Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-09-28
.SCHLEY COURT HEARS
FURTHER TESTIMONY
Concerning Picket Boats off
Cienfuegos.
LIEUT.. HOOD QUESTIONED

Witness Tells of His Conversation
With SchIey When He Delivered the
Dispatch of Sampson For Flying
Squadron to Go to Santiago.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-As usual Ad-
miral Dewey was prompt today III
bringing the Schley court of inquiry to
order, and as usual the counsel on both
sides were in their seats and prepared
to proceed promptly with the business
before the court. Indeed, Captain Lem
ley and Mr.. Hanna, the navy depart
ment's representatives, had been in the
courtroom for an hour or more, prepar-
ing the details of today's work. They
consider the present stage of the pro-
ceedings an important one, requiring
the most careful attention.
Captain Lemley estimates that he will
be able to conclude the presentation of
the government side of the case by the
close of next week, if no unforeseen con-
tingency arises to cause delay. He says
he will have about 10 or 20 more wit
nesses to introduce.
One of the most regular attendants
upon the court is Mr.. William 4. Slay.
ton, the attorney who is understood to
be prepared to represent other naval
officers than Admiral SchIey. He sits
outside the rail and does not in any way
participate in the proceedings. He said
yesterday that so long as Admiral Samp.
son was kept out Of the case he would
have nothing to say.
Today's session begun with the re call
OF Captain Wise TO make verbal changes
in the official copy of his testimony.
He altered his previous statement
concerning the order of the navy depart
ment of May 20. 1898, in which he was
directed TO inform every vessel off San
tiago that the flying squadron was off
Cienfuegos, saying that he desired to
correct his response Co the courts ques-
ton as TO why this order was not car
ried out by stating that it had been car
rled out.
81 did not"
"The flying squadron was ordered to
D4OC0Cu w I'LL h11 EJOSS1D16 us DhICu, u6
said, and added:
81 did not desire to inform the COM
modore of the flying squadron of his
own movements. The order was to in
form commanders of the movements of
the flying squadron"
The court then asked:
did you direct Captain Sigsbee to
give Commodore Schley the informa.
rion contained in the dispatch from the
navy department. concerning the where
abouts of the Spanish squadron?'
Lieutenant Wood on Stand.
Lieutenant Spencer S. Wood, who
commanded the dispatch boat Dupont
during the Spanish war, was then called
and continued his testimony, begun
yesterday. Mr.. Raynor resumed his
cross examination. The witness said
that while off Clenfuegos he had been
on picket duty miles from shore on the
night of May % and had been instructed
TO signal the squadron with the red
lights in case the enemy's torpedo boats
came out of the harbor.
Mr.. Raynor then read from the testi.
mony of Captain Harber of the Texas,
saying that there had been no picket
vessels within the line of the feet off
Cienfuegos. The witness said that the
statement was wrong.
Captain Lemley said Captain Harber
had testified that there were no pickets
$50 far as he could recall, " to which Mr..
Raynor responded, owe are not i'm
peaching Captain Harber's veracity.
We are impeaching his recollection, not
his integrity"
Mr.. Raynor-"Captain Harber has
stated that there were no picket boats
at Cienfuegos. He was wrong, was he
not?"
''He was" replied the witness. GAS
1 have seen since the commander.in-
chief also reported that the Dupont was
not there. l have written the depart
ment that 1 was there. Other people
forget it, too. ."
you are trying now to justify Cap
tain Harber's want of recollection by
stating that the commander-ln. chief
wrote letter that there were no picket
boats there?"
"He did not mention their presence
and corrected 1t"
Dupont Inside the Line.
do you recollect any statement made
by the commander in, chief when he had
a picket boat within the picket line that
he had arranged signal from the
picket boat to the flagship"
"He did not mention any, and have
a letter on file i'll the department calling
to the omission in that re-
port.
Il call your attention to the report of
the commander in chief in which he
,tatos: The line Of blockade. etc I