The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-31
DECATUR TO / DENY CHARGE Will Flatly Contradict Two
 Witnesses. T. A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY Claim Victims Are Mistaken
 as to Identity. Two Young Men Swear Positively That the Accused Officer Compelled Them to Go Through Ex-
 crciscs.
\ PLEA OF NOT GUILTY

Annapolis, Md. Dec. 30.--Two mid
 shipmen of the fourth class. Isaac N.
 McCrary. of Calvert, Tex, and Gaylord Church of Meadville. Pa. testified pos
 itively this afternoon that Midshipman Stephen Decatur. of Portsmouth. N. H., member of the first class had hazed
 them on different occasions. Decatur will. according to his counsel, go on the
 stand Tuesday when the court will again meet and deny under oath every
 statement which the two under class men made discriminating him.
 As the evidence of each prosecuting
 witness was to separate incidents and entirely unoorroborated. there is a pos
 sibilitv that the evidence will be con sidered insufficient to convict Decatur, but the apparent fact will remain should the latter make the denial
 promised. that d perJurer Is wearing the
 uniform of a midshipman of the United States navy.
 Young Decatur was arraigned at e:S0 this afternoon and pleaded not guilty
 to every charge and specification. Mid
 shipman McCrary was then called and testified clearly and positively that ne had been hazed by Decatur, who, he said, had sent for him to come to De- catur's room. There he had ordered him to stand on his head in the closet and he had done so until he was ex-
  compelled him to do humber 16" and then he was ordered by some one. pos sibly not Decatur he said, to perform the Leaning rest" All of these were continued until the witness could do them no more.
 Demonstrates to Court.
 The " itness showed the court the manner of performing the two exer- cises. In Number IS" the hands were placed on the hips and the body lowered and raised by bending the legs out ward and straig ming them again. l Tn the Leaning rest" the hands and feet were placed on the floor with the body rigid and the body was raised and lowered by bending and straighteninG 1 the arms This was designated as NO !" in the specifications, but this was ap- rarently blunder. | McCrary was -rigidly cross examined | but his story was not shaken. Finally he said In answer, to q question that | he would not believe Decatur 1t ne swore that he had not told him to stand 1 on his head and perform Number 1o Midshipnlan Church testified that De- catur had ordered him to stand on his head but he was not so positive as | McCrary and admitted that he might bt mistaken. These were the only witness | es for the prosecution. The remainder of the session was taken up by Wit
 nesses who testified the good reputa- I ton for truthfulness enjoyed by Deca- l tur Those who gave this testimony were Commander W. F. Fullanl. Lieu | tenant Compnander Edward F. Cape hart, Prof Harry P. Huse and Midship' l men Lawrence S. Stewart and Charles
 E. Hovey. @
 | MT. Thcall, Decatur's counstl stated that the accused midshipman will SC | O nthe stand on Tuesday and deny spc- | ct a effect that he had hazed either McCrary
 or Church and that there would also bS 1 evidence offered tending to establish ar
 alibi. It would tend to prove. Mir. The 1 all said that the case was one o' 1 mistaken identity. ...
 Coffin Convicted.
 Trenmore Coffin, whose trial for thf alleged hazing of Midshipman Jerdor l P. Kimbrough. was concluded yester- ! day. was before the court for briel | period and heard the record of yestef 1 day read and approved It is gener' | allv conceded that Coffin has been con-
 yicted and will he dismissed though oi 1 course nothing is known officially. ! Charges have been filed against Md | shipman Worth Wright Foster of New | Albany, Ind It is specified in his case 1 that he hazed Midshipman Chester $ ! Roberts, of Joliet. Ills, by compelling
 him to get under the table while eating | his supper. This is another usual form of hazing at the academy but ono
 which has not yet been specified in any charge.
 As an officer is always in the room l during meals. the hazing, if 1t took | place, must have been under an off | cer's eyes. but 1t is explained that he 1 cannot see all that goes on because ot l inc large number of midshipmen and | the distances between the different | parts of the room,