Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-12-12

The case is too we'll known to need
reviewing. Midshipmau Meriwether
and the late Midshipman Branch en-
gagged ina fstic combat on the night
of November 3 with seconds. referee,
etc. They fought twenty-one rounds.
AS result of the fight Midshipman
Branch died ON the morning of No
yember Z.
\ court martial tried the case and
the testimony was voluminous.
Such was the great Importance Of
the case of Midshipman Meriwether
that Secretary Bonaparte went to the
White House for the purpose of con.
sulting the President with regard TO
the case and To the ultimate action of
the Navy Department ON it, Under
the regulations of the navy, the Navy
Department had full power to act on
this or any court martial case govern
ing a midshipman of the Naval Acad-
emy, even if the recommendation of
the court is dismissal.
The only reason that Secretary Bon
aparte took the Meriwether case to the
President, as he did verbally yester.
day, was because of its great import
auce and because it not only involves
the personal conduct Of Midshipman
j..
al and probably more important point
of the so-called 'ccde" at the Naval
Academy.
Practically the entire Congressional
delegation from the State of Louisiana
was at the Navy Department yester-
day for the purpose of iutercediug in
behalf of Midshipman Meriwether,
who is q native Of Louisiana, and
NJ a1 70 l,n
from that state. General Meyer, who
is himself a member of the House
Committee on Naval Affairs. spoke
cogently in behalf of Midshipman
Meriwether to Secretary Bonaparte.
The plea of the Louisiana delega-
tion was that Midshipman Meriwether
who has unquestionably been acquit-
ted of the charge of manslaughter, be
retained at the Naval Academy. 1t
is understood that Secretary Bona
parte promised to do what he could.
.Meriwether will now have an op-
portunity to devote himself to work
and improv his class standing, which
has been very low. He is determined
to stay IN the Academy and do his
work so well that he will be known
for something besides his part in the
occurrence which he most deeply re-
grets. Nevertheless, he will have a
hard time to pull up. He is not
naturally q student, though bright
enough, and his standing is almost at
the very foot of his class. In fact
last year he failed. but was allowed a
examination and passed. He also
had very large number sof demeritF,
which made his standing in conduct
also low.
1t is generally thought here that the
punishment is very fair. There is no
question but that the general feeling
was that it would be most unjust to
visit very severe sentence on Meri
wether on account of the unfortunate
termination Of his fight with Branch,
when snyo who had anything TO dc
with this fight or any other was Just
as oulpable. On the other nend, there
can also be no doubt that too light 8
sentence would add TO the imT preston
derived from certain Of the testimony
before the oourt-martial, that the an.
thorities did not particularly oppose
the midshipmen fights.
The approval of the sentence ends
the official action in connection witf
the incident of the death of Midship
man James r. Branch, who died OF
the morning of Tuesday, November z
after having engaged in a pre-ar
ranged fist fight with Midshipmar
Minor Meriwether, Jr., on the night
of November 8. The incident anC
subsequent court-martial were giver
the widest publicity, intense genera
interestswas taken in the matter and {
great variety of views on the subjec
were elicted by communications il
the pubic press.
At the trial much of the testimony
shed light on midshipmen's fight, tia
student code, hazipg and other Ike
matters. An attempt was made b.
the counsel for the defense to show
that such fights as Meriwether anC
Branch engaged in were approved b,
the midshipmen body and not strongl
opposed by the naval authorities
The latter was denied as to ia smselyes
nv Admiral James II. Sands and Cap
tain George P. Colvocoresses, superin
tendent and commandant Of midship
men, respectively, and both of thes
officers are on record as being abso
luteIy opposed to a continuance o
fighting.