The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-28

harbor could not have been discernsd from the outside. f1 s and as he was leaving the court room MT. Hanna took occasion to say: Dispatches Were Altered. T will make an announcement while we are waiting. There has been intro- ouced before the court a question of the correctness % or the identity of certain ward May 27 from off Santiago by the commanding officer of the flying squad ron It appears that in the process of to the department some changes In the language of that dispatch occurred. do not desire at this moment to interrupt the proceedings by any discussion of that nouncement here that we intend to enter into that matter very fully and com. pletely; that is to say as fully as the court may desire before we leave it. Lieutenant Hood Testifaes. Lieutenant John Hood. who commanded said that on, May 23rd he had delivered dispatches from Admiral Sampson to Ad- miral Schley. when the latter was on Cienfuegos. He related that he had been called aboard the New York, Admiral Sampsons flagship. on May z1st, when the officers on board were preparing dis patches: He spoke of the presence of to ehe introdsston of %f verbal orders, saying that the orders would speak for themselves. and must necessarily supersede any verbal instruc- tions. The question was argued at some ley
 In closing his response the judge advo- cate said:
 'An objection of this character is al- most equivalent to withdrawing the re- quest for an investigation. He asked to nave the Judgment of his brother officers in this matter. Let us have 1t, and do not put technical obstacles in the way of having the investtgation."
 MT Raynor responded briefly:
 ''I only desire to state that while this fications under the precept. We asked for this investigation instead of letting us give the precept under which we would like to have the inquiry take place. pro- lorna. precept of our own. He is an applicant who asks for a court of inquiry himself.'
 The court retired to consider the objec- tion, remaining out longer than any pre- vious occasion Admiral Dewey read the courts decision as follows:
 The court sustains the objections of counsel so far as 1t relates to conversa- tions that took place on board the New York, but this ruling does not apply to any verbal orders which the commander in chief directed witness to convey to
 Replying to a question put in accord ance with this decision, witness said that his instructions were contained in the memorandum handed him to be delivered to Admiral Schley, which were read to him.
 The witness then read dispatch No. s. from Sampson to Admiral Schley. May squadron was probably at Santiago. He also read the Brookiyn's receipt memo randum showing that this dispatch as we'll as the accompanying memorandum hah h0An rAHafUaA at Q.1E May witness Identified these as the orders he had carried,
 He also said that he had carried two from the department and the other a memorandum which had not been read to him. He said he had arrived off Cien- feugos at 2 & g; m. May g. n and had gone delivering the dispatches.
 In response to a request from the judge advocate, Lieutenant Hood related Schley after delivering the ps.ssn sS, say- ing that he (witness) had teld the admiral that 1t was Admiral Sampson's wish that the flying squadron should proceed in1- ton was very positive. His statement was as follows:
 Commodore schley read the dispatch and, then turning to me said Captain, Admiral Sampson wishes me to go to Santiago. cannot do It.
 "I told Commodore Schley that Admiral Sampson expected the squadron to leave the Instant arrived. Admiral Schley said then in nearly these words:
 "I am not at all satisfied that the Spaniards are not in Cienfuegos.
 Resides my ships all wanted coal; the wanted so many tons of coal and that the day before Sampson had sent hm down the Iowa with only half her coal supply. so that she could not go any ships down there only half filled with coal. I told Commodore Schley that had passed a collier conveyed by a gunboat only a little before daylight that morning and it would certainly be there with at least four or five thousand tons of coal within two or three hours, He referred again to his belief of the Spaniards be- ing in Cienfuegos and said that he had heard some firing about forty miles from, port which he took to be welcome to the Spanish squadron; he had also seen some smoke which he conceived to be the were there. I said to Commodore Schley then that If the information which the admiral had be considered as definite he had no doubt but that the Spanish squadron was at Santiago. Commodore Schley then said to me:
 Schley Was Perplexed.
 Captain. Sampson does not under stand. He Is not on the spot and cannot judge o.o.,a
 this occasion said Captain Lemley.
 The commodore was sitting in his chair at the time I was talking to him, very quietly. He seemed to be very much per DO YOU remember what, if anything, was said about communication with the insYrgentsT o,,,n s.,d ,n
 "In the commodore's presence?"
 No chief of staff on deck. The com modore was in the cabin.
 "Can YOU state whether or not during the time YOU were in Cienfuegos with the Hawk any effort was made to communi- cate with the insMrgeht CuDans'
 There was not.
 Tba witness then testified that the | steamer Adula, in passing, had reported fo fine Brooklyn that cable report had l been received at Kingston on May iStn, | saving that the Spanish squadron was in | inc harbor at Santiago. Admiral Schleys | report of this occurrence was also read | as was also his statement discrediting the | information because ne then DelleVeo the snnadron to be in Cienfuegos harbor. All | tbese renorts have heretofore been pub | Mr Ravnor began his cross examina- | tion A few minutes before o'clock and | had not sS procffe%eEI f9r I,ncheoni l mne" ''e 0o'
 When the court began its afternoon ses- sion Mir Raynor continued his cross-eX- | amination of Lieutenant Hood. The lat | fer aaid his recollection was that he had delivered his dispatches to Commodore Scbiev in his Schley's) cabin, but 1t noiabf he that he had handed them to TJeutenant Williams and had wandered do1Sn to the cabin with him. He thought tbe-a was no one in the cabin when the cnnversation between himself and the Cormodore had taken place.
 NIr Ravnor was proceeding to question tba witness concerning his conversation win Admiral Sampson when Admiral SohIav leaned over and warned him that IS'iiSI a.,a tion had been ruled Out