The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-01
ABOUT THE SPANISH WAR
TOLD TO THE COURT.
SIGNALS BY INSURGENTS
He Had Code and Supposed All
the Other Captains
Had the Same.

Washington, Sept. 3O.-Rear Ad-
miral Evans, who as captain COM
manded the battleship Iowa during
the Santiago campaign, was witness
before the Schley court Of inquiry
today. His testimony covered the en-
tire period from the time the Iowa
left the port of Key West, on the Goth
day of May, 1898, until the 5th of
July, when Admiral Evans testified
he had a conversation with Admiral
Schley concerning the battle of the
3rd. He described in detail the prin-
cipal battle off Santiago, and also
gave particulars concerning the bonn
bardment of the Colon on the 31st of
May.
Other witnesses of the day were
Capt Theo. F. Jewell, who was COM
mander of the cruiser Minneapolis
during the Spanish war, and Com
mander James NJ Miller, who was in
command of the collier Merrimac un-
til that vessel was turned over to
Lieutenant Hobson to be sunk in the
mouth of the harbor at Santiago.
Adimaral Evans had not concluded
his testimony when the court adjourn
ed for the day.
On his cross examination by Ray
ner, Admiral Evans said he had left
Key West with the Iowa for Glen.
fuegos on May 20, and that he knew
before leaving that port that a secret
code had been arranged for commune
cation with the insurgents on the
shore at Cienfuegos, as Captain Chad
wick had given him this information
"He came aboard the Iowa, said the
witness, +" to deliver dispatches tc
me before we got under way. To my
best knowledge and belief he gave me
written memorandum containing the
secret code, but Notwithstanding
have made diligent search among my
papers for this document, 1 have fail
de to find it,
Mr.. Rayner: "Can you refresh
your memory about this memoran
DUN? There is no doubt of one thing
/ and that is that the Iowa carried dis
patches?'
"None whatever"
when were these dispatches de
livered to Commodore Schley?"
'They were delivered between hal
past twelve and one o'clock on tht
afternoon of the 22nd.'
did you read the memorandum
about the signals given to you b!
Captain Chadwick
Certainly I did, but not the dis
patch to Commodore Schley."
/ Mr.. Rayner then exhibited to wit
: ness two memorandums from the OF
fetal reports, but Admiral Evans sait
that neither of these was the docu
ment to which he had reference
That, he said, was code of signals
with the insurgents.
What became of that memo
randa?"
"As I told you, lost it. searched
everywhere and tried to find it. Il
fact, I am not sure it was memo
randa.''
when did you search for this mem
oranda?"
ST searched within the last montl
for. it, ever since the question ha
been raised in the newspapers abou
my not having given Commodor
Schley this information"
''Then, did you inform Commodor
Schley that this system had been al
ranged?"
81 did not. It never entered M
mind that he did not know it"
.'The Marblehead being the vesse
that established this code and Con
modore Schley's squadron having al
rived at Key West before the Marble
head got there how did it get int
your mind that Commodore Schle
must have known of the signal code
"You make the mistake of suppo!
ing that l knew this was done b
the Marblehead. had no knowledg
that the Marblehead had arrange
these signals. They were simpl
given to me by the chief of staff as
system of. signals"
Z upon what ground did you SUI