The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-02

N0ss xs MT. Hanna-I wish to ask your .atten- tion to the clause: Do as you are doing and you will do right What was the flying squadron doing at the time you wrote that letter?'
 At that time the flying squadron was off Santiago with the intention. so far as I knew, of staying and l also believed 1t was the intention of Commodore Schley to coal his ships off that port. left Santiago on the morning of the day on which that letter was written. At thae time the weather was very fine, and had twice urged on Commodore Schley the importance of taking advantage of | that particular kind of weather. stating that 1t was better than anything We had had during my stay off the port" Captain Sigsbee also said that when he boarded the Brooklyn on May 26. Commo- more Schley told him that he was bound | for Key West for coal.
 Did he ask you If you believed the ! Spanish fleet was in the harbor at San | tiago?"
 'T don't remember his putting ques- | ton in such terms"
 The wieAess recalled a signal from the | flagship at that time asking him to in form Sampson that half of the squadron | is out of coal"
 | Mir. Raynor then questioned the Wit ness, bringing out the statement that the purpose of bis ship being sent to the vicinity of Santiago was to, If rossihle. | locate the Spanish fleet. He said he had first seen the Spanish vessels in the har- | bor at Santiago. but that when he re- ported the fact he found the squadron had already made the discovery. | Mir Raynor read an extract from report made by Captain Sigsbee saying; Tn this report. of Santiago de Cuba made at 10 d. m. May 29, you say: We l were then steaming at full speed from Mole St. Nicholas. Hayti and well in to- ward the coast After chasing some ves- | sells I saw the smoke of a number of Ves- | sells to the westward and at once made | for the Santiago entrance, believing 1t | possible that the strangers were the Spanish squadron approaching that port" 1 When you saw the smoke after chasing | a number of vessels to the westward, and | when you made for the Santiago entrance on the morning of the 29th, you thought | that this was a Spanish squadron ap- l preaching the port?''
 No, 1 thought it might be the Span- ish squadron. I did not say they were | approaching the port"
 Did you ever megaphone the press | boat Summers N. Smith that the Spanish fleet was not in the harbor at Santiago?' Never. One of the press boats hailed me saving that Schley had the Spaniards bottled up at Cienfuegos. I replied that we had had them bottled up at Santiago | for week"
 The court asked: Did Captain Wise | communicate to you dispatch from the | Navy Department stating that the Span | ish squadron was at Santiago?
 q remember no dispatch or communica- | ton from Captain Wise to that effect excepting that which I received from the Navy Department through him as senior officer at Port Haytien at May 20. the | dispatch on which I proceeded ultimately | to Santiago"
 By the Court: Did you make any ef- fort to ascertain if the Spanish squadron was at Santiago prior to May S?"
 Only by extIe Ierne watchfulness. that Is all"
 | By the Court: What information had you communicated to Commodore Schley on May '26th regarding the whereabouts | of the Spanish squadron?" | "The departments order to me directed me to state that the Spanish squadron | was there, or had been reported there, and again the circumstantial evidence af-
 forded by the capture of the Restormel
 after her very peculiar cruise"
 By the Court: Did you receive dis
 patch from Secretary Long dated May 20,
 stating The Spanish fleet arrived at San-
 tiago on May 19th?'
 "I am not certain. but my recollection is that 1t stated it arrived on the 18th or
 21st I received the communication just
 as I have stated. It came from the Sec retary of the Navy. It was signed Long,
 but whether I got copy of 1t from Cap tain Wise or got the original, I cannot now recall. think l got the original" | By the Court: Did you show this dis patch to Commodore Schley on May 26?''
 T already said I cannot recollect the act of showing it to him. l presume I did. but that I informed him. l remem- | ber."
 By the Court: Did you see the dis patch signed Long May 20, addressed to the St. Louis care Americon Consul, Mole St. Nicholas prior to meeting with Com-
 modore Schey on May 26th?''
 T have no recollection of anything ad- dressed to the St. Louis.
 By the Court: Did you see the dis
 patch referred to addressed to either the
 Minneapolis, St. Paul or Harvard?"
 Not to my recollection. There were
 two meetings of commanding officers of
 Santiago while l was blockading there
 At one time the commanding officers oi
 the Harvard. St. Paul and Minneapolis
 met. l think the next time the command. ing officers of the Yale, Minneapolis and
 St. Paul. The only ocasion therefore or which might have seen these orders was on one of those two visits and I have nc
 recollection of having been shown any
 telegram or dispatch"
 Admiral Sampson's Clerk. Captain Sigsbee was then excused art Chief Yeoman. Gustave E. Becker. whc
 served as a clerk to Admiral Sampson, or board the flagship New York during tn,
 Spanish war was called. He identified tho
 memorandum from Captain McCalla, say, ing there was a good landing place neal Cienfuegos. which Admiral Sampson sent
 to Commodore Schley under date of MaS 18th, and said that this memorandum hat
 been carried in duplicate by the Iowa and
 the Dupont. Mir. Raynor questioned the
 witness very closely, bringing out the
 fact that Becker had no records to show
 that either of these vessels had .:arrieC
 the memorandum. and that he was de
 pendent upon his memory in making the
 statement.
 Mir. Hanna said in this connection that
 the department expected to be able tc