The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-15
THE DELAY BY SAMPSON
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE)

21st and the Iowa had left on b Jay
previous.
Mr.. Rayner: Was the Hawk the
first vessel that carried that memoran-
dunn"
ITO the best Of my knowledge the
Hawk was the first and only vessel that
carried h memorandum" replied the
witness.
The Hawk left on May s1st and the
first information you had was $50 o.
8 O'Clock on the Goth. When did you get
this second confirmatory news yoa
spoke Off"
II got il on shore at Key West about
z o'clock on the evening Of May 10Th.
Then the confrmatory dispatch. as
1 understand it, was received some
twenty-four hours before the Hawk left
with this memorandum TO Commodore
Schley. Is that right?"
Yes. at Key West and the Hawk was
sent from Havana"
Can you give me any subsequent dis
patches or memoranda that passed be-
tween Admiral Sampson and Commo-
dore Schley in reference TO the Spanish
squadron being at Santiago?"
81 do not think 1 can refer you to
any. After Admiral Sampson heard
that the fleet of Commodore Schley had
not left Cienfuegos, in other words, at
ter he got a reply from the commander
of the flying squadron he sent the
Wasp. 1 think, about May 18th to Cien-
fuegos with IN additional dispatch, but
she, of course, did not arrive there
until Commodore Schley had left for
Santiago and 1 do not remember what
these dispatches We're"
Was that the Wasp"
Yes"
What date?"
My impression is she left by the cd
Bahama channel May 26th."
Then I understand hat between the
time the Hawk carried this information
to Commodore Schley at dusk on the
evening of May 21st, and the time when
this dispatch was sent from the Ba-
hama channel on the 26th, there was
no communication between Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley in ref
erence to the Spanish squadron at San
tiago. Was there?"
Il drought I replied there was no i'm.
p%ortunity for any"
FIRST POSITIVE INFORMATION AS
TO SPANISH FLEET SENT
SCHLEY.
After further effort on MI. Rayner's
part to elicit information as to CORE
s%pondence between the two comman
ders and objection on the part of Mr..
Hanna to bring in dispatches which
had no immediate bearing upon Com
modore Schley's conduct, Mr.. Rayner
said there was no communication be-
tween them between May 21st and May
9th. He then quoted the dispatch of
May 9th as the first positive knowl-
edge conveyed to Commodore Schley
Of the presence of the fleet at Santiago.
This dispatch was as follows.
United States Flagship New York,
"St. Nicholas Channel. May q, 1898.
Sir: Every report and particularly
daily confidential reports received at
Key West from Havana state that the
Spanish squadron has been in Santiago
de Cuba from the 18th to the 25th in
slant inclusive, the 25th being the date
of the last report received. You will
please proceed with all possible dis
patch to Santiago to blockade that port.
If on arrival there you receive positive
information of the Spanish ships hav-
ing left, You will follow them in pur-
suit.
Very respectfully,
w. T. SAMPSON"
Mr.. Hanna: What is the first posi-
tive order?'
Mr.. Rayner: May 9th"
Mr.. Hanna: Did he receive it on
the 27th?''
Mr.. Rayner: HE never received il
on the 9th (aft'er being prompted by
Admiral Schley). He got it on June
10th"
Mr.. Hanna: How is it possible then
he can be affected by an order after all
that lapse Of time?"
Mr.. Rayner: That is just what we
want to prove-that he had no orders
except those contained in dispatches
Nos. Z and s."
MI. Rayner then repeated his desire
to offer the dispatches of May 9th in
evidence, and after a colloquy between
Mr.. Rayner and Judge Advocate Lemly,
Mr.. Hanna remarked that there was no
objection to putting it in except that
it was obviously intended to reflect
on a person VINO is not under inquiry"
To this Mr.. Rayner responded that
1t was not intended to reflect on any
one. but that it was intended Ito pre-
vent a reflection on Commodore
Schley."
STATION ON REDIRECT ExAMINA-
TON.
1t was decided that the dispatch was
already in evidence, and Mr.. Hanna
took the witness for redirect examin-
alton. He began by asking il he knew
the reason for the lapse of FIVE or six
days between the sending of dispatches
-