Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-15
SCHLEY LAST.
Will Give a Detailed State
 ment of the Case.
THE CUBAN PILOTS STORY.

He Made Statement Which Facts III
 Case ntradict-Comamnder Sears
 In His Testimony Said He Knew
 Nothing of the Code of Signals-He
 Told of the Trip of the Flying
 Squadron to Cienfuegos,
 Washington, Oct 15.-The presenta- tion of the Schley side of the case was continued in the Schley court of ln- quiry to-day. When yesterdays wit nesses had been recalled and had made the verbal corrections necessary n their testimony, they were promptly dismissed, and at the instance of MT Rayner the judge advocate summoned Lieutenant Commander James II. Sears. who as lieutenapE was Admiral Schley's flag officer on board the Brooklyn during the war with Spaln. He testified to many details connected with the campaign and was promptly succeeded by a number of other naval officers who served on the Brooklyn
 The list for the day included Lieu tenant Commander N. B. Mason: eN- ecutiye officer of the Brooklyn; Lieu tenant Commander T. D. Grifhn, Who had charge of the powder division or Admiral Schley's flagship, and Lieu tenants Edward Simpson, who was III charge of the eight-inch turret of the Brooklyn. and opened fire on Iile Standards when they came out of the harbor at Santiago; Charles Webster, and Edward McCauley, the former being watch officer and the latter signal officer on the Brooklyn. It was the understanding that it this i:st could be completed to-day that me officers named should come on to-mor- row.
 Admiral Schley thinks it quite prop able that the presentation or the lestf mony in his behalf can be completed this week and next. He will De the last of the witnesses to be heard, ana when he goes on will make review of the entire campaign, covering the points in controversy.
 Edward Nunez. the Cuban pilot, was among the witnesses called to correct testimony. He added to his state ments of yesterday that he saw the Brooklyn firing on May 31, the day or the bombardment of the Colon. where as the records show that she was at sea at that time coaling and did not participate in the engagement.
 Lieutenant Commander Sears told of the flying squadron's trip to Cienfuegos and that he knew nothing of a code of signals with the insurgents. Con- corning the McCalla memoranda he said it was brought to Commodore Schley by the Hawk and by no other vessel.
 Admiral Schley's defense was out lined yesterday by Captain Cook of the Brooklyn. It is that Schley'S delay at Cienfuegos was due to his failure to receive Sampson's dispatches; that it practically was impossible to coal for several days in the trip from Glen fueeos to Santiago and that Schley s conduct in the battle of Santiago was that of an enthusiastically brave and patriotic officer. Cook confessed that he was responsible for the extraordin- ary maneuver known as the loop Of the Brooklyn.
 The testimony of Captain Cook prob ably will clear Schley of the responsi- bility for the loop. as Cook seems ready to accept the entire responslbll- ity himself It does not, however, clear SchIey from the responsibility for the statement in his letter to the sen ate committee when he offered as an excuse for the loop the fact that it was taken in order to prevent the Brooklyn's blanketing the fire of the other ships.
 Cook testified that the idea of blank eting the fire of the other ships never %1 hi md give a second thought to the sugges- ton that the Brooklyn might be rammed-
 With regard to the blockade of Cien- fuegos. Cook admitted that nothing was done toward finding out whether the Spaniards were inside the harbor except to send men aloft to look over the hills. "But they could not see much" he said, s'and remember see ing small ship come out from the mouth of the harbor and look around.''
 He said that he never was worried about coaling the Brooklyn, and that his only anxiety between Cienfuegos and Santiago about coaling was with regard to the Texas There never was a time from the day they left Ci- enfuegos until June l when Cook did not firmly believe that the Spanish fleet was in Santiago harbor. When fhe pilot, NuneZ, came aboard and told Schley that he did not believe the Spaniards could have gone into Santi- ago Cook had no confidence in him, be- Iieving him to be a Spanish spy, but afterwards he became convinced that Nunez was loyal and simply mistaken Schley seems to have accepted Nunez's s great stress upon them in his letter to the senate. Nunez was put on the stand to-day as one of Schley's wit nesses. As to the retrOgade move ment Captain Cook said he was not consulted with regard to the turn back to Key West. The first he knew of it was when the message came to lay the course of the vessel in that direc- ffon. The signal destination Key Vest was put out soon after the turn was made.
 There was nothing in Cooks testi- mony to lessen the force of the testi- monv already presented with regard fo the inefdciency of the blockades at Cienfuegos and Santiago; the attack r7Don the Colon. the slow progress be tween Cienfuegos and Santiago, or .. -.-4~-~~-, Ia ~17ovoxr1onf Gyoo1x o6-