The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-09-26
THE SCHLEY
INQUIRY.

Washington, Sept 2.-9'his was day
Of sensations In the Schley Court Of In
quiry. Rear Admiral Cotton, who was
captain commanded the auxiliary cruiser
Havard during the Spanish war. very pos
itively stated that on May ~, 1883 the day
on which the retograde movement was bo
gun from Santiago. he delivered to Com
lnodore Schlsy u nnmber Of dispatches
from Secretary Long. insisting that
ago. and informing him OF the projected
military movement against Santiago. as
ons of these dispatches.
Mr.. RAyner, Of counsel for Schl ey. inti
mated that Admiral Cotton's memory in
this case might be bai, aud pressed the
point. Admiral Cotton lost his temper
and angrily declared that he had kept a
record Of the dispatches Re had delivered,
and that he was not mistaken.
Mr.. Rayner then called the attention Of
the Cours to the fact that the date of the
dispatch In question was May 81; that it
had been cabled to Kingston ON that day,
and that Captain Cotton, being At Santi-
ago could not have delivered the digpatch
on that day. Admiral Cotton shsn cor.
rsotsd his previous stAtolnen and said that
he delivered the dispatch to SUhley on
May 81, after Schley returned from Key
West to Santiago
Cotton said he delivered to Sch sy was
read, and proved to be u dispatch from Ad
mirai Sampson, saving that CJrvera was
at Santtago, which was not printed In
the official record, and which was never
nads public before. Nj. Rayner angrily
commenced upon suoh prsoeturs by tho
department. and soon had occasion again
to attack the department because the dis
patch from Sohley saying he could not
,NtNA lapx ,f hn II - mn mi
in the Original 10 10 somewhat different
from tae Version that mns published aud
ln!i fora Cougress.
!Ainirhl Lo.ton 8l'o snid thaT coal
Could navG been ts EsG from tGs Mef!insao
~ tina aI,tl OF s!AJ, the aay on which the
re ~ rAa1 IN vap,clG to Kay Wes. WAS bs
.;ll Tor Tar shrpuss ot coating,
Gap AIN - ise wac cp!nm@u1h the Yale
;!urlA,. Tho Spgu'sa wa, uid thab os May
the e1as that the Spanish fleet wa, a.
santiago. but the testimony was ruled
out ile said he had orda'. to notify all
iha ships that the Flying Squadron was
nrAs I'D to Santiago. and WAS severely
gas toned by the Cnur6 as 10 why this
,ior was not made known to >cbley.
During tho day Admiral Schley an
nouucsd that be had selected Mr.. Rnynsr
~ his chief Of counsel, to succeed the late
UuNko lSuus ItaJ uoF Nouih W ~
listed by Captain James Parker, Of Now
Jersey. ana by II. A. league, OF Baltl
more.
The first witness called was A. b. Clsx-
ton, machinist OF the Texas Before Clax
ton took the stard Commander Heilner
was recalled to make verbal corrections
in the official copy OF his testimony. In
one case he was recorded as giving the
bearing and the dis ance' of the Brook
lyn, He said he had given the bearing
and not the distance.
Claxton said that on July g. 1898, he had
been an duty in the engine room of the
Texas.
The engine indicator had called for full
speed ahead early in the morning. which
had within an hour after the Beginning
Of the action been changed to "fuil speed
astern."
10 bis knowledge there had been 20
signal for the tovsrsai Of the engines He
said that he had been excused from ser
vics In the engine room. but still he knew
that the engines wers reversed Tor about
Two minutes.