The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-28
MORE INTEREST.
Crowds at SchIey Court Are
Growing Larger.
Fridays Witnesses Recalled TO
Correct Errors.
HANN APOIOGTZES-
HANNA APOLOGIES.
Regrets That He Referred to
Admiral as ss Accused
McCaHa Testifies Regarding
Operations at Santiago.

Washington, Sept t2S.-Today's session
of the Schley court OF inquiry began as
usual at II o'clock with the recall of
yesterdays witnesses for the purpose
OF correcting mistakes in their testi-
mony and allowing other questions to
be asked them when necessary to make
clear any point which had not hitherto
been sufficiently elucidated by them
Captain McCalla, who had commanded
theMarbIehead during the Spanish war,
then continued his testimony, which
had begun yesterday. The attendance
of the spectators at the opening of the
session was in excess of the average
and an exceptionally large number of
people had arrived before the usual
time with a view of securing the best
available seats evidently under the inn
preston that the proceedings are of
growing interest Indeed the public in
terest is manifestly increasing in the
proceedings and not diminishing, as
had been expected it would.
None of the chairs set apart for the
public is any longer vacant and many
persons stand through the sessions.
The counsel for Admiral Schley have
reached an agreement with the counsel
for the navy department as to the parts
of the logs of the various vessels en-
gagged in the Santiago campaign which
are to be put in as evidence and print
ed in the record of the courts proceed
ings- It was found impracticable to
print the entire logs, not only because
to do SO would have been confusing but
because of the delay it would have oc
casioned in getting out such a volume
of material as they would have made.
The counsel have eliminated all parts
of the logs which do not bear upon the
inquiry and such as will be printed is
expected to be very useful to the court
as we'll as to the counsel
Mr.. Hanna made brief explanation of
the use of the term ''accused"i in yester-
days proceedings as applied to Admir-
al Schley. He said:
Il should like say a word in ex-
planation of one word I understand ap-
pears in the records. learn to my sur
prise from an examination of the rec
ords that used the word accused in
who has asked for the court of inquiry.
/ wish to state, with respect to that,
that was not aware that had used
that expression until this morning. It
was used in the rapidity of debate and
simply for the reason that in the course
of long years of experience it is the
word generally employed in such casal5.
Before this court of inquiry began the
judge advocate and myself considered
what we should call the gentleman who
had requested it and desiring to extend
to him the utmost courtesy in the mat
ter we selected a term which is not Of
ten employed, the term of applicant
and 1 believed have used that term
many times in the course of this pro-
ceedfngs-
i wish to add only my sincere and
earnest and most cordial expressions of
regret that by inadvertence I have en-
ployed a word that would imply any
such reflection
sNIcCALLA ON THE STAND.
When Captain McCalla took the wit
ness stand Mr. Hanna asked him:
cIrT
of enga ging the batteries on the morn
ing of May 81 1898. or during that day.
or to the duty of enflading the bat
terieS "
The reply was: None that I know
Of
Mr. Hanna then asked:
Were there any shoals or other OBJ
staeles Of any kind to prevent the bat
tleships from approaching the mouth of
the harbor of Santiago sufficiently
close to have been within easy range of
the Colon .
Captain Parker objected to the ques-
ton, but the court refused to sustain
the objection, and the request was re-
peated.
Captain NcCalla replied: None that
know Of. The only shoal | know of
was the shoal on the west side OF the
channel opposite the MorroT
Did the battleships go within range
of the Colon2"
mot from my observation"
''VVre you so situated as to observe
the fall of shots from the feet?'
III was
where did they falI?"
Il think I saw every shot fired They
all fell short that 1 saw. One very
nearly reached the Colon"
The witness said that the American
ships engaged in the Colon lombard
ment steamed in a distance of about
Captain McCana testified at some
length concerning the weather and sea /
on May 26 and z7. He said there was
no difficulty in cOaling on the 9th. as
the sea was smooth
The witness said that he had been /
present during a conference of COM |
officers on the Brooklyn while +
the fleet was off Santiago on May 2S.
Describing what took place, he said: Z
THE commanding officers were ordered |
on board the Brooklyn on May 29. It /
ade. L can only remember one specific /
thing, which took place at the close, /
and that was that Captain Evans asked /
Commodore Schley if the Spanish ships /
came out If he was going in for them |
He said Certainly and then arranged I
under his command on the Spanish /
ships should they come out"
Mr.. Hanna: Prior to that confer |
ence on May 29, had you at any time /
received definite instructions respect |
ing the order of battle or the mode of |
procedure which the fleet should follow |
in case the Spanish vessels should sud |
denly appear"
Il do not rememb mber-''
A TALK WITH SCHLEY.
did you have any further cOnversa-
ton with Commodore Sehley? ?''
4 had a conversation with him in his |
cabin after the battle of Santiago. about |
Tu1v & in Guantanamo bav went on |