiago on the evening
of May % the squadron had lain to
for the night about seven miles Oft
Santiago, but be thought that the
Marblehead and the Vixen had been
placed on picket duty for the night.
The log, however, showed no record
of this latter fact,
The afternoon session Of the Schley
court began with inquiries concerning
the wig wag signal to the Oregon from
the Brooklyn to fire her Ii inch gun.
The witness said that he was sure that
he had seen the signal made, but that
he was unable to find an entry of the
signal in the ships log. Reading
the log he found a notation Of several
signals and then note, saying that
"other unimportant signals had been
made.''