The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-07
AdmirnI schIer,. vindicntIon.

Admiral SchIey's Vindication.
When the Hon. Isidor Rayuer At
torney General of Maryland. concluded
his splendid and imnassioned address
closing the argument for Admiral
SchIey before the Court of Enquiry. the
pent-up feelings Of the audience which
crowded tie court room and had lis
| tened with GREATNESS interest and eX-
element throughout the argument,
could not be longer controlled. Marine
orderlies had been moving about in an
uicipation Of the demonstration. eau
( tioning visitors against applause 1t
was Of no avail Mr. Eayners per
grafton, in which he praised the
yalor and services of the Victor
Of Santiago, was ended Many of his
auditors were in tears. The Court and
Admiral Schley were visibIy affected.
Then there was a dead silence for per
( haps a quarter of a minute, followed
by storm Of applause that made the
rafters ring Women stood on chairs
waving their handkerchiefs. the Court
arose and moved over To Admiral
Schley and his chief counsel congrat1-
lating them upon Mr.. Rayner's great
effort The hero Of the day and his il
luStrious client We're kept busy for the
next half hour shaking hands with the
crowd who would not go away until
they had added their praise to that Of
1 the three admirals. II was a fitting
close 10 defence which the whole
country feels to have been defence of
American honor and naval decencv.
against the Vaccinations of Iibele~s.
traducers, conspirators. and-we will
not say perjurers. whatever we may
think on the subject
In the course of his address Mr. Raw
ner awaited himself Of one Of those
forensic fctions so common at the bar.
and praised the judicial fairness which
had been shown by the judge advocate
in the course Of the prosecution. The
public. not being bound by professional
considerations Of courtesy without re-
gard TO fact. will not endorse the polite
statement Of Admiral SchIey's counsel.
! which indeed Captain Lemly fastened
| To refute by characteristic action at the
first succeeding opportunity. Il was not
]
ling the Department creature Potts
without gloves, and referred to a state
ment Of that small person on the stand
TO the effect that he always was scared
/ In battle. Lemly. hot and hairy. with
every one Of his black bristles set On
end like quilts upon the fretful p0rcu-
[ pine rushed 10 the defence Of his star
witness. declaring that Mr. Rayner's
statements were unreliable, and that
Potts had not said he was scared. But
Admiral Dewey observed that the Court
had heard the testimony and remem-
bered perfectly well that Potts had
sworn that he was scared. Lemly must
admit that on the strength Of that Jolt.
il is written in the history Of the navy
that Potts was scared. So much for
the prosecuting agSt Of the Naviga-
tion Bureau ring, who conducts the
delicate business Of the Departments
effort 10 destroy the reputation Of the
second in fame Of our great naval com
manders for unworthy purposes which
are known 20 the nation. with all the
grace and mildness Of a mad bull in a
china shop.
said Mr Rayuer. in summing up
such a trial as this has never 10 my
/ knowledge taken place in the history
| Of the world-a man tried for achieving
a great victory for his country. and an
/ effort made 10 condemn him for having
! carried 10 a successful termination az
( great naval triumph as ever was won
upon the waters Of the world" The
s..r- ID
/ the annals Of any people. ancient. me
/ diaeval. or modern. can be found stain
ed with such an Infamous attempt TO
/ rob the victor in a great sea battle Of
! the laurels Of his victory. that they
I might be- transferred TO a court favorite
I who conveniently had absented himself
| from the scene Of the engagement dur
I ing its entire progress In no other
country Of our time would such a thing
/ be possible. Anywhere in Europe naval
officers who should couspire To falsify
records and lie about the facts Of a
/ campaign prosecuted in war. their OBJ
/ jecJ being TO ruin the successful com
| mander in such campaign, would
promptly be- COuTt-martIalcd. and might
| think themselves lucky 10 be accorded
/ a soldiers death against a buIkhead on
/ deck instead Of being swung from the
/ yard-arm as richly they would deserve
/ To- bee. The American people believe
/ that as far as il is possible 10 do so. the
/ Court viii vindicate the honor Of the
I flag and service and render such an
! opinion as viii show the contempt that
/ officers and gentlemen must feel far
prevaricators and spitefuI prosecutors
/ anything beyond the province of the
| tribunal can be- attended To by Con
! gress OF one thing we may be GER
/ tain: After the verdict is in, there viii
/ be- "A universal and insisteut demand
( for the elimination OF Samps0uism and
| Crowninshieldism from the American
! Navy
| Although the latest indications seem 10
Z no that the MARYLAND IgspT1I4frgra will