Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-26
RAYytR LEADING COUNSEL.
Aas Succeeded the Late Judge Wilson n
sehley's Chief Representative.

Hns Succeeded the Late Judge Wilson rs
schiey's Chief Representative.
Az ociated Press Dispatch by Special Wires.
Washington, Sept. 25. When the
Schley Court of Inquiry convened at
the navy yard at IL O'Clock today,
there was general comment upon the
fact that the seat which had been
occupied from the beginning of tbs
sittings by Judge Jeie Wilson was
vacant. He had endeared himself not
only to the members of the court, but
to all persons about the court and
sorrow was SHOWN on every counteuance
Comment upon his sudden taking off
was general throughout the courtroom.
In answer to a question from The
Associated Press, Admiral Schley stated
that, since the death OF Judge Wilson,
Attorney General Isidor Ray ner would
be the leading counsel in his case. and
that ne would be assisted by James
Parker of New Jersey and M. A.
league of Baltimore. Mr.. Raynor will
continue to conduct the cross -exami-
nation OF witnesses, and the other
gentlemen will continue in the same
capacity they occupied up to the time
of Judge Wilson'S death. Mr. Rayner
stated that, il it became necessary in
the preparation or abstracting of the
voluminous documents in the case to
employ assistant counsel, or II he. should
be unavoidably absent at apy time,
proper arrangements will be made for
that purpose.
adorned today with. a chart on large
scale showing the ground site of the
battle off Santiago, on July Sd. The
nj he IN, ha sd ~
OF Santiago was plainly marked, and
the points at which the Spanish ships
went to the bottom or tu the shore were
all indicated 10 plain lettering. There
were also 10 the room a number of
transparent charts, which were in
tended to illustrate various phases of
the Santiago campaign. All these had
been prepared with a view OF ex-
pediting the work of tie court, aud all
were on large scale.
The first witness called to-day was
A. b. Claxton, machinist on board
the Texas, VINO had begun his tesr-
mony when the sittings OF the court
were abruptly terminated yesterday
morning by the death of Judge Wilson.
Before Mr. Clayton took the stand,
Commander Heilner was recalled to
make verbal corrections in the official
copy OF the testimony He said he had
several corrections that he desired to
make. In one case he was recorded as
giving the bearing and the distance OF
the Brooklyn. lie said he had given
the bearing and not the distance. He
made various other changes, but they
were not material.
Mr.. Claxton said that, on July Sd,
1898, he hau been Cd duty in the en-
gineIoom of the Texas. The engine
indicator had called for fill speed
ahead early in the morning, which had
within an hour alter the beginning of
the action been changed to full speed
astern. To his knowledge there had
been no signal for the reversal OF the
engines. He said that he had been
excused from service 10 the engine
room, but still he knew that the
engines we're reversed for about two
minutes.
Rear-AdmIral Cotton, now COM
mandant of the Norfolk navy yard,
who commanded the auxiliary cruiser
Harvard during the Spanish War, was
the next witness.