The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-27
ON TRIAL FOR FLIRTING
Some Naval Cadets at Annapolis Throw
Kisses to an Excursion Party.

The Watchman Catches Them ut it, and
Prefers Charges Against Them-A Court
Martial Convoked to Discipline the
Cadets.
For several days an Irish sentry with
a musket paced up and down before
the steam building in the Naval Acad-
emy yard at Annapolis this week. With
in this building court of inquiry sat
in plum -colored chairs. The court is
composed of commander of Cadets
Farquhar and two brother officers. Be
fore the trial table, which is Uttered
with ponderous volumes and huge rolls
of manuscript, are arranged twenty
members of the second class of cadets.
The scene is one of much impressive
ness, rendered more SO by the unusual
gravity of the offence of which the
cadets are suspected. The offence con-
sists in smiling and blowing kisses to a
lot of Baltimore Sunday school girls on
picnic.
One day last week the steamer Nelly
White cut loose from her Light street
wharf in Baltimore and dropped down
the harbo1, having on board merry
excursion party, composed of the choir,
Sunday school and officers of the Mon
ument street Methodist Episcopal
church. 1t was nearly dusk when the
steamer tied up at the Naval Academy
wharf at Annapolis. There she re-
mained an hour.
The excursion was literally supplied
with music, the girls were in high
spirits, and as they tripped gay1y down
the gangplank at Annapolis they be-
came the focus of admiration of per
haps thirty members of the second
class of cadets, who were lounging
around the wharf, displaying to the
best advantage their neat uniforms,
their polished boots, and their rat-tail
moustaches. The jolly girls were
under the watchful care of the teachers
of the school, and though they cast
many shy glances at the handsome uni
forms, not the slightest opportunity
was allowed for the girls and the ca
diets to exchange words. 1t was a
great temptation for the cadets, and
they stood about disconsoIate, like
cranes in shallow water, and mani
tested their admiration for the girls by
smirking, doffing their caps, and throw
ing now and then, it is said, a kiss
from their fingers. These attentions,
however, were not returned by the
girls.
The cadets got up sort of broom
drill on the campus, near the wharf
and performed series of man9uvres,
romping like school boys, and in many
ways exhibited their great apprecia-
ton of the visit of the Sunday school
girls. Some of them were noisy, but
no bad language was used. Some OF
the cadets went on board the steamer,
and when she finally puAed away with
a fringe Of white dresses around the
rail on the upper deck and hand
kerchiefs huttering in the breeze, the
cadets looked gloomy. The watchman
had been an unseen spectator of every
thing that had occurred. While the
steamer was at the wharf he was con-
cealed in a sentry box, and made
notes of the actions of the cadets
which to hin: seemed highly uncalled
for, ,injudicious, and improper.
Accordingly the next day he handed
in report to Commander of Cadet
Farquhar, in which were the names O
about twenty Of the cadets coupled
with the following offences:
Covertly kissing the hand at an nn
known female.
Covertly tipping the hat att do.
Covertly smiling at persons or persons
unknown to the observer.
Exposing the head to the malariI in
tluence of the night air in an imprope,
manner, by laying the hat on the grounG
and jumping over it.
Wilfully and maliciously winking tht
eye in tho direction Of the person or per
sons of the female gender above men
toned.
Exhibtio Of urclllcd for interest il
the arrival of the excursion.
Hollcrin' and carryin' on.
The penalty for flirting with girls
under the new code of rules instituted
by Superintendent Ramsay, varies by
degrees of severity from three days il
solitary confinement on the ship San
tee, on a diet of box corn and SOU
balls, to suspension from the Academy
He has the reputation of being one o
the strictest disciplinarians in the ser
vice.
Commander Farquhar hung his ha
over the keyhole as an extra precau
ton. All the members of the seconC
class, about fifty, are to be examined
and it is rumored that every one proveC
guilty of kissing his hand, or "hollerin
and carryin' on" will be put down il
the hold of the Santee.
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