Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-11-07
CONT RADIC7S
HIS TESTIMONY
CHADWICK TELLS OF PREcAU-
TiohARY DISPATCHES.
WERE NOT GIVEN TO ScHELY
Orders Regarding Attacking Spanish
Shore Batteries not Communicated
to Admiral He Says-Schiey's Side
of the Case in but RebuttaI Evil
dence May be Taken.

Washington, Nov. lin the Schley
court yesterday a number OF witnesses
were introduced by Judge Advocate
Lemly to testify in rebutta1 of the
evidence given in the admiral's be-
half. The court decided early in the
day that no witnesses could be in
troduced at this stage of the proceed
ings to give testimony on immaterial
points. This announcement was made
in connection with the effort to prove
the conversation on board the Massa-
chusetts, in which Lieutenant Sears,
Schley's flag lieutenant, is reported
to have said: For Gods sake, don't
discourage him (meaning Schley); it
is all we have been able to DO to work
him up to this" 1t had the effect Of
relieving Lieutenant Commander
Grant, Lieutenant Commander Potts
and other officers of the Massachu-
sets, who had been called to testify
Sears, which is said to have occurred
on the Massachusetts just before the
reconnaissance May 81. On the other
hand the court held 1t was not bound
by the ordinary proceeding in civil is
sues as to the time when testimony
can be taken and the witnesses might
be called or recalled at any time for
the purpose Of making additions to
former statements, but none of them
could reiterate testimony previously
eivep. This decision was rendered on
an objection raised by Rayne to al
lowing Sigsbee to give new testimony
when called as a witness for the rebut-
tai.
The witnesses called in rebuttal
were: Captains Sigsbee, Chadwick
and Eaton; Lieutenant Roys and Chief
Quartermaster Anderson, all of whom
testified to incidents connected with
the campaign of 1898. Chadwick in
his statement said the precautionary
dispatches from the navy department
in regard to attacking the Spanish
shore batteries had not been commu-
nicated to Schley. This statement Is
regarded of great Importance by Ad-
miral Schley's opponents, as it dis
tinctly contradicts the admiral's own
statements. Sigsbee testified con-
corning the interview on the Brooklyn
with Schley.. Eaton was commander
Of the dispatch boat Resolute during
the war and his testimony related
largely to events which occurred just
before and just after the battle Of
July 8. Lieutenant Roys served on
board the Eagle and his statement
bore upon the Eagles meeting with
the Brooklyn when the latter was en-
route to Cienfuegos and again while
the flagship lay off that port. He
stated that Lieutenant Commander
Switzerland had asked not to be sent
to Port Antonio for coal and had
asked to be allowed to coal from the
Merrimac. Anderson was chief quar-
termaster of the Brooklyn during the
Spanish war and at the wheel during
the battle of July 8. He said Schley
had given the order hard aport," but
when the order was, given the vessel
was then hard aport.
Before these witnesses were intro
duced for the department, the court
heard Captain Borden of the marine
corps. who served on the Brooklyn in
Schley's behalf He was the last of
the admiral's witnesses and testified
that the admiral had borne himself
honorable during the battle Of July 3D.