The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-26
Leads all North Carolina DaiEes i'm News and Circulation

al Cotton say that his conversation with
Admiral Schley concerning Lieutenant
| Beall's proposition to go ashore and com
| municate with the insurgents had occur
| red on the 31st instead of the 9th of
| May The witness SAID that this might
| possibly be the case, but that to his best
| recollection, the conversation occurred on
| the 9th. Mr.. Rayner explained that Ad
| mjral Schley had on the 31st sent anoth-
| er man ashore to communicate with the
insurgents which would explain Admiral
| Schleys declination of Lieutenant Beall's
proposition.
The witness said that up to May oath
| he did not know of the presence of the
| Spanish fleet within the harbor at San
| tiago, nor did he know of any other Off
| GER who had that information at that
| time.
On redirect examination Admiral
| Cotton said he was satisfied that he had
| told Admiral Schley of Lieutenant
| Bealls proposition on the 27th. because
| he would have considered that he was
| remiss in his duty if he had not given
| the information at the first opportunity.
| He had then before him the order of the
Department to Commodore Schley, to as
| certain the facts concerning the presence
| of the Spanish fleet in the harbor.
| Mr.. Hanna asked Admiral Cotton con-
| corning dispatches received by him on
| May 25th He said he had received a
| dispatch on that date from Admiral
| Sampson, telling him that the Spanish
| squadron was at Santiago and to proceed
| there and communicate with Admiral
| Schley. The witness read copy of the
| dispatch which he had retained and said
| that if he had ever given it to Admiral
| Schley it had been on May 9th.
AN UNPUBLISHED DISPATCH.
This dispatch was written May 22nd
| and received May 25th and has not here
| tofore been made public 1t reads:
'The Spanish squadron at Santiago; if
previous to May 10Th scout off Santiago.
| Communicate with Schley if he (they)
| moves west Schley is expected May
oath at Santiago from Cienfuegos. Tele-
graph me from Nicholas Mole to Key
West if he (they) move east, and leaves
letter for Schley. Then go to Santiago
to meet him. | shall be at Cay Francis
with squadron. If two scouts are avail
able, one should keep track of the Span
ism squadron
RAYNER ASKS FOR THE ORIGINAL.
Mr. Rayner here raised the point that
the document read was copy and not
the original He also called attention to
the fact that the document had not been
printed in the official reports of the Neyy
Department.
An animated controversy followed in
which Mr.. Rayner commented upon the
Tin his opinionl inaccuracy of the De-
parlment reports. de demanded the ori-
ginal di~~otnh saying: This is an in
quiry and not prosecution, and you are
here to protect and vindicate Admiral
Schley as much as we are"
Ultimately the original cipher dispatch
was found, and Mr.. Rayner then said that
he would accept the copy which Admiral
Cotton said had been made by Lieutenant
Beall.
WISE IS CALLED.
At 1926 %. m. Admiral Cotton was eX.
cused and Captain William c. Wise,
who was in command of the auxiliary
cruiser Yale was called to the witness
stand. He told of accommodating about
Santiago harbor on May End, previous
to the arrival of the flying squadron.
He said he had not been able to see any
thing of the Spanish fleet.
Captain Wise said that when on May
9th he approached the flying squadron
twenty-on miles off Santiago, the fleet
had started upon it's retrograde move
ment. He came up with the Texas and
exchanged signals with Captain Philip,
telling him that he believed the Spanish
squadron to be inside the harbor there.
Mr.. Rayner objected to this testimony
as conversation between Captains
Wise and Philip affecting Admiral
Schley.
The court sustained Mr. Rayner's OBJ
lection.
BY the court: Did you report to the
senior officer present the information
upon which you based your belief re-
garding the location of the Spanish
squadron on that datc?"
DID NOT REPORT TO SCHLEY.
LAS stated at first | was intercepted
by the order from Commodore Schley
from the Vixen to take the Merrimac in
tow. Captain Sigsbee, of the st. Paul,
Immediately went on board. The Brook
lyn was a mile and a half ahead | inn
mediately went to the Merrimac and
made preparations to take her in tow,
and, so far as my communicating with
Commodore Schley, no.
eys instance invited attention to the dis
patch as follows:
Washington. May goth. 1898.
yale, care American Consul, Cape
Haitien.
Inform every vessel off Santiago de
Cuba flying squadron is off Cienfuegos
and that orders have been sent today to
proceed with all possible dispatch for
Santiago de Cuba.
(Signed) "'LONG.'
"The court asks \why that order was
not carried Out?'
Captain Wise said in reply:
Il informed the ST. Paul, the Har-
ward, and the Minneapolis and | notified
Captain Philip the same thing
The court then adjourned until eleven
o'clock tomorrow, saying that it would
hold only one hour session tomorrow
and would take a recess in the after
noon, in order to permit those connect