The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-10
SAYS SCHLEY WAS EXCITED.
TESTIMONY OF COMMANDER POTTS
BEFORE COURT OF INQUIRY.
Declares the Conduct of the Then Com
modore During the Bombardment of
tho Colon Was That ofa Man In boring
ADxIety-Admits He Had Been Scared
Himself.

Himself.
Washington, Oct. 9,--In the Schley
naval court of inquiry to-day Lieuten-
ant Mark L. Bristol completed his tes-
timony begun yesterday, and three new
witnesses were introduced. They were
Rear Admiral Henry G. Taylor, who as
captain commanded the battleship In
diana during the war with Spain; Lieu
tenant Commander Templin M. Potts
who was navigator of the battleship
Massachusetts, during that period, and
Lieutenant Edward F. Leiper. who was
on the New Orleans during the war,
the last named being still on the stand
when the court adjourned for the day.
Admiral Taylor related incidents Of the
battle off Santiago on July 8, including
the Brooklyn's famous turn. He said
that none of the Spanish ships had
made any effort to ram the American
vessels when they came out of the har-
Dor at Santiago.
Commander Potts testimony dealt
especially with the bombardment of the
Colon. Answering a question from
Judge Advocate Lemly as to the con-
duct of Commodore Schley during that
engagement he said it was that of
man laboring Under great mental ex-
element and of a man who was anx-
ious to discharge as soon as possible a
disagreeable duty Lieutenant Leiper
expressed the opinion that the Spanish
shore batteries at Santiago had not
been at any time formidable,
Dntt tct n
ton Mr.. Rayner secured permission
from the court to introduce as evidence
the order of Secretary Long to Admiral
Sampson, dated April 6, in which he
was admonshed against the exposure
of the American vessels to the tire OF
strongly fortified ports. The paragraph
in that order which he especially wish
ed 70 have considered reads as follows:
"The department does not wish the
vessels of your squadron to be exposed
to the fire of the batteries at havana,
Santiago de Cuba or other strongly for-
titled ports in Cuba, unless the more
formidable Spanish vessels should take
refuge within those harbors. Even In
this case the department would sug-
gest that a rigid blockade and employ
ment of our torpedo boats might ac-
comp1ish the desired object, viz, the
destruction of the enemy's vessels,
without subiecting unnecessarily our
own men Of war to the fire of the land
batteries"
This dispatch also contains the fol-
lowing order: THE department further
desires that in case of war you Will
maintain a strict blockade OF CUBA,
particularly at the ports of Havana,
Matanzas and, if possible, of Santiago
de Cuba. Manzanillo and Cienfuegos
interesting Cross Examination
The cross-examination of Lieutenant
Commander Potts by Mr.. Rayner was
quite interesting. Mr.. Rayner first
asked:
"Who was the captain of your ship?'
"Francis j. Higginson."
ct want to read you what Captain
Hireinson saws about Commodore
Schley's manner and bearing upon that
occasion. He says: His manner was
that of a commander-inchief' He left
a different impression in your nina
from what he left on Captain Higgin-
sons mind, then?"
Apparently
Had Captain Higginson opportunity
to observe him on that OCCASION?
"Not as well as ] did.
"Why was that?"
Because Captain Higginson was In
the coming tower and I was outside.
Did not Captain Bigginson have
any conversation with the commodore
at that time?"
Continued on Sixth Page)