The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-24
The Vindication of schIey.


Perhaps the most interesting develop
ment in the SchIey Enquiry yesterday
was the sensational evidence extracted
from an unwilling witness by main
force. that in cooking d record Of the
sea battle of santiago 10 suit their pur-
poses the SampsOniJes had uve.stepped
themselves Readers OF The Times viii
remember that some time after the
engagement. the Navy Department or
deTed a board OF officers VINO mad been
uavigaJOrs OF vessels belonging TO tie
HeeJ which had been commanded by
Admiral Sampson before and after the
battle, but b Commodore SchIey dur
ing it, to prepare 81 chart showing the
Tnht izzGhnfEiNnS. Of The sbtIs. nom tbs
until after his squadron had been de-
stroyed. Commander Wainwright was
president OF the board, and Lieutenant
Commander Heiluer, late navigator OF
the Texas, was member of il The
chart was signed by all the officers en-
gagged in its preparation, and Was en-
dOrsed and published by the Navy De-
pament as an official document Mr.
Heilner's testimony yesterday is well
calculated 10 convince the country that
When actual facts oil history, seosTa-
ply ana chronology happen 20 De in
convenient 10 a dominating ring in the
sevice, official documents may appear
signed on honor by their authors. may
be declared accurate and official by the
department, and yet b. wholly worth
less as Lieutenant Commander He'll
ner described the Santiago battle chart
In his direct examination. this officer
stated that when the Brooklyn eXeeuJ-
ed the loop in the course Of the hght
the Texas was obliged TO slow down to
avoid collision, and that when she did
SO, the two ships were not more than
three hundred t. -FOUR hundred and nifty
feet apart On his cross examination
he was asked 10 measure The distance
between the Brooklyn and the Texas.
at the time mentioned. on the cnarJ LU
which his name is appended He did So.
and was compelled 70 admit that the
least distance ne could figure was six
hundred yards, or eighteen hundred feet.
But. he added. This chart is ina,cu-
rate-whOny worthless. in fact" Judge
Department. admitted that the Official
chart prepared with So much care and
with So much evident purpose. was in
accurate. Later, il is probable that NJ
may have 10 make a similar admission
with regard to other documents such.
for instance. as those manufactured 10
show that Sampson was within signal
ing distance before the battle was
over.
Yesterday il appeared most interest
ingly that the one remaining hope of
the prosecution 10 make case against
Rear Admiral SchIey is 10 keep Samp-
son away from the witness stand. and
disconnected from the enquiry. During
the afternoon, while the cross examina-
ton Of Commander Heiluer was iu prog
ress he was asked TO state the position
Of the New York during the engage
mcnt This question Instantly drew
the Sampson fire. Judge Advocate Lem
y vigorously objected TO bringing
SIMPSONS conduct or whereabouts into
the case. He said IL was not a question
about what Admiral Sampson did or
did not do, but one between Commodore
Schley and the morale Of the navy. To
this Mr. Rayner, Of counsel for Rear
Admiral Schley, replied that his side
had a right 10 show the position Of the
New York and the connection Of Samp-
son with the battle He also asserted
the right 20 show that Comm, q re
Schley maintained the same KIND OF
blockade before the arrival Of Captain
Sampson of Santiago that the latter
did afterward- As the necessity for
arguing the general question involved
Sas not Immediately imminent. that
addressed % the witness and objected
TO, was Withdrawn. with notice To the
prosecution that while possibly they
might be able 10 hide Sampson away
personally they could not prevent his
being al least CoustruetlveIy before the
Court and that he would be in that DO
siuon al the proper time.
II is not difficult to appreciate the
desperate anxiety Of The navy ring 10
shield the man behind the hlrizon."
but that they viii succeed in doing SO
does not occur to the American public