The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-26

the first opportunity He had then had
before him the order of the department
to Commodore Schley to ascertain the
facts concerning the presence of the
Spanish fleet in the harbor
ORDERS FROM SAMPSON.
Mr. Hanna here introduced a copy of a
dispatch from Admiral Sampson which
had been received by the Harvard and
which had not been made public hereto
fore. 1t was stated that this message
had been written on May %. A notation
on it showed that it had been received
on May rs. The dispatch was In cipher
and was directed to the Harvard at Mole
st. Nicholas It was translated by Lieut.
Beall and as presented read:
1.-THE Spanish squadron at Santiago; if
Communicate with Schley if he 6hey)
moves west. Schley is expected May "a at
Santiago from Cienfugos. Telegraph
me from Nicholas Mole to Key West if
for Schley. Then go to Santiago to
meet him. I shall be at Cay Francis
with squadron.
'If two scouts are available, one
should keep track of the Spanish squad
rom"
Admiral Cotton said that the copy
which he had read had been retained by
him. He added that ii he had ever given
that dispatch to Admiral Schley it had
been on the 9th and not on the 3lst of
May.
Mr.. Rayner here raised the point that
the document read was a copy and not
the original. He also called attention to
the fact that the document had not been
printed in the official reports of the navy
department. An animated controversy
followed in which Mr.. Rayner comment
ed upon the Gin his opinion) inaccuracy
Of fIoa Y.4r,
the original dispatch and added:
RAYNER PROTESTS.
'This is an inquiry and not prosecu-
ton and you are here to protect and
vindicate Admiral Schley as much as we
are"
He said that Admiral Schley had turned
in all his papers and that Admiral
SIMPSONS papers should also be avail
able for the purpose of the court. Capt.
Lemly then produced the original cipher
copy of the dispatch. He asked the wit
ness how he had received the message
and the latter replied:
Il received from the cable office on
beard the Harvard at st. Nicholas Mole
the dispatch of which this is a transla-
ton. Lieut.. Beall made the translation"
rs 1t a correct translation of the
cipher?''
81 believe it to be-
Did Beall so state to you or did he
hand 1t to you as correct translation"
He handed that to me as a correct
translation Of the original dispatch in
cipher and believe it to be correct
Now, will ask you whether, to best
Of your knowledge and belief, and your
best recollection of the subject, you de-
livered on the 9th of May to Commo-
| dore Schley this dispatch?'
ITO the best of my knowledge and be-
| lief, I delivered copy of that dispatch
| to Schley on May q off Santiago, Cuba,
| and that is one of the dispatches to
which I referred as having delivered. To
| the best of my knowledge, 1 delivered a
copy of that dispatch because it was i'm
portant information for him, and he was
! mentioned by name in the Dispatch
| Ultimately Mr.. Rayner consented to &C
cept the copy as correct.
TO COMMUNICATE WITH CUBANs.
This point being settled, counsel for the
| department passed to the point concern
| ing the proposition of Lieut.. Beall to
| communicate with the Cuban insurgents
on shore, and in doing so caused another
| objection to be raised by Mr.. Rayner.
| The question was put by Mr.. Hanna, who
! said:
'I will ask you whether you would
| have considered that you had discharged
! your whole duty, having knowledge of
| this, if you had not communicated with
| Commodore Schley?"
| Mr.. Rayner indicated an objection, say
| ing:
you are not pressing question of
! that Sort
| To this Admiral Dewey interjected:
''The witness has already stated that
| very fact"
Mr.. Rayner-He gave that as a reason
| for verifying his recollection, but the
| question is asked here whether he per-
| formed his duty.
Admiral Dewey-As the witness said he
considered he had done his whole duty,
| I think he has answered that 1 was
| struck with that very phrase, and ]
| thought how much time we were vast
ting asking the same question over and
| over again.
! Mr. Hanna was not however, entirely
| satisfied with the status of the matter as
! thus left, and said he did not ask it for
| purposes of repetition, but because the
| question was very important, and had
not been precisely answered I'VE have, -
| said he, IAN order from the department
saying: The department looks to you to
| ascertain facts, etc. We wish to know
| whether this was done or not, as q part
| and an essential part of this Is the sug-
| gestion that the insurgents could have
| been communicated with. Here comes
| the commanding officer of the Harvard
with an offer and ready made means of
| communication with the insurgents. We
| desire to know whether that offer was
| communicated to Commodore Schley at
| that time, and on the 9th of May, not
on the 31st, or any other day. In order
| to fix this witness recollection his at
| tention Is directed to this question, and
| it Is a very important question. Three
| years have elapsed, and it is necessary
| that such aids as we can present to wit
| nesses be given The admiral has stated
| that to the best of his knowledge and
| belief he did have this conversation on
| May q. Now, I wish to ask you whether
| you knew of this instruction of the de-
| partment?''
COTTON IS POSITIVE.
st did"
IT would like to know whether, know
| ing of that, you consider by any posi-
| bility you would have omitted, to COM
municate with Commodore Schley?'
| III should think not
| At 1925 p. M, Admiral Cotton was ex-
| cused and Capt. William c. Wise, who
/ was in command of the auxiliary cruiser