Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-10-17
NEWS In GENERAL
sCHLEy COURT OF INQUIRY


were Commander Richard VAIN
wright, who commanded the Glouces-
ter during the war with Spain, and
Lieutenant NJ. l.. Bristol. who, as en-
sign, was a watch and division officer
on the battleship Texas during the
period. Lieutenant Bristol had not
concluded his testimony when court
adjourned for the day. He did not
see the loop made by the Brooklyn,
the greater part of his testimony
turning upon a chart he had made
showing, largely, according to his
memory, the positions of the various
ships of the American fleet at differ
cnt times during the engagement of
July 0. There were several spirited
controversies between counsel over
questions asked the witness by Mr..
Rayner concerning this chart. Com
mander Wainwrights testimony dealt
largely with chart making. He was
for time senior member of the
board of 'navigatOrs which prepared
the official charts showing the posi-
ton of the American ships during
the battle of Santiago, and he gave
details of the methods of its prepare
ton He said he did not consider
the positions assigned in that draw
ing accurate, but that they were
given as the result of a compromise
of the views of the members of the
board. Lieutenant Commander Hodg-
son, Captain Folger and Lieutenant
Dryson made additions to their pre-
vious testimony.
Washington, Oct. 10.-In the Schley
naval court OF inquiry yesterday
Lieut.. Mark L. Bristol completed his
testimony begun Tuesday and three
new witnesses were introduced. They
were Rear Admiral Henry c. Taylor,
who as captain commanded the bat
tleship Indiana during the war with
| Spain. Lieut., Commander Templin NJ.
Potts, who was navigator of the bat
| tleship Massachusetts during that
period and Lieut., Edward +. Leiper,
who was on the New Orleans during
| the war, the last named being still
on the stand when the court adj
| journcd for the day.
Admiral Taylor related incidents
of the battle off Santiago on July 81,
including the Brooklyn's famous
turn. lie said that none of the Span
| ish ships had made any effort to ram
the American vessels when they came
out of the harbor at Santiago. Com
mander Potts testimony dealt espe-
cially with the bombardment of the
Colon. Answering a question from
Judge Advocate Lenly as to the con-
duct of Commodore Schley during the
engagement, he said it was that of a
man laboring under great mental ex-
element and of man who was anx-
ious to discharge as soon as possible
dfsagreeable duty. Lieutenant Leip-
er expressed the opinion that the
Spanish shore batteries at Santiago
had not been at any time formidable.
During Commander Potts examina-
ton Mr.. Rayner secured permission
from the court to Introduce as eyi.
dence the order of Secretary Long TO
Admiral SAMPSON, dated April G. in
which he was admonished against the
exposure of the American vessels to
the fire of strongly fortified ports.
Washington, Oct. 11.-Just before
the Schley court of inquiry adjourned
Yesterday Judge Advocate Lemly in
troduced Lieutenant ]. IL. Holden.
formerly watch officer on the Scor-
pion, as witness. Lieutenant Hold
en- signed the entry in the Scorpions
log, giving the particulars of the re-
ceipt of a message for Commodore
Schley from the Eagle, which that
vessel had brought from Captain Nc
Gala on Nav 10. 1898. when the flv-
ing squadron, then bound for Glen
fuegos, fell in with Captain McCalla's
subsquadron, which had lust left that
port. The government had sought to
show that bv this message Commo-
dore Schley had been notified that
the Spanish feet was not in the har-
| Dor at Cienfuegos, and Lieutenant
Commander Switzerland of the Eagle
had testified that he had megaphoned
to the Scorpion that there were only
torpedo boat and several cannon.
ieros in that harbor. Captain Lemly
told the court that the log
of the Scorpion did not show the re.
ceipt of the message in this form and
that he was prepared to admit that
that message did not carry the evil
dence to Commodore Schley.
Other witnesses of the day were
Lieutenant Commander w. IL.
Schuetze, who served on the Iowa.
and Lieutenant A. w. Grant, who was
on the Massachusetts,, who testified
concerning the general campaign of
the flying squadron. Lieutenant Ed
ward f. Leiper concluded his testi.
mony begun Wednesday.
Washington, Oct. l2.-Capt. +. f.
Chadwick, who was in command of
Admiral SIMPSONS flagship, the New
York, and who also was chief of the
admiral's staff during the war with
Spain, testified before the Schley
naval court for a short time yester-
day afternoon. He was the last
witness called. and when the court
adjourned was still under cross-ex-