The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-09-26

HlGGINSON
HITS SCHLEY
rouRT OF INQUIRY RESUMES ITS
SESSIONS AT WASH
INGTON.
FOUR POINTS AGAINST SCHlfY
ADMIRAL NEVER GAVE ANY Or
DERs FOR A BLOCKADE
FORMATION.
FOUR POINTS AGAINST SCHlfy
COULD HAVE COAltD AT SEA
DID NOT DO ALL THAT WAS Pos
sIBLE TO DESTROY THE
COLON.

Washington. Sept. %. - The Schley
court Of inquiry resumed its sessions
Yesterday, with Rear Admiral Ramsay
occupying the place held by Rear Ad-
miral Howison In the first session. The
court proceeded to the inquiry before
e. and during the day heard four wit
nesses The judge advocate called
witnesses who were ready to present
damaging testimony to Admiral
Schiey, but he was not able to develop
his testimony SO as to place 1t before
the court with great effect because
Admiral Schley's counsel was quick to
see the danger to their cause and
raised objections to questions as to
opinions, which were sustained.
Rear Admiral F. T. Higginson, who
commanded the Massachusetts, at San
tiago was the first witness, and pre-
sented the
Most Damaging Testimony
against Admiral Schley While Schley's
attorneys were successful in having
ruled out the question and answer in
which the witness expressed the opin-
ion that Admiral Schley had not done
all that was possible to destroy the
Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon, there
we're four strong points made against,
schley. These were that he never gave
any written or verbal orders for block
ade formation either at Cienfuegos or
Santiago. but left the captains of the
ships under his command to follow his
flagship. so that in the evert of fight
each captain would be obliged to rely
upon his own Judgment and select his
own antagonist; no effort was made by
Schley, so far as the witness knew, to
discover whether Cervera's ships were
In the harbor at Ciensuegos: the Mas
sachusetts had plenty of coal at Glen
fuegos and other
ships Coaled at Sen;
Capt. Chester, who commanded the
collier Cincinnati, developed the fact
that he had told Admiral Cchley where
he could coal at sea; there was no real
effort made to destroy the Cristobal
Colon as she lay outside the harbor at
Santiago, according to the testimony of
Admiral Higginson. That vessel could.
In his opinion. have been destroyed by
Admiral Schley's flying squadron. Adj
miral Schley was on Admiral Higgin-
sons ship during the engagements and
gave the orders for the long range. Ad-
miral Higginson was asked why he did
not take the Massachusetts, in and de-
stroy the Spanish ship His reply was:
Because was not ordered to do So"
Then he was ready and did express the
opinion that Admiral Schley, who was
In command. had not done all that
commanding officer should have done
to
Destroy That Enemy,
but after much argument the question
and answer were stricken out of the
record. The points made against
Schley were strong and dangerous, and
their strength was not destroyed by
striking out Admiral Higginson's an
swer to this question.
The witnesses yesterday were Rear
Admiral Higginson, who commanded
the battleship Massachusetts during
the Spanish war; Capt. c. M. Chester,
VINO commanded the cruiser Cincinnati
u Maj. Thomas N. Wood. Of the ma
rine corps. who commanded the ma
rnes on the Massachusetts, and Com
mander Giles b. Harder. who was ex-
ecutive officer of the Texas, the latter
being on the stand when the court ad-
,ourned. The attendance OF the public
was small.