Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-29

MIdshipman Humphreys that in an inter-
view with Captain Colvercoresses the lat
ter had SAID Iii so many words that lighting
would not be interfered with by the author
tires
Captain Colvercoresses said the interview
with Humphreys had certainly taken-place,
but IL had been specifically on the subject
of "haZnG'' and ''frenching. If there wa
any mention of lighting it had been very
incidental. and had made no impression on
his mind. He was also asked about his re-
mark on the first day of the trial that he
was surprised that the blow had not fol-
lowed the word" when Meriwether had
called on Branch and called him coward.
The commandment shut his mouth tight
behind his closely -curled gray mustache
and screwed up his face till his eyes tw H.
kled
Il meant" said lie. that as some people
are constituted that would have provoked
fight on the spot"
That is to say you would have fought?"
inquired Mr. Monroe.
II hope not at my age" said the COM
mandant mildly. But possibly at his age
should have done so.
The reply caused general smile as it
was not the general understanding that the
commandment was the sort of a man to let
his age stand in the way of little thing
of that sort -sss
Captain Colvercoresses in general terms
said that Admiral Sands, the superintend-
emit had strongly disa approved of fighting or
anything else prejudicial to discipline Per-
sonally, lie said he regarded lighting as
'prejudicial to good order and discipline
and should be punished as a misdemeanor."
The Defense Closed.
The defense today closed its evidence 1t
played its final card in putting Meriwether
himself on the stand to tell the story of his
quarrel with Branch.
1t was Il straightforward story, complete
in all details, but it was handicapped by
rather a bad delivery. Merwether, like sew
eral other mdshipmen who have been on
the stand, evidently nervous over
speaking in public, and while his story was
fun and evidenced sincere regret over the
death of Branch it was rather haltingly
told.
Meriwether made one point that rather
made the rebuttal testimony of the prose-
cution fall fiat. There have been numer-
Gus references during the trial to his
telling Branch to Go to hi" when
Branch. aboard the Hartford, ordered
him to turn in. No one had testified that
they heard this remark. But Meriwether
In relating the story volunteered the
statement that he had done so. Conse-
quently. when the prosecution introduced
two mfdshpment especially to prove this
point their testimony had already been
forestalled.
Origin of the Hostility.
Meriwether said that Branch's feeling
toward him grew out of an incident a few
weeks after he had entered the academy
He had called down" Branch for some
purely personal matter. and as this was an
unheard of performance on the part of a
lower-class man, Branch had never for
given It. Asked directly what was the
trouble Meriwether re :eilpd
Il would rather not state it here. sir"
Some of the officers of the court evidently
knew what it was however and the ques-
tlon was not pressed.
Nearly all of the court the opposing coun-
sci and the judge advocate took hand in
the examination, but the main line of Meri-
wether's story was not shaken in any part
The chief point that the Judge advocate
did bring out was that after Meriwet her
had been reported aboard the Hartford for
INSTRUMENTATION. disrespect to an officer and
not turning in when ordered" he had not
confessed TO the commandant of midship-
men that he had cursed Branch for ordering
him to bed
The testimony In rebuttaI after the main
story OF the morning was not exciting. Mid
sHlpman Howell, who was on the stand at
the close of the morning session provoked
one smile He had spoken of "plebe" as
being ''ratey."
Might infer from that that YOU mean
lndependent? asked Admiral Mccormick.
blandly. NJ
I'VE don't admit that a pIebe can he in
uepsehdeht, sir. said the upper cIassman a
Then every one smiled
Admiral Sands on Fighting.
Admiral Sands, superintendent G. Tie
academy, was called at the afternoon ses
sion In connection with the general charge
mat had been made In the trial that fight
ing was the rule in the academy and was
not frowned on by the authorities Admiral
sands said that he considered fighting un-
DER the head of gross disorder" He would
give fifty dement's for lighting. In several
nghtlng was not countenanced by The ui;-
thorities.
yesterday Afternoons Session.
The defense seemed to be as well satisfied
with the outcome OF the afternoon session
"a 1t was with the morning. DIR. Howard
Ames. surgeon of the North Atlantic feet
and DR.. Glazebrook. deputy coroner of
Washington. were called and both confirmed
the testimony of Surgeon Elmer Gatewood,
who appeared at the morning session, as to
the result OF the autopsy Condensed. their
evidence was that young Branch had died
from hemorrhage of the BRAIN brought on
not from blows inflicted by Meriwether but
py striking his head in falling while he was
rushing Meriwether TO a clnch This was
what the defense wanted TO bring out and
II was testimony that could not have been
9eSeloped but for Commander Robison's
demand for an autopsy.
DIT Ames said he had been medical officer
"a the academy for two years. about 1903
and 1905. During that time a number of
men men were brought to the hospital suffering
more and some less severe than the INJURIES
suffered by Branch. He had never heard
or any punishment being inflicted for fight
Ing. Regarding the state OF anal disclosed
by the autopsy, he said II would have been
utterly impossible for fist inclosed in a
glove to have inflicted the injury shown to
nave been suffered by Branch The hem
orrha~c iaslde the skull was undoubtedly