Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-10-03
FIGHTING BOB SAYS
he WAS MISQUOTED
Did Not Brag of Destroying
Spanish Fleet.
SHARP PLACED ON STAND

He Commanded the Vixen During the
Santiago Campaign-In His Testimo-
ny He Tells of the Famous Loop
Made by the Cruiser Brooklyn.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2.-The proceed
ings of the Schley court of inquiry to-
day began with the usual recall of form
er witnesses for the correction of their
testimony in the official record. After
these came Chief Yeoman Becker, who
had begun his testimony, and he was on
the stand when the proceedings closed.
/ He was at that time under cross eXani.
nation by Mr.. Raynor, and that gentle
man continued his questions this morn
ing.
The formal procee 1ings of the day
were begun with brief explanation OF
the large chart of the southern coast Of
Cuba, which hangs ON the wall of the
courtroom. This explanation was IN de
by Captain Lemley, who said that the
chart had been prepared from data col
lected since the war with Spain and was
much more correct than former charts.
Captain Parker, OH behalf of Admiral
Schley, said that with these explana.
tlons he was willing to accept the chart
as authentic.
Admiral Evans was the first of the
witnesses of yesterday who appeared
for the purpose of making corrections in
his testimony. Having made these cor.
rections Admiral Evans rose, and, form
ally addressing the court, said:
"May it please the court, in connec.
tion with one of the questions asked me
yesterday, unless Admiral Schley or his
counsel object, I should like to make a
statement and produce letter. If at
any moment counsel objects. or Admi,
raj Schley objects, will Withdraw it
and stop"
Mr.. Raynor-"Cou we look at the
letter?'
Certainly" handing it to Mr. Ray
nor.
lit is a matter entirely personal to
me, sir. The way the question was put
to me yesterday, it put me in a position
of having Dragged on board the Brook
lyn Of destroying the whole Spanish
fleet The Identical words were used IN
a letter purpOrting to come from the
Brooklyn and published in a Washing.
ton newspaper of July %, 1898
Newspaper Published the Story.
81 Immediately went to the editor of
the paper to ascertain the author of
such letter and he, after a good deal
of trouble, ascertained that it was
woman who had given this information.
Whether she was paid for it or not, I
could not find out At the same time
wrote to Captain Cook of the Brooklyn,
inclosing the article, and there is his re.
ply. / should like that letter to go in
the testimony in connection with that
question. The words are ident1cally
the words used in this sCurrillous letter
published in the newspaper.
Mr.. Raynor-'I do not object to any
explanation at all that you may make.
There was nothing wrong in the ques-
tion itself. "
'Ihe question was put to me as if
had stated I had shot the bow off the
Pluton, raked the ship, and knocked
out another one, ETC., etc.. There is
Captain Cooks letter denying that such
a conversation took place"
Mr.. Raynor: "The point is whether
the conversation was between you and
Commodore SChley?"
Mr.. Raynor said he would object to
the presentation of the letter at this
time, but not at the proper time. He
said the proper time for this will be
when Captain Cook is on the stand.
Admiral Evans-''I withdraw it. !"
Mr.. Ravnor-''I am perfectly willing
you shall submit it at the proper time"
Lieutenant Commander Alexander M.
Sharp, who commanded the converted
yacht Vixen during the Spanish war,
was the first new witness of the day.
He testified that he had first fallen in
with the flying squadron on the morn.
ing of May "a off Cienfuegos. He said
that the weather on the cruise from
Oienfuegos to Santiago had been ''squal.
ly,' but it had not been sufficiently bad
to interfere with the speed of the Vixen.
The vessel had not, he said, been in ur-
gent need of coal on May 26. ''If had
been," he said, land received orders to
coal, I should have tried to do so, though
it would have been an uncomfortable
job, because the Vixen was very small
ship"
Commander Sharp said that notwith-
standing he had been on board the
Brooklyn several times, Commodore
Schley had never discussed with him
the retrograde movement toward Key
West, begun on May 26.
Describing the service of the Vixen
l1ripg the siege of Santiago under Com.