The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-08
MORE FUN IN WASHINGTON.

great public. The conspiracy is so
mean and Pfonounced hat all who love
fair play are watching. the proceedings.
hard, Bob Evans, by Mr.. Rayner, the
able lawyer having charge Of Rear Ad-
miral Schley's interests, is particularly
pointed and impressive. In yesterdays
Messenger Admiral Bob's memory and
contradictory statements were COM
mented upon. He stated that Schley
had the officers IN board of the Brook
lyn and that he did express himself as
saving that in case the Spanish ships
came out he wished to concentrate the
fire Of all our ships on a portion of
those Of the enemy" and that he in
tended to steam at the enemy's ships
If the should come out" But Evans
denied there was any plan of battle
indicated by Schley.
Captain Sigsbee could not clear UP
the mystery as to Rear Admiral Schley
not receiving that dispatch Of the naval
department sent out or the Goth of May.
1t was never given or shown to SchIey.
II WI A~PNAN P1O-
ceedings says, that it was supposed
that when Captain Sigsbee gave his
testimony the mystery would be clear
The supposition proved false. Out of
the mass of matter which has been SUBJ
mitted to the court. the fact stands
prominent that the Information which
the navy department intended for
z- ll E- "a
slipped through everybody's fingers in
stead Of being conveyed to him. as it
should have been"
Sigsbee did not even know that the
enemy was at Santiago. Evans's state
ments were shown to be in direct con-
flict with his own official report. Ray
rer got him badly on that, and he also,
as the Washington special to the Bal
timore Sun, stated, Ito show that in
his official report Admiral Evans had
substantially claimed the Iowa made
four miles in six minutes at one time
during the battle of Santiago by meas
uring distances admitted to be correct.
Admiral Evans defense on this line
was very weak. At another point,
where Admiral Evans in his official re
port Of the battle Of July 8, 1898, claim
ed to have been in the vicinity of tn
Vizcaya," Mr.. Rayner showed the Iowa
was really four miles off. Admira
Evans claiming that by vicinity he
mean four miles away" The fact Of
contradiction and nonsense was we'll
enforced by Mr.. Rayner who showed
that Evans lin the same official report,
said that his ship passed the Oquendo
n Maria Terest at 1875 o'clock and
continued to fire on the Vizcaya until
1876 o'clock, one minute later, and ar
rived in the vicinity of the Vizcaya' at
IL o'clock, "a minutes later. AS a mat
ter of fact, the distance between the
points where the Vizcaya went ashore
n where the Oquendo and Maria Ter
esa were sun was eight knots, and the
Iowa, even 1T the best speed given by
Admira Evans, vas making but nine
and one-half knots an hour" That is
just too good to be regarded in any
other a than with loud outlaws.
Bob's vanity is magnificent. He
is Bombastes Furioso of the navy.
Colonel Mcclure in his review of
Bob's last book shows UP the brag-
gadocio in his fellow who is, We
regret &c know, of southern birth like
Lemly is. To bring out the brag in
him if he had not stated to Admiral
Schley on July 5; Il shot the bow off
the Furor, the stern off the Pluton, put
my helm to starboard and raked the
Teresa and Knocked out the Vizcaya."
of his knowledge he never made such
a statement. 1t has been intimated,
says the Suns dispatch. that Admiral
Evans On that question spoke substan-
TALLY as above quoted, although he en-
ployed language comewhat less polite"
Another point not without interest is
the measurements made by Lieutenant
H. H. Ward, of the bureau of naviga-
ton, showed the Brooklyn was % miles
off Santiago on May 18th, although
Admiral Evans had testified the fleet
was 80 miles from the harbor.
AS to that last dispatch that Schley
never received, Captain Sigsbee Gould
not produce it. He was certain. he
said, that he delivered this dispatch to
Admiral Schley. Mr.. Rayner asked
him to produce the dispatch and Cap
tain Sigsbee admitted that he did not
hav the dispatch nor a copy of it. Mr..
Rayner stated that no such dispatch
appears among Admiral Schley's
papers.
Sigsbee absolutely denied that he had
ever given information that the flying
squadron retired % miles from Santiago
But Sampson reports him as so stating.
Another swift witness was a reporter
for the New York Sum-, named Diem
aide. He was with Bob Evans. He
was testifying as to that loop" made
by the Brooklyn. He said that the
Brooklyn had crossed the bows of the
Texas within a short distance, and that
Captain Philip had given the order to
stop the Texas engines. Did he give