The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-26
DISPATCHES
 WERE CHANGED Schley Inquiry Develops
 New Orders. ADMIRAL COTTON ON STAND Rayn0r Succeeds Wilson as
 Chief Counsel. Lawyers for Admiral schley Make Pointed Statements About Changes in the Records-No
 Afternoon Session Today.

nesses were introduced in the Schley court today. They were. Admiral Cotton, who. as captain, commanded the auxiliary cruiser Harvard, and Captain Wise, who commanded the auxiliary cruiser Yale during the Spanish war. Both these ves- sels were used as scouts. and both came up with the flying squadron off Santiago on the 27th of May. before the retrograde movement to Key West was begun. Ad- miral Cotton testified that he had gone aboard Admiral Schley's flagship, the Brooklyn. on that date to take dispatches to him, and he said at first that he gave him four or five dispatches addressed to the commander of the squadron. He af- rewards modified this statement, saying that probably all but two of these dis patches were addressed to himself (Ad- miral Cotton), but that they contained information which he thought should be in Admiral Schley's possession. One of these was a copy of a dispatch from Ad- miral Sampson which had not been print ed In the official records, stating that the Spanish fleet was at Santiago. He also said that coal eeula have been taken from the Merrimao on the 27th of May, the day on which the retrograde move
 
 purpose of coaling.
 of May he had signalled Captain Philip of the Texas his opinion that Cervera was inside the harbor at Santiago, but the testimony was ruled out.
 nounced that he had selected Mir. Raynor as his chief of counsel, to succeed Judge Wilson.
 Sorrow in Every Face.
 When the Schley court of injury con- vened at the navy yard at II o'clock to- day there were general comments upon the fact that the seat which had been oc- cupied from the beginning of the sittings by Judge Jere Wilson waa vacant He had endeared himself not only t0 the members of the court. biie tS all persons in every countenance. Comment upon his sudden taking Om was very general throughout the court room. sociated Press representative. Admiral Schley today stated that since the death of Judge Wilson, Attorney Raynor will be the leading counsel in his case, and that he would be assisted by Captain James, Parker of New Jersey and by Mir. M. A. Teague of Baltimore, as ex- pert assistant.
 MT. Raynor will continue to conduct the 'cross-examiration of witnesses as he has been doing, and other gentlemen will continue In the same capacity they occupied up to the time of Judge Will sons death. Mir. Raynor stated that if 1t became necessary In the preparation of abstracting the voluminous documents in the case to employ assistant counsel. or if he should be unavoidably absent at any time, that proper arrangements will be made for that purpose. The business of the court was promptly resumed at the usual hour.
 The wall back of the court was adorned today with a chart on a large scale GhnWinO the QrOund aita Of the hQftla Off Santiago on July 3. The southern coast of Cuba in the vicinity of Santiago was plainly marked and the points at which the Spanish ships went to the bottom or to the shore were all indicated in plain lettering.
 There were also. a number of trans parent charts which had been prepared over night, sitting about in the rear of the room and which were intended to illus trate various phases of the Santiago campaign. All these had been prepared with view of expediting the work of the court and all were on large scale
 Claxton Continues Testimony.
 The first witness called today was A. B. Claxton. the machinist on board the Texas. who had begun his testimony when the sittings of the court were so abruptly terminated yesterday morning by the death of Judge Wilson.
 Before MT. Claxton took the stand Captain Heilner was recalled to make verbal corrections in the official copy of his testimony. He said he had several that he desired to make In ''bearNag and the distance" of the Brook lyn He said he had given the bearing and not the distance. He made various other changes but they were not material.
 MT. Claxton said on July 3, 1898, he had been on duty in the engine room of the Texas. The engine indicator had called for full speed ahead early in the the the beginning of the action been changed 10 full speed astern.
 To his knowledge there had been no He said that he had been excused from Iervice in the engine room. but still he knew that the engines were reversed 'or about two minutes. What was the next change made in he indicator of the port engine of the rexas?" he was asked.
 Full speed ahead.
 What was the next after that?'
 "There was no other given for some
 When was a further signal received by the indicator and what was the sig
 ''WithIn the first hour of the engage ment the direction was changed to full ,peed astern."
 lime when the signal was given full speed astern and how long after the be- ginning of the action?'
 T should say within the first hour"
 "Was there any other signal given dur Ing that watch within your knowledge Or the port engines to reverse?"
 There was none to my knowledge"
 You were on duty in the port engine room throughout that day, were you lot?' 'Of and on. sir" Where else were you on duty, if any where. at the time?' q was excused for a time on account ,f heat" "As matter of fact were the engines 'eversed?' , ''They were for about two minutes"
 MT. Claxton was not questioned by Mir | 4aynOr
 Admiral Cotton on the Stand.
 Rear Admiral Cotton, now commandant ,f the NOrfouk Navy Yard, who com handed the auxiliary cruiser Harvard | turing the Spanish war, was the next witness. He told of meeting the flying squad on" under Commodore Schley off San | iago on May 27, 1898, and said that on |