The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-10

tner conversation!
Il heard the conversation when Com
modore Schley was leaving the ship in
which he stated that he was satisfied with
the recognizance that he had made in
drawing the fire of the batteries, or words
to that effect
Capt Lemly-What was the bearing
and manner of Commodore Schley dur
ing the engagement of May 81, to which
you have already referred?
His bearing and manner was that of
man who was suffering under extreme
MENTAL EXCITEMENT,
of one who had disagreeable duty to
perform, and performed it reluctantly,
and tried to get through with it as soon
as he could
Mr. Rayner then began his cross exam
nation.
"Who was the captain of your ship?"
he asked.
Francis J. Higginson."
81 want to read you what Capt. H1g-
ginson says about Schley's manner and
bearing upon the occasion. He says His
chief He left different impression on
your mind from what he left on Capt.
Higginsons, then?'
apparently"
Had Capt. Higginson opportunity to
observe him on that occasion?"
Not as we'll as 1 did,"
"Why was that?"
Because Capt. Higginson was in the
coming tower, and I was outside"
Did not Capt. Higginson have any
conversations with the commodore at
that timer
From time to time, yes"
What do you mean by mental excite
ment?''
'I quote conversations that I heard
The first thing was the apparent anxiety
of Commodore Schley about using the
coming tower. Secondly, his stating that
at a distance of
FIVE TO SIX MILES
men standing on the forward thirteen
inch turret were conspicuous objects"
Did the commodore use the coming
tower?"
81 did not see the commodore go into
the coming tower. To the best of my
knowledge and belief he did not. He
was outside the coming tower and be-
tween the coming tower and the heavy
plate that protects the man hole In the
coming tower. My preconceived Idea OF
Commodore Schley previous to that oc-
casion was so entirely different from the
impression I received on that day, con-
cluded that he certainly was under a
tremendous mental strain"
''Have you ever been under any mental
strain in time of battle?'
81 have been scared"
"Have you any other facts from which
you base your statement to the court
that he was laboring under mental excite
ment except the facts which you have
given?'
Eyes When Commodore Schley came
on board the Massachusetts, he stated in
distinct terms that he was going to de-
stroy the Colon. The Colon
MOT,
When he left the ship, he called it
Reconnaissance drawing the fire of the
batteries and developing their weakness
or strength.
"Do you gather from that that he was
laboring under great mental excite
ment?''
From that and from circumstances I
have already stated from my observation
of him from the time he came on board
the ship until he left
Suppose you were made aware of the
fact that when he entered into that en-
gagement, he was under regulations of
the navy not to engage shore batteries if
there was any danger of the shore bat
teries Gripping the ships, would you say,
if you knew of that, that he was still
laboring under great mental excitement?"
81 cannot answer that"
Capt. Lemly objected to the introduc-
LlOn Ol Tie navy OopdI IIi1SHIS OIoOIS DIS
evidence but the court directed that they
could be put in. Mr.. Rayner then asked
concerning the weather on the trip from
Cienfuegos, and witness said that on
May rs it had been what Is called
dirty There was an eastern wind and
moderate sea, rough for small vessels
Witness said, on further examination,
that Lieutenant Commander Schroeder,
Lieut.. Sears and Lieut.. Wells had been
present during the bombardment Of the
Colon, when Commodore Schley had re-
marked that as they were conspicuous
objects on the thirteen-inch turret, it
would be better to move away.
BATTERIES HARMLESS.
Referring to the Spanish shore bat
teries at Santiago, Commander Potts
said that they would have been no
menace to armored ships passing them.
At the suggestion of Judge Advocate
Lemly, and in accordance with the de-
cision of the court, Mr.. Rayner here
| formally introduced as evidence the or
der from the navy department concern
ing the exposure of the American ships
to the fire of the shore batteries. The
order is that issued by Secretary Long
April g. 1885, and directed to Admiral
Sampson.
The court asked questions as follows:
Can you give the distance the large
vessels were from the entrance to Glen
fuegos on the early morning of either
the 22nd or 23rd of Mayo
Il do not recollect any being nearer
than L have said, four or five miles
did not measure the distances there"
What efforts were made by the YES
sells of the flying squadron prior to the
arrival of the Marblehead to determine
whether or not Cervera's squadron was
in the harbor at Cienfuegos?''
''None that 1 ever knew off,
Referring to the range of the guns for
that day. Commander Potts said the
| range given previous to entering the en-
gagement was 1000 yards, but he had
| increased it to 1890 yards, then to 5000
yards and finally to 10000 yards Only one
shot which had been fired at the Ameri-
can fleet had impressed him as being at
all dangerous. That fell near the Mas
SachuSettS. Soon after that the com
modore had given the order, PUT your
helm to starboard and let's get out Of
this He said he had seen no shore bat
teries at Cienfuegos.
Commander Potts was then excused.
and Lieut.. e. F. Leiper was called He
served on the New Orleans during the
Spanish war, and told of the participa
| ton of that vessel in the bombardment
| of the Colon May g.
| He described that engagement saving
| that the first shot from the Massachu-
| sets had fallen outside the Moro, and.
Notwithstanding the range was increased.
| all the
! SHOTS FELL SHORT
of the Colon. There WERE he said. no or
ders either to fire at or to make observa,-
| tons of the batteries, but, notWithstand-
| ing this, he did fire at the eastern bat
| teries on his own responsibility. He had
| personally aimed the guns, but the dis
lance was SO great that only the red line