The Washington times., 1901-10-02

bV such officers as Sigsbec. Jewell and
Wise. that although they had all been on
Santiago for Week they ma he1 seen d ,,sI,, nUtn-
nothing of its movements, or its where
| abouts since 1t had left Curacao; after
| having been assured by Sigsbee that he
did not believe 1t was in Santiago,
| deemed ii best to take the action did,
namely, to order the retrograde move
ment from Santiago to Key West
4 wranEle arose before Captain SiES-
bee could answer MIR. Rayner insisting
that Mr.. Hanna should have read the
| sentence from the beginning. The parts
| to the omission of which Mr.. Rayner OBJ
| jeCted, are Acting in accordance with
| my best Judgment. in view of the cir
cumstances; without my certain knoWl-
| edge of the whereabouts of the Spanish
| fleet" preceding the sentence read by
| Mr. Hanna. Mr.. Rayner and Mr.. Hanna
| argued until recess.
| When the Court reassembled. Mr.. Ray
| ner withdrew his objection, and Captain
| Sigsbee was asked by Mr.. Hanna: Did
! you make such report to the command
er of the FLYING SQUADRON"
| Il stated that we had seen nothing of
| the Spanish fleet" said Captain Sigsbee.
| 81 may have stated that we knew moth
ing absolutely positive about it's move
ments. but | tried to make II plain that
| 1 believed it to be there
Captain Sigsbee here turned to Admirals
| Dewey. Benham, and Ramsay. and said
he desired to make an appeal to the
| Court, in regard to an objection of Mr.
| Rayner TO having him state his belief
| at that time as to the whereabouts of
Cervera. Mr.. Rayner Withdrew his OBJ
| lection, but not understanding this. Cap
| ain Sigsbee addressed the Court: This
| case" he said, lis one involving repu-
| tation. 1t has been stated by Admiral
Schley in his report to the United States
| Senate. that / expressed a certain be-
lief (meaning that Cervera's feet was not
| in Santiago, and ] desire to state. under
oath, what l really did say That will
be according to the ethics of the Navy
| Department. | think the defence ought
to permit me to answer the question.
Continuing his examination Mr.. Hanna
Commodore Schley that you did not be-
! lieve the feet was in Santiago?
Il DID not say / believed the fleet was
not there" said the witness. 81 said 1
Did you give any assurance pointing
in that direction?" asked Mr.. Hanna
Orders From the Department.
MY orders from the Navy Depart
ment." answered Captain Sigsbee, said
the Spanish fleet had arrived there (San-
| taSoJ ] gave hiI, first the order from
the Navy Depar tment. Then I stated
that the day before / had captured the
| British steamer Hestorrel and that the
captain had made the statement I have
already given. THAT the RestormeI was
bound for Santiago with coal Tor Cervera's
fleet. having followed vne latter from
I i
gave him certain documents. and these
documents have since been found on the
MES of the Nav Department, to which
1hey were turned over by Admiral
| The documents mentioned by Captain
l-Sigsbee were read to the Court They con-
| sisted of a letter to the judge OF the prize
! court at Key West, informing him of the
capture of the Restornal close up to the
| MORO in broad daylight as she was at
! tempting TO enter Santiago Harbor and
/ letter to Commodore Schley in which
/ Captain Sigsbee told of the capture of
! the Restormel. and said: No news here.
have seen absolutely nothing of the
] Spanish fleet
| read letter written by Captain Sigsbee
/ on the St Paul at Mole St Nicholas
dated Evening May %, 1885, in part as
Dear Commodore schley: have read
/ the kilograms here for you. Do as you are
| doing and you will do all right. The de-
/ efforts to keep in coal The department
J says you may coal siugly here. The de-
partment does not understand your lin
| tied force here, Of course. Two golfers
! have been ordered here for your vessels"
MI Hanna read the sentence: DO as
you are doing and you VIII do all right
and asked Captain Sigsbee: What was
] the Flying Squadron doing them
THAT was based on the tenor of the
cipher telegram from Commodore Schley
which / found at the kfole. and one from
I tnt Navy department, captain SigSDee
replied AT that time the Flying Squad
ron was off Santiago and l believed that
/ il was Commodore SChley's intention to
coal his ships off Santiago. When I was
! OFF Santiago the weather was fine and
had urged Commodore Schley to take ad-
4 vantage of that kind of weather stating
that It was better thaa anything l had
I had off that port. | left Santiago on the
morning of the day ! wrote that letter.
/ May 50"
/ On taking the witness for cross-exam-
ination, Mr.. Rayner sought to find out
what information had been given by him
/ to Commodore Schiey on May 29 the day
I the Flying Squadron approached Santiago
and saw the Colon in the harbor. Cap
/ tain Sigsbee said he saw the Colon and
another arInorclad' there and reported il
/ to the Brooklyr which signaIed that she
/ had seen them To questions of Mr.. Ray
ner he said he did not know Of any offer
made by Lieutenant Gilmore to go
ashore and find out about the Spanish
I feet. Mr: Rayner quoted a report of
vessels on the 18th which he thought
might be the enemy but which proved 10
/ be the Flying Squadron and then said:
! This shows thai you thought it possible
/ on the 18th that the Spanish squadron was
not In port.
! Mr.. Hanna objected and the question
was withdrawn, hut put in another form.
1 and Captain Sigsbee answered that when
| the report was made he thought It possi-
| bic that the Spanish squadron was Gp-
/ preaching the port.
/ boat of the New York Herald that the
| Spanish feet was not in Santiago?' asked
| Mr.. Rayner-
Never" said Captain sigsbee.
Mr. Rayner then read from the press
/ copy book of the New York Herald" and
read letter from Admiral Sampson to
l the Navy Department in which the adj
/ miral said that Captain Sigsbee had told
! him that Commodore Schley was block
1 aGinE jes santingS dn Mat at distance Of twenty
| Mr. Hanna then objected TO the pro
! duCtion of the letter. saying that the
| original should be placed before the Court
| Mr.. Rayner intinate ted that this objection
I did not tend to full Investigation. The
| Court sustained Mr.. Hanna, but Mr.. Ray
ner got In his question by putting it this
Wav:
did you ever have conversation with
| anybody that Commodore Schley was
! blockading Santiago at distance of
| twenty-five miles TO the westward?"
Il did not" answered Captain Sigsbee.
Dispatches for schIey.
Captain sigsbee said that he did not
remember getting any despatch from
| Captain Wise to carry to Commodore
! Schley except one received by Wise at
| Cape Haitien on May 20. This was de-
| spatch to the Yale saying: The Spanish
| fleet arrived at Santiago de Cuba on May
| 49, but ne could not say positively that
| Captain Wise had given him a copy of
/ this message for delivery to Schley. To
| Mr.. Rayner Captain Sigshee said that ne
couldn't tind the despatch. but the pur-
| port Of II was stated in official ra-
| port from him. He produced the report
| and read from it: My orders stated
| that the Spanish fleet had been reported
at Santiago.
did you give that order to Commodore
| Schlcy2" asked Mr Rayner
He was Informed of it, but l don't