The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-25
gripping ships by the shore batteries
asked Mr.. Rayner.
April 6, 1898" was tho response.
SCHLEY FEARLESS AND SELF

21CA IA - h1A
April 6, 1898" was tho response.
SCHLEY FEARLESS AND SELF
POSSESSED.
Mr.. Rayner: Am I right in saying
that you perhaps saw more or as much
of Commodore SchIey during the whole
of this Spanish war as any one else and
came in contact with him as much as
anybody"
IT saw him daily and all through
each day, generally speaking"
did you see him during the time of
the reconnaissance on May 31st?"
Yes, SIR"
Did you see him frequently during
the day of the battle of July 3rd?"
mo. sir. 1 only saw him during the
chase of the Colon"
Did you see him during any of he
commandments?
II saw him during one of them. Ex-
actly which one 1 cannot distinctly re-
collect"
What was his general bearing, con-
duct and manner on any day in which
there was a battle or any other time %
S far as my observation went he
was thoroughly fearless and self-pos-
sessed on all occasions"
WAS he at any time within your
knowledge laboring undo any mental
excitement"
mo, sir"
WELLS ROSS EXAMINED.
Mr.. Hanna cross-examined the wit
ness. Regarding the ogress of the
flying squadron from Key West to c.
enfuegos the witness stated that he
knew of no delay in it's progress.
Mr.. Hanna exhibited to the witness
a letter dated May 80, 1898, and written
by Commodore Schley, which contain
ed a reference to the dispatches hat
had been brought by the Dupont, and
| giving a general account Of the opera
tons of the flying squadron. He sought
by this letter, as stated by him, to show
that the No. Z dispatch, known as the
Dear Schley'' letter was received o.
the 22nd and not the 23rd.
The witness aid The conjunction
of this letter and the changed indorse-
ment in lead pencil on the back of one
of the dispatches would seem to indi-
cate that the dispatch might have been
received on the 22nd."
After the examination had proceed
ed along this line for some time Mr..
Rayner addressed the court as follows:
May it please the court, we admit
that we got No. z by the Dupont (Which
Joined the flying squadron off Cienfue-
gos on May %, 1899 and we admit that
We got No. 8 by the Hawk and the
M~arblehead. Now the trouble is about
the other No. Z. Where did the dupli-
cate of No. 7 go? We canno admit we
got it by the Iowa, but we agree upon
three propositions: The Dupon carried
Nc. 7, the Hawk No. s and Marblehead
No. s. We admit the receipt Of this
memorandum from Captain McCalla by
h Hawk. but what We have not beer
able to find out and cannot admit is
that the Iowa carried No. z"
Mr.. Rayner turned to Admiral
Schley and asked: You admit that
don't you. admiral?" To which the ad-
4 -of-nI -n~lf@l. sgCarto;-I- 80 @I-:.
that"
When the court met at 2 o'clock Mr.
Hanna continued his examination OF
Lieutenant Wells.
How do you account specifically fol
the absence of the receiving stamp i'm
print on the duplicate Dear Schley
dispatches?" he asked.
1T is possible tina l jotted down thai
note on them when they were handed
to me. OF course it was the custom *
] put the receiving stamp on letters gen
! orally"
Can it be possible tina the commo.
dOre retained them for some timer"
1T is possible, but not probable. HI
some times held dispatches in the cabir
for a time. but he generally sent then
down as soon as received
In reply to questions the witness saiC
that he remembered absolutely nothin;
whatever about the receipt of dispatch
NO. . from Admlra mpS TO Com
modore Schley. saying that the Spanish
fleet was probably at Santiago, eXceD
what was revealed by the receiving
stamp endorsement. He said that OF
that dispatch. as on the Dear SchIey'
letter, there had at first been an en-
/ dorsement showing it's receipt on Ma!
oath and subsequently another writer
over the first indicating its receipt OIL
the 23rd of that month.
Mr.. Hanna then put in as testimon.
dispatches Nos. 5 and 6, boil from AID
miral Sampson directing a strict block
ade at C~ienfuegos, and the letter enclos
ing the McCalla memorandum. TIL,
witness was again questioned concern
ing the receipt of more than n cop,
of the McCalla memorandum, but h
maintained hat he remembered onl.
one copy, at the same time admitting
the possibility of the receipt of anoth
er copy.
Asked when he had first seen the dis
patch produced by Capatin Cotton, tin
witness said he did not remember t
have ever seen it. This is the dispatcl
sent to the Harvard. saying that tn
I Spaniards were probably at Santiago
:: and the one which Admiral Cotton sal
{ he had delivered to Commodore Schle
! May 9th. In this connection Mr.. Han