New-York tribune., 1901-10-23
TESTIMONY FOR SCHLEY
CAPTAIN SIG SBEE CONTRA.
DICTED AGAIN.
MORE WITNESSES SAY SIGSBEE TOLD
SCHLEY CERVERAS FLEET WAS
NOT IN sANTIAGo-vIvID sTOR-
les OF THE BATTLE.
les OF THE BATTLE
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE, ]

Washington, Oct. 22.-The officers in command
of the bow and stern turrets OF the Brooklyn
gave their stories Of the battle OF July 3 before
the naval court to-day, that OF Lieutenant
Edward Simpson, who fired the first and last
shots at the Spaniards. being the most vivid
hnd thrilling recital that has so far gone on
record. Court and audience gave him close at
tention. and the Judge Advocate voiced the gen.
eral sentiment in expressing reluctance at hav-
ing to take the witness on examination
back over the prosaic events of the blockade
Lieutenant Commander William r. Rush con-
tributed little 10 the knowledge OF the campaign
and Of the battle already in possession OF the
court.
The most entertaining witness Of the day was
George +. Graham an Associated Press corre-
spondent attached TO the Brooklyn throughout
fhe war. He saw things with trained eye and
stored away his facts to make of them with
declaration 10 the Senate committee that Sgs-
bee assured him the Spaniards were not IN
santiago whereupon the retrograde movement
began; he gave versions Of the conversation on
board the Massachusetts just before the recon-
noissance radically at variance with the recol-
fections of Lieutenant Commander Potts and
. at the close OF his testimony placed Fighting
:Bob" Evans in rather unfavorable light after
sthe court had made important ruling in
had told him that the object of the lombard
ment OF May 81 to develop the Spanish land
batteries and he said that the range was fixed
at seven thousand or seventy-flve hundred yards
in order TO draw their fire. He had heard no
conversation in which Commodore Schley said
that the officers in their white uniforms were
conspicuous objects. Mr.. Graham testified to a
conversation between Commodore Schley and
Captain Evans. which took place after the San
itiago engagement. in which Captain Evans
asked Commodore Schley II he had seen Captain
Philip away with the Texas. Commodore
Schley replied that IT was not the Texas but
the Brooklyn. which turned. Mr.. Graham said
he distinctly heard Captain Sigsbee tell the
Commodore that the Spanish feet not in
eide the harbor Santiago. Neither the court
the Judge Advocate attempted 10 get any
further information from Mr. Graham although
evidently impressed with his frankness and in
telligence.
Flag Secretary Wells finished his evidence
rather suddenly this morning, after showing
that Schley had had the order not TO expose
.srmored ships to the fire of land batteries, and
producing squadron order No. 8, showing the
readiness Of the ships for night attack
Albert ID. Mason, second class yeoman, told
how he made a change in the Brooklyn's log,
covering the time of the loop at the instance OF
Lieutenant-Commander Hodgson. Dennis J.
Cronin. Schley's orderly, corroborated Ensign
Marble and Mr.. Graham as TO what Sigsbee
told Schley concerning the location Of the Span
iards. Cronin up in the foretop with a
machine gun during the battle OF July 3, and
declared that the Brooklyn never went close 20
the Texas