Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-30
COFFIN CASE IS ARGUED
Testimony in Hearing of kidshipmsn
Accused Of HsEing is Faded.
MATTER NOW IN HANDS OF THE COURT
Crowds FIJI Room at Naval Academy
where First Glass Man L.
Accused of Abusing
KimbrouEh.

ANNAPOLIS. Md, Dec. 9-The second
days session of the court-martial OF Mo
shipman Trcnmore Coffin, jr, for the al
legged hazlng of Midshipman. Kimbrough
began this morning. The little court room
In the temporary building at the academy
was full of spectators during the day An
hour was consumed at the opening OF the
session in reviewing the testimony given
yesterday
The first witness on the stand today was
Midshipman Overdown Whtmeyer' tHe
roommate of Kimbrough. He was intro
duced by the prosecution to rebut the testi-
mony rejecting on kimbroughs character
for truthfulness He said that he had never
heard Kimbroughs reputation for veracity
questioned and that in his personal rela-
tions he had always found Kimbrough en-
! tirely truthful. Midshipman Frank "A.
BREASTED. a classmate, gave similar testi-
mony. There were no further witnesses
and arguments of counsel begun.
+. S. Theall opened the argument for the
accused. Lieutenant Commander Harrison
the Judge advocate, quoted from winthrop
on military form in regard to the rules
governing the Introduction of evidence as
| to a confession. He made no further re-
marks and the case was given to the court.
sands VIII Review Case.
The record in the Coffin case will 60 at
! once to Admiral Sands for his action
! though Mr.. Theall. counsel for Coffin, has
| filed a request that It be forwarded to the
secretary of the navy for review. In the
same communication he urges that a ver-
| dict of guilty, IL rendered, be set aside; that
| the navy regulations were violated by al
lowing Kimbrough to testify when he could
not identify the accused, and also because
he was not allowed to pursue line of ques-
tioning designed to impeach Kimbrough'
testimony by showing that his reputation
for veracity was not good.
The fact developed today that In addition
! to Midshipman Stephen Decatur, jr.
| charged with four instances of hazing. an
other member of the graduating class Is
| under the same charge and others will he
brought to trial under like allegations.
Nlidshpman Decatur was. after recess
brought before the same court which had
tried Midshpman Coffin. but his counsel
E. S. Theall Of Washington. asked that 4
recess be take nuntil tomorrow afternoon
and the request was granted.
Charges Against Others.
The other midshipman of the graduating
class against whom charges of hazing hav,
been filed is Worthweght Foster of New
Albany. Ind. The specifications have no
been made public. 1t is also understood
that Carroll f. Graves of Spokane. Wash.
Is under arrest and that charges will b.
filed against him. Nor is this case the end
for it is known that several other member
of the first class have received intimation
that they must answer to the same charg
in the near future.
That the first class men are engaged fl
hazing. a practice hitherto left to the thir
class, is explained on the ground that Ad
miral Sands opposition to hazing has ar
rayed the upper classmen against him in
desperate attempt to save the system at tn
academy. The other men at the institution
are said to have taken II upon, themselve
to Keep the practice alive because the
thought themselves less likely to be sus
pected, and they are almost immune fror
reports by members of their own class, tn
only class the members of which are o
duty in the hall except in a minor way