Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-03

iOuiup5On MtH hbtsb bbu VI thp Nnsp nv |
would have nothing to say.
Tnday's session began with tho recall
OF Capt Wise to make verbal changes
in tile official COPY of his testimony.
He altered his previous statement con-
corning tho order OF the Navy Depart
ment OF May goth, 1898, in which he
was directed to ''inform every sesssl off
Santiago that tho Fiyilg Squadron is
off Cienfuegos,' saying that he de-
sired to correct his response to the
courts question as to why this order
was not carried out by stating that it
had boon carried out. THE Flying |
Squadron was ordered to proceed with
all possible dispatch, he said and |
added: II did not desire to inform tho |
commodore of the Flying Squadron Of
his own movements. The order was to |
inform commanders of the movements
Of the Flying Squadron. "
The court nsked: Did you direct
Cant. Sigsbee to give Commodore
Schley the Information con aimed in
the dispatch from the Navy Department
regarding the whereabouts of the
Spanish equadronY"
l did not"
Lieut.. Spencer S. Wood. who oom-
handed the dispatch boat Dupont dur
ing the Spanish War, was then called,
and continued his testimony, begun
yesterday.
Mr.. Rnyner resumed his cross exsmi-
nation.
The witness said that, while oil
Cienfuegos, he had heen on picket duty
| two miles from shore on the night OF
| May 22d, and had beon instructed to
| signal the squadron with two red lights
in oaaa tho anamvis tnrnedofoata cAn1a
out of the harhor.
Mr.. Rayner then read from the testi-
mony of Gait HARDER OF the Texas,
saying that there had been no picket
vessels within the line OF the tieet oil
Cienfuegos.
The witness said that the statement
was wrong.
Can't. Lemly said Capt Harher had
testified that there were no pioKets so
far as he could recall, to which Mr..
Rayner responded: we are not i'm
peaching Capt. Harber's veracity. We
are impeaching hIs recollection, not his
integrity,
Mr.. Rayner: capt. Harber has
stated that there We're no picketboats
, at Cienfuegos. lie was wrong, was he
Dot?''
: ''He was," replied the witness. "As
l have seen since, the commander.
, chief also reported that the Dupont
was not there. | have written the de-
! partment that was there. Other
people forgot about that.
. "You are trying now to justify Capt.
3 Harber's want OF recollection by say
4 ing that the coirmander- In .chiel
0 wrote a letter that there were no PICKET
8 boats there?"
5 "He did not mention their presence,
Il and corrected it, +"
o Mr.. Hanna objected to Mr.. Ranger
o method OF questioning, especially Il
It his characterization of Capt. Harter
Q testimony as wrong when CAPT. Harbe
d 4 had said distinctly that he only spolS
Q from his best recollection. This, b.
o said, sis an indirect impeachment O
IS the witness.
II Mr.. Rayner again insisted that b
n had only intended to bring out th
y facts.
" do you recollect any statement mad
a by the commander in.chi when he ha
}. a picketboat within the picket lin
that he had arranged signal from tn
" pioketboat to the fiagship9'
.. "He did not mention any, and
10 have letter on file in the departmeI
,s calling attention to the omission j
il that report"
Ell II call your attention to the repol
n. Of the commander-in chief. ia which
o. states the line of blockade, No.
at ~ wish to bring it out that the ID,
be ront was inside the line, and that
liz this report made to the department
nd still stand 90 tie roint that be is n,
al bringing out where the torpedobo,
oh was.5'
1t. "You are perfectly right about tina
but you are not asked in reference
he any criticism you may have made upC
sh the report OF ths commander. in chic
he The question is this: Capt. Harder b.
ng definitely stated that there was
ny picketboat inside the line at Gle
ad fuegos. You say there was, and tn
he the Dupont was one of those boats.
lid II was inside the line, inside t.
ON Castine.''
bal BY the court: "Could you sea Il
to Texas from the Dupont during Il
Ia nights OF May 22d and May 23d?"
led '.No, sir.'i
lad Mr.. Hanna asked what sters had be
ull taken while the Flying Squadron "
ate off Cienfuegos to ascertain II I
to Spanish fleet were inside the hnrt
raj there.
nj. More that | know Of" was the
ing spopss.
OF WAS there any effort to destroy /
ion shore batteries there?''
lid The witness replied that be knew
none. He said, replying TO anott
act question, by Mr., Rayner, that yess
eb- In the jnsidv harhor could not hi
-. | IT,. w. -. 49,, ,li.,,,;a..d