Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-30
Saturdays Testimony.

Washington. Sept. 29.-One of the
most Interesting and important fea
lures of Saturdays session of the
Schley court Of inquiry was the admis-
sion Of Schley's counsel that the dis
patch from Commodore Schley to tn"
navy department regretting he could
not obey orders. written off Santiago.
May o. 1898. and sent from Kingston,
Jamaica, on the following day, was
published at the navy department ex-
actly as it was sent from Kingston.
Counsel also admitted that the import
ance of the changes in the message
which had hitherto been alleged had
been greatly exaggerated.
1t was shown by the examination Of
Lieut.. Barnes cipher expert Of the
navy department. that the press copy
Of the dispatch sent from Kingston
was precisely the same as that printed
in the appendix of the navy depart
ment report. This is the famous dis
patch of Schley upon the language Of
which the charge Of disobediencc Of
orders is based. AS a matter Of fact,
certain minor changes are said to have
been made in the message after it had
been copied into the press book. but
50 far as the navy department is con-
cerned it is admitted that it was not
responsible for any apparent discre-
pancy between the original copy and
that which was printed in its report
The charge has been many times
made that this message had been doc
tored," the inference being that it was
done with the knowledge Of the navy
department officials and with the pur-
pose Of injuring Schley. The admis-
sions of counsel. yesterday, completely
dispose of this matter. AS Mr.. Rayner
said, it is settled that no alterations in
the dispatch were made north Of
Kingston.
Capt. McCalla. who concluded ms
testimony. Saturday. was on the stand
most of the morning session. His evil
dence covered wide range of contro-
versy. and at certain points was quite
important to both sides of the case.
His examination developed the fact
that when he passed the flying squad
ron en- route from Key West to Cen
fueg0s. and sent the Eagle to commun-
icate with the flagship Brooklyn, Com
modore Schley was not advised OF the
code of signals which was used for
communicating with the insurgents on
shore. Capt McCalla said that he did
not know that Admiral Schley was 60
ing to Cienfuegos and that, had he
known it. he would have advised him
of the situation there. He Thought
Scblev was going to the Caribbean sea
in search Of the Spanish fleet
The testimony of Capt. McCalla has
been by far the most unfaVorabie u
Sohley vet presented. Capt McCalla
has sworn that Schley did not proceed
from Cienfuegos to Santiago with all
possibIe dispatch: that the squadron
could have coaled off Santiago If coal
were needed, which he very much
doubted: and that all that was pos
sibJe was not done to attack and de-
stroy the Colon at the mouth Of San
tiago harbor His evidence was in no
degree shaken under oss-examina-
ton.
The testimony of Lieutenant Com
mo nder Switzerland. who commanded
the Eagle in the Spanish war; devel-
ored the fact that when he fell in with
the living squadron off Cienfuegos he
delivered to the Scorpion message by
megaphona from Capt. McCaIla to
Commodore Schley to the effect that
insurgents whose camp was Il miles
from CienfuegoS, and who We're in con-
slant communication with that town.
had reported that only two small yes
sells were in the harbor He also gave
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