The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-02
He Asks Permission to Read it
in Court.
1t Throws Additional Light on
Previous Testimony.
EVERYBODY WILLING.
VIII Be Allowed in Evidence at
the Proper Time.
That VIII Be When Capt. Cook
Takes the Stand.

Washington, Oct 2.-The proceedings
of the Schley court of inquiry today be-
gan with the usual recall of former
witnesses for the correction of their
testimony in the official record. After
these came Chief Yeoman Becker, who
had begun his testimony yesterday and
was on the stand when the proceedings
closed. He was at that time under
cross-examination by Mr.. Rayner, and
that gentleman continued his questions
this morning. The formal proceedings
of the day were begun with brief ex-
PLANTATION of the large chart of the
southern coast of Cuba which hangs on
the wall of the court room. This expla-
nation was made by Capt Ieynly, who
said that the chart had been prepared
from data collected since the war with
Spain, and was much more nearly cor
rect than former charts Capt. Parker,
on behalf of Admiral Schley. said that
with these explanations he was willing
to accept the chart as authentic.
Admiral Evans was the first of the
witnesses of yesterday who appeared
for the purpose OF making corrections
in his testimony
Having made these corrections Ad-
miral Evans arose and formally ad
dressing the court said:
May it please the court, in cOnnec-
ton with one of the questions asked
me yesterday, unless Admiral Schley or
his counsel object. should like to make
a statement and produce a letter II at
any moment counsel objects, or Ad-
miral Schley objects, will withdraw it
and STOP
Mr.. Rayner: Gould we look at the
letter."
Certainly handing it to Mr.. Ray
ner. 1T is a matter entirely personal
to me, sir. The way the question was
put to me yesterday, it put me in the
position of having Dragged of destroy
ing the whole GDar1iSln daaf IN b0a rd
the Brooklyn The Identical words were
used in a letter purporting to come
from the Brooklyn and published in
Washington newspaper of July %, 1893
/ INN ediately went to the editor of the
paper to ascertain the author of such a
letter, and he. after good deal OF
trouble, ascertained that it was a wo-
man who had given this information.
Whether she was paid for it, or not,
could not find out At the same time, I
wrote to Capt. Cook, of the Brooklyn,
enclosing the article. and there is his
reply. 1 should like that letter to go in
the testimony, in connection with that
question, as the words are identicallv
the words used in this scurrilous letter
published in the newspaper"
Mr.. Rayner- II do not object to any
explanation at all that you may make
There was nothing wrong in the ques-
ton itself
1.-The question was put to me as if
had stated L had shot the bow off the
Pluton, raked this ship and knocked
out another one, ETC. There is Capt.
Cooks letter denying that such a con-
versation took place.
Mr.. Rayner: THE point is whether
the conversation was between you and
Commodore Schley.''
Mr.. Rayner said he would object TO
the presentation of the letter at this
time. but not at the proper time. He
said the proper time for this will be
when Capt. Cook is on the stand.
LETTER IS WITHDRAWN.
Admiral Evans-I will withdraw if
Mr.. Rayner-I am perfectly willing
ou shall submit it at the proper time.
After some further colloquy, the in
cident closed.
Mr. Thomas NJ. Dieuaide. the nevspa-
per correspondent, when called to cor
rect his testimony of yesterday made a
brief addition to his response to one
OF Admiral Dewey's questions The
question put by the admiral was
whether he (A1r. Dieuaide) had heard
Captain Philip give orders to back en-
gine when the two were on the bridge
of the Texas during the battle off SAN
tiago. Mr.. Dieuaide had replied that
he might have heard the order and he
might not. Today he said in explana-
tion of this statement:
The next thing 1 heard was fhe
range given and just then the starboard
12-inch gun was fired almost fore and
art, OF the ship I jotted that and went
around TO port side of the coming
tower to see the captain He might
have given several orders at about that
time that / did not hear. Of course /
did not note everything heard"
Yeoman Becker was then recalled and
was excused after brief questioning
concerning the dispatches prepared bT
him at Key West for Admiral Sampson
for Commodore Schley He again said
that according to his recollection these
dispatches were forwarded by the Iowa
and the Dupont, but said that his state
ment was based entirely upon his
memory
FIRST NEW WITNESS
Lieutenant Commander Alexander NJ
Sharp, who commanded the converted
yacht Vixen during the Spanish war
was the nrst new witness of the dav
He testified that he had first fallen in
with the flying squadron on the morn
Ing of May "A, Off Cienfuegos He said
that the weather on the cruise from
Cienfuegos to Santiago had been
squally but not sufficiently bad to in
terfere with the speed of the Vixen
The vessel had not, he said, been in
urgent need of coal on May 25
IF 1 had been,'s he said. ssand receiv-
ed orders to coal, I should have tried 10
do so. though it would have been an
uncomfortable job, because the Vixen
was a very small ship" Commands
Sharp said that notwithsta nding he had
been on board the BROOKLYN several
times. Commodore Schley had never dis
cussed with him the retrograde move
ment toward Key West, begun on Nav
P6
Describing the service of the Vixen
Comm odore Schley, Commander .Sharn
h0 E u I<ae,w ~