The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1905-11-04
THE COFFIN
HAz|NG CASE
Letter From Washington by For.
mer Nevadan Treats of Trial
Now in Progress

but now of Washington, D.. c., Sends the
Silver State the folio wing interesting let
ter:
M~idshipman Trenmore Coffin, Jr, of
Carson City, Nevada, a member of the
third class at the United States naval
academy, was put on trial this week be-
fore a court martial of naval officers for
the alleged hazing of Midshipman KIM
Drough of Tennessee, a member of the
''plebe' class. This case Is likely to provo
one of the most interesting ever heard
at the naval academy. and the outcome
OF it will undoubtedly materially affect
the future discipline of the institution.
Midsnipnnan kimDrough wrote to ms reia-
lives in tennessee tuil details of the first
attempts at hazing practiced on him.. His
relatives took the matter up with the
authorities VINO instituted an investisa-
ton and this incensed the midsnipmen
VINO consider it against the ethics OF the
academy for one of their number Ito tel
tales out of school"
Shortly after the hazing of kimbrough
Admiral Sands recommended hat Mid
snipman Coffin and Midsnipman Van Der
yer OF New Jersey be dismissed. The
greatest excitement prevailed in Annap-
oNs following the story of the alleged
Aazing. A board of inquiry was promptly
appointed by Superintendent Sands, who
forwarded the findings to Washington.
one of the midshipmep is alleged TO have
reamrAed apropos OF the investigations:
1t is hell-the ooys are taking to the
woods"
The facts briefly stated are that Kim
of the fourth or ''plebe" class, was taken
to the hospital December Il in a semi
conscious condition, suffering from ex-
IRENE exhaustion, the result of being
brutally hazed in his room in Bancroft
Hall. The .hazing is alleged to have been
done by Coffin a nd the charge against
Var Deryer is mat he was in charge of
the floor and failed to report the case.
Immediately the facts were ascertained
by the authorities Con- and Van Derver
were put under guard and confined as
prisoners on the training ship Hartford.
There has been little doubt from the out
set of the case that the recommendation
for the dismissal of Midshipman Coffin
by Admiral Sands will be carried out.
The hazing of Kimbrough which led to
his collapse was the direct result of his
having told his grandfather who visited
him of the fact that ne had been put
through a few stunts" by the upper
classmen. The grandfather made COM
plant without the knowledge of the
grandson and this made Kimbrough liable
for another and more severe hazing for
stand on his head in the corner of his
room until he collapsed from exhaustion.
Efforts to revive him were futile, but 1t
was not until it was feared that he was
the authorities and the young nan taken
TO the hospital. Another midshipman,
Henry Cooper. of Oxford. N. c., was
stricken with paralysis of the entire right
side about the time Kimbrough collapsed,
and while Cooper refuses to talk, every
body believes that his conditiin was due
to hazing.
1t appears that the death of young
Branch as a result Of his fight with Meri-
weather did not have a tendency to dis
courage brutality In the academy. No
less than six fights occurred at the acad-
envy in the interval between the death IL
Branch and the conclusion of the court
martial trial OF Meriweather. whose blow
resulted fatally to Branch. 1t has be-
come very evident to the authorities that
IL hazing is to be stopped it will nave
to be as the result OF Interference by the
authorities. The midshipmen do not seem
to nave the ability to abolish it them
selves. The case of Kmbrough is by no
means an Isolated one. Under the adj
ministration VI President Mckinley a
midshipman from one of the western
States was required to stand on his head
until the treatment In hemorrhages, and
his condition was even more serious in
its Ultimate results hi was that of Md
shpman Kimbrough. The victim in this
case had no father living to intervene
with the authorities in his behalf, but his
mother wrote a pathetic letter to Presi-
dent Mckinley and an investigation was
but when 1t was discovered
that those guilty of hazing were the sons