Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-11-29
THE MERIWETHER TRIAL.

lnh u1hhl w "a L ahAs 1bAEAh''
The counsel for Midshipman Meri-
wether, who is on trial at Annapolis be-
fore a court marital, charged with caus-
ing the death of Midshipman Branch,
introduced three medical experts yesler-
day, all of whom declared it their opin-
ion that Branch did not receive his
injury from blows from fist. The sur
geons witnessed the autopsy on the
body of young Branch, at the request of
the counsel for the accused.
These surgeons we're Drs. James ID.
Gatewood, U. S. ~, attached TO the
Naval Medical College at Washington /;
Howard E Ames, U. S. n, and l.. w.
Glazebrooke, physician and surgeon, of
Washington, and deputy coroner of
that city. All stated they were satisfied
that the injury from which Branch
died, which, it developed at the autopsy,
resulted in large blood clot on the left
side of the brain, was not inflicted by
Meriwether with his fists, but that it had
been sustained by the head of the victim
coming in contact with some hard,
smooth, unyieding surface. They de-
clared it might have been the wall Of the
room in which the battle was fought, or
the floor, to which the men fell three
times, or some fixture in the room with
which Dranch's head came in contact
Another point brought out by these
gentlemen was that, in their opinion, the
blood clot had resulted from ruptured
blood vessel of the brain, due to one blow,
and not series of blows, as was
the general opinion at the beginning OF
the trial. But where the blood emanated
from none could state. They said it
might have been one smsll vessel or
more that had been ruptured.
The surgeons also found that the scalp
on the forehead had been burned
through, presumably by the hot towels
and bath given the victim after the fight,
and they agreed that hot applications
had tendency to increase the hemor-
rhage in the brain. Furthermore, DIR.
Gatewood stated that there was a posi-
bilty that an operation on the left side,
of the head instead of the right side
where DR.. j. NJ. T. Finney made his in
cision, might have been successful,
though he admitted that the symptoms
were such as to cause anyone to believe
the trouble lay on the right side of the
brain.
All of the surgeons agreed on the main
points, but the prosecution will place on
the stand Chief Surgeon Byrnes and Drs.
Webb aud Hoyt, and probably Dr. Stokes,
all OF whom witnessed the autopsy. There
is good reason to believe that at least
one of these gentlemen will differ in
opinion with the three experts of yester-
day, but just to what extent is not known.
However, at all events, many friends Of
the accused are elated over the tesli-
mony of the surgeons yesterday. They
believe it will be very comforting to the
yonng man and his family to know
that Branch received his injury by fall
ing when rushing the accused during
the fight, rather than that he died from
blow or repeated blows from Meri-
wethtr's fists.
Besides bringing out the main points of
the case, such as his opinion as to how
the injury had been sustained. DR..
Ames, who was chief surgeon at the
academy for a number of years, stated
that he had treated sever u of the mid
shipmen after "honor" fights, but had
only reported one case, which appeared
serious, but that he did not know of any
punishment having been inflicted.
During the day an instance of the
"honor code" was told of by Midship-
man Williams, who said that on the
practice ship Chesapeake midshipman
was ordered reported by the command
er for not Immediately resenting play
full remark which the higher officer mis-
understood and thought an insult.
A tacit understanding that fighting
was to be passed over without comment
was told of by DR.. Ames.
Lieutenant Commander Magruder
spoke of the absence of records of punish
ment for fighting as such.
Midshipman Meriwether is to be the
last witHess in his own behalf today.
--ae~