Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-23
A COURT-MARTIAL ORDERED
Many Seamen Gunners to Be Tried for
Hasing the Uolored Men.
Detail for the Court Made-Specihca-
lions to the Charges Against
the Accused.

AS predicted in Saturdays Star. the Sec
rotary Of the Navy has ordered court
martial to assemble at the Washington navy
yard next Thursday afternoon at l o'clock
to try four members of the class Of seamen
gunners on charges of conduct to the
prejudice of good order and discipline, in
having hazed three colored members of the
same class with the intention of driving
them out of the service
The detail for the court is as follows:
Capt P. F. Harrington, Commanders R. P.
Leary and Joshua Bishop. Lieut.. Com
mander ]. N. Hemphill and Lieutenants
D. H. Mahan, Charles Laird and John Hood.
with Ensign Warren J. Terhune as judge
advocate. The men to be tried are Ramsy
w. Smith. Edward Murphy. Archibald ].
Lamont and Raymond w. Fox, seamen in
the United States navy. There Is but one
charge against them, and 1t Is based on a
single specification.
The Specification.
In 1t IL is charged that the men named,
while serving as members of the class Of
enlisted men under instruction In ordnance
at the Washir gton navy yard. did. on No
yember II, 1895, or thereabouts, "conspire
among themselves and with others for the
unlawful purpose of driving from said
class the following legally constituted men,
b,rs thereof. namely, John A. jackson.
John Thompson and VIM. johnson, sea-
men. United States navy, by hooting and
jeering said men and by singing a de-
risive song in their presence, with intent
to annoy them and by means Of the sew
eral acts of persecution and maltreatment."
The acts of persecution are described in
the specification in great detail. 1t is
charged that Smith threw bucketful Of
water on johnson, Jackson and Thompson
" lille they were walking past the window
of the wash room, and that on another &C.
cesio1 Smith threw a leaden shrapnel bail
or like missile at Jackson in the dormitory,
with intent to injure, and that he subse-
quently threw a similar missile at Thomp
son.
On the following morning it is alleged
that Fox applied an opprobious epithet to
Thompson and challenged him to fight and
that Smith tried to foment quarrel be-
tween the two men. 1t is also alleged
that while the men were at breakfast in
the mess hall Smith threw the contents of
a salt cellar on Thompson and challenged
him to fight and the challenge being de-
clned he called Thompson "a dirty cur"
and "a coward" Lamont is charged with
having made an effort to let down john
sons cot while the latter was asleep, and
when 1t failed he threw shoes at johnson.
Some Alleged Utterances.
1t is also alleged that Smith said in the
presence Of Jackson that I'VE will have to
kilr' these men, and IF we stick together
we will rival the James gang" Murphy
is also charged with the utterance of SIM
liar threats, having at one time said: Let
US form q lynching party" Murphy,
Smith and others are charged with having
proposed to members of the class that a
committee be appointed to compel certain
other members of the class to withdraw
from the main me SIS table, and that La
mont, Murphy. Smith, Fox and others did
make such demand of Thompson, johnson
and Jackson. The various acts specified
are said to have been ito the prejudice Of
good order and discipline in the navy"