The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-28
Request to be Represented by
Counsel Refused.
LIEUT.. WOOD TESTIFIES
Declares That Schley Maintained a
Picket Line at Santiago.
IN THIS He coNTRADIcTs HARPER
Wood Himself Was on Picket Duty Watching
the Mouth Of the Harbor. Hood Of
the Hawk on The
Stand.
(By the Associated Press.)

Stand.
(By the Associated Press)
Washington, Sept. 27.-In the Schley
Court of Inquiry today letter was
presented from Rear Admiral Sampson
askin gto be allowed to be represented
in the court by counsel, but the court
refused to grant the request on the
ground that "the court does not at this
time regard you as party to the case"
The principal witnesses of the day
were Lieutenant John Hood, who COM
manded the dispatch boat, The Hawk,
during the Spanish War and Captain
Bowman H. McCalla, who was in COM
mand Of the Marblehead. The testi-
mony of both these officers dealt with
the delivery of dispatches from Admiral
Sampson to Commodore Schley and both
related conversations with the latter.
Today's session began with the recall
of Captain Wise, who said he haG car
ricd out the order to Inform every
vessel off Santiago that the Flying
Squadron is off Cienfuegos.'
Lieutenant Spencer S. Wood, who
commanded the dispatch boat Dupont,
was oss-examined by Mr.. Rayner. The
witness said that while off Cienfuegos
he had been on picket duty two miles
from shore on the night of May 22nd
and had been instructed to signal the
squadron with two red rights In case the
etcmy's torpedo boats came out of the
harbor
HARDER IS CONTRADICTED.
Mr.. Rayner then read from the testi-
mony of Cartain Harber, of the Texas
saying that there had been no picket
vessels within the line of the fleet off
Cienfuegos. The witness said that the
statement was wrong.
Mr.. Hanna asked what steps had been
taken while the flying squadron was off
Cienfuegos to ascertain if the Spanish
fleet was inside the harbor there.
None that / know Of" was the re-
sponse.
"Was there any effort to destroy the
shore batteries there?"
The witness replied that he knew of
none. He said, replying to another ques-
tion by Mr.. Rayner, that vessels in the
inside harbor could not have been dis
cerncd from the outside.
Lieutenant Wood was then dismissed.
and as he was leaving the court room
Mr.. Hanna took occasion to say :
Il will make an announcement while
we are waiting. There has been intro
duced before the court question of the
correctness of the identity of certain
very important dispatch sent by the
Harvard, May 9th from off Santiago
by the commanding officer of the fly
in thok I,
process of translation from the COM
mander in chief to the department some
changes in the language of that dis
patch occurred l do not desire at this
moment to interrupt the proceedings
by any discussion of that point, but 1
shall merely make the announcement
here that we do intend to enter into
that matter very fully and completely;
that is to say as fully and as complete
ly as the court may desire before we
leave it,
HOOD TAKES THE STAND.
Lieutenant John Hood, who command
ed the Hawk, said that on May 23rd
he had delivered dispatches from Ad-
miral Sampson to Admiral Schley, when
the latter was off Cienfuegos. His in
structions were contained in a memo
randum handed him to be delivered to
Admiral Schley, which was read to him.
Lieutenant Hood related the conversa-
tiofi he had with Admiral Schley after
delivering the orders, saying that he (the
withess) had told the Admiral that it was
Admiral Simpsons wish that the Flying
Squadron should proceed Immediately to
Santiago as his information was very pos
tive. His statement was as follows:
Commodore Schley read the dispatches
and then turning to me said:
'''Captain, Admiral Sampson wishes me
to so to Santiago. l cannot do it, IL
told Commodore Schley that the Admiral
certainly expected the squadron to leave
the instant l arrived. Commodore Schley
then said in nearly these words: 4 am not
at all satisfied that the Spaniards are
not here in Cienfuegos. Beside my ships
all want COAL. l told Commodore Schley
that l had passed a collier conveyed by
gunboat only 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 being in Cienfuegos and stated
that he had heard some firing about forty
miles from port which he took to be
welcome to the Spanish squardon; he had
also seen some smoke which he conceived
to be the Spanish squadron and he be-
lieved they were there.
II said to Commodore Schley then that
the information which the Admiral had he |
considered as definite; he had no doubt