The sun., 1905-12-13
REPRIMAND FOR MERlWETHER
AND CONFINEMENT TO NAVAL
ACADEMY GROUNDS FOR 4 YEAR.

ANU NUNI AVE ~ " 'N'hF 90
ACADEMY GROUNDS FOR 4 YEAR.
qhe MIdsbipman Is Found Gulty on Two
Counts, but Is Acquitted Of Man
slaughter nOnRpartc Partially He
mits Sentence Officers Are Please d..
wAsHINdToN. Dec. l2.-Secretary OF the
Navy Bonaparte in n decision made pubic
to-day In the case Of Midshipman Minor
Meriwether, Jr, Of Louisiana. third class
Naval Academy, who was tried on charges
growing out of the death of Midshipman
James X. Branch, Jr., of New York on No
vembcr o, as the result of fist fight with
Meriwether, approved the sentence OF
confinement to the Naval Academy grounds
and public reprimand by the Secretary
OF the Navy which was imposed by the
court-martial.
To the extent Of permitting him to 90
on the practice cruise Mr.. Bonaparte mlti-
gated the sentence. He reached his con-
clusions after a conference on the subject
with President Roosevelt and there IL no
doubt that Mr.. Roosevelt was in fun
accord with the course Of action taken
by Mr. Bonaparte.
The most serious part Of the Meriwether
sentence il regarded az the public reprimand
by the Secretary Of the Navy. Such reprl-
mands are very infrequent and the disgrace
OF one is considerable. Confinement to the
Naval Academy means that Meriwether
will not be allowed to go into the town Of
Annapolis or attend the regular hops.
In the decision made by Secretary Bona
parte he sums up the finding Of the court
and his own recommendations in the open
Ing paragraph az follows
"The Secretary of the Navy has completed
his review Of the Meriwether case. and has
approved the sentence impOsed by the court.
The sentence is that the accused be con-
fined to the limits Of the Naval Academy
for a period of one year and he publicly
reprimanded by the Secretary of the Navy.
The Secretary, however, deems it proper
that the sentence should be mitigated 20
as to permit Meriwether to participate in
the next annual practice cruise, and in his
order for the approval OF the sentence di-
rects that so much of the penalty as might
oebar the accused from service on any
practice ship attached to the Academy lie
remitted."
Meriwether was tried on three charges
manslaughter, violation of the third clause
OF the eighth article of the Navy regulations
and conduct to the prejudice of good order
and discipline. On the charge OF man
slaughter Meriwether was cleared. Mr..
Bonaparte's review on TINS point says, In
part:
the benefit of any rea sonahl le doubt and the
record disclOses state OF proof whIch, IL
1t did not compel at least lustihed an c.
quittal on this charge
Merwether was found guilty on the
second and third charges There were two
specifications in the second charge, alleg,,
ing that Merwether did quarrel with and
use provoking words toward Midshipman
Branch saying that he was a sneak and a
coward, or words to that effect. and, ac-
cording to the second specflcation the
accused on November did wifully and ma
liciously assault and strike" the deceased.
The third charge cont aimed but one specltt-
cation, setting forth that on November 5the
accused did "unlawfuIly engage with the
deceased in fight with fists"
Officers of the Navy Department are well
satisfied with the sentence and believe that
Aleriwether deserved nothing more severe.
To Meriwether's friends here and most
OF the officers Of the navy in Washington
who have taken his side In the matter, and
to the members Of the Louisiana Congress
sional delegation, who have been working
most actively in his behalf the sentence is
highly satisfactory. The court might have
dismissed the midshipman on either OF the
charges which were proved. Accordingly
the sentenceas it now stands Is considered
light.
The most interesting result of the court
martial, which will probably become a
historic case. will be the effect it will have
on the system at the Naval Academy. 1t is
confidently expected that there will be
Congressional investigation. 1t is known
that many Congressman and Senators have
been deeply interested in conditions at
Annapolis as brought out by the recent
court-martial and they may determine
that something be done to do away with
the code, just as such action was taken at
West Point.
The Meriwether case has been one OF
the most interesting in the annals of the
navy, and has probably attracted as wide
spread attention as any court-martial in
recent years There are many officers
familiar with the methods at Annapolis
who think that it will be only with great
difficulty that the custom of fighting can
be abolished, IL at all. Most officers are in
favor Of fighting, although, of course, they
do not uphold such results as came from
the Branch -MeriWether contest.