The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-10-03
THE SCHLEY COURT.
Proceedings in Celebrated Case on
Saturday.

Washington, Sept. 3O.-Saturday's
session of the Sehley court of inquiry
began as usual at II o'clock, with the
recall of Fridays witnesses for the
purpose of correcting mistakes in
their testimony and allowing other
questions to be asked them when
necessary to make clear any point
which had not hitherto been sufficient
ly elucidated by them. Capt. McCalla,
who had commanded the Marblehead
during the Spanish war, then contin-
ued his testimony, which had begun
Mr.. Hanna made brief explanation of
his use of the term ACCUSED" in Fri
days proceedings as applied to Admiral
Schley. He said:
'I should like to say a word in explana-
ton Of one word which I understand APP
pears in the records. learn to my surprise
from an examination of the records that /
used the word accused in referring to the
distinguished officer who has asked for the
court of inquiry. l wish to state, with re-
spect TO that that was not aware that l
| had used that expression until this morn
| ing 1t was used in the rapidly OF debate
and simply for the reason that in the course
of long years of experience II is the word
| this court of inquiry began, the Judge ad-
vocate and myself considered what we
should call the gentleman who had re-
| uuested it, and desiring to extend to him
the utmost courtesy in the matter we Sc
| Iected a term which Is not often employed
| the term of applicant and l believe have
| used that term many times in the course of
| these proceedings. l wish to add only my
| sincere and earnest and most cordial eX-
pressions Of regret that by inadvertency
| or accident l have employed word that
| would imply any such reflection"
Capt. McCaIIa on stand.
When Capt. McCalla took the stand
Mr.. Hanna asked him if there we're any
ships assigned to engage the batteries
on the morning of May 81, or during
that day, to which he replied no. He
| said there were no shoals or obstacles
to prevent battleships approaching the
mouth of the harbor of Santiago. OBJ
lection was made to this statement,
but overruled. Witness said he saw the
firing on the Colon and that every shot
fell short.
| Capt McCalla testified at some length
concerning the weather and the sea on
May &c and q. He said there was no
difficulty in coaling on the 9th as the
sea was smooth.
The witness said he had been present
during a conference of commanding Of
fcers on the Brooklyn while the feet
was off Santiago on May 20. He said
| that Capt. Evans asked Commodore
Schley if the Spanish ships came out if
he was going in for them. He said:
"Certainly." and then arranged for a
subdivision of the fire from the ships
under his command on the Spanish
ships should they come out.
In a conversation with Admiral
Schley in his cabin after the battle
of Santiago, when the admiral read
| to him what he understood was part
of his official report of the battle, wit
ness had said that he hoped there
would be no controversy because
there was glory enough for every
| body.
Relating the particulars of the
blockade of Santiago before June /,
Capt. McCalla said the Marblehead
and the Vixen had at night occupied
positions inside the large ships about
two miles from shore line and that
that line was easily discernible.
On crOss-examinatiOn by Mr..
Rayner, the witness said he had failed
to execute an order from Admiral
Remey delivered while he was in COM
mand off Cienfugeos and directing
that all except the smallest vessels
be withdrawn. He had, he said, failed
to leave the small vessels there.
Referring to the fact that he had
informed Capt. Chadwick, Admiral
SIMPSONS chief of staff, of the code
of signals arranged for communicate
ing with the insurgent Cubans, he
said that he did not in any way COM
municate with the commander-in-
chief, but intended the information
for Schley.
Lieut.-Commander w. II. Fl. Suther-
land who commanded the converted
yacht Eagle, during the Spanish war,
followed Capt. McCalla on the witness
stand. He said that he had first fallen
in with the flying squadron on May
10, when he gave information to the
Scorpion for the commodore, his
message being as follows:
1--WE left Clenfuegos on the night Of the
18th, at which time as we learned from In
surgerts the only vessels inside the harbor
were two gunboats and several can
nonieros."
Commander Sutherland also told of
ais return to Cienfuegos on May "a,
and of his notifying Admiral Schley
that Cprp vera's Acct was not in the
harbor there.