The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-11

and myself have been present in the
court room nearly every day of the
| procedure, and one or both of us will
endeavor to be present hereafter.
Ave have not had facilities which
would permit us to hear the proceed
ings, but we have been furnished with
copies Of the courts record and beg
leave to call attention to the fact that
these records contain attacks upon Ad-
miral Sampson
5-Rear Admiral Schley, for instance
was permitted to say (see page y that
the principal parties to the present
issue are Rear Admirals Sampson and
Schley"
6-Direst allegations have been made
against Admiral Sampson, and we ask
the court to refer to pages 1852 and 1856
of the record, where counsel repeatedly
accuses Admiral Sampson-hrst, of
conducting a blockade with his vessels
at a distance as great as that of which
was selected by Admiral Schley for his
blockade, and second, of permitting the
Colon to remain for an indefinite time
after his arrival in full sight of his
! squadron, without making an effort to
destroy her.
| ION page % of the record counsel
was allowed to declare that in spite
Admiral SIMPSONS official report, in
4 which he states that the battle of July
| 8 was fought under his command, that
as matter of fact, Admiral Sampson
did not command that day, and effort
was made by counsel in yesterdays
proceedings to introduce into evidence
a signal made by Rear Admiral Samp-
son, which counsel stated in his argu-
ment was intended to show that Rear
Admiral Schley was commander-in-
inf lf hot haf 1xr hoe L
legations involv the honor of a naval
| officer
| S-The courts precept states that an
officer who is Interested may be per-
mitted to appear and defend himself;
and while we fully realize that Admiral
Sampson is not a party to the case, as
| the court states in its letter of the 9th
of September, yet notice has been given
that an effort will be made to deprive
him of his honors and even of his honor
and his good name He is accused ofper-
hitting an enemy's vessel to lie undis-
turbed in his presence and all that as
a naval officer he holds dear is in
volved, and we ask now to decide
merely that he is interested" !
Git is true that the attacks upon
Admiral Sampson have been made
covertly and under the name of argu-
ment, but the statements have BEEN
nevertheless public, they have been
given great currency and they are en-
bodied in the record to remain forever
on the records of the Navy department.
1t is at least worthy of comment that
on every occasion on which an argu
ment has been INDUCED in the ques-
ton at issue has been voluntarily with
drawn after full opportunity has been
| taken to accuse the Admiral.
! 10-If we were alone in our opinion
that these arguments are improper we
should hesitate to make such state
ments, but the judicial officer of the
court-the judge advocate-has repeat
eddy characterized these arguments as
improper.
live, of course, realize fully that
the intervention of new issues and new
J parties might be improperly used to
/ cumber the record and prolong the
trial; but counsel are entirely under
the control of the court and may al
ways be restricted.
| We, therefore, request that we now
be permitted to appear before the court
and given facilities which will enable
US to hear the proceedings and be
lpresent to defend Rear-Admiral Samp-
son when counsel shall make upon him
attacks of the nature they have al
ready deemed proper to make
! Very respectfully,
| WILLIAM H ST,AYTON