Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-11-25
MIDSHIPNEN AS WITNESSES
All The Testimony At The Meri-
wether Court This Morning
By Members of
Brigade.
ASSISTANT JUDGE ADVOCATE
rs APPOINTED BY THE
DEPARTMENT.
Surgeon Stokes, Of Washington,
Reports In This Capacity,
And Will Aid The
Prosecution.

1 AANcCNuAiQus
At this mornings session OF the
| Meriwether court-martial the only
| real development was the receipt OF
| the Navy Department S, consent TO the
exhuming of Midshlpman Branch S
| body and the performance of the au-
topsy by the physicians
This matter Will be arranged entire
| ly by the authorities at the Academy
for the court. aud the delivery of the
departments reply by Lieutenant
Commander I, Z. Magruder. aide to
Superintendent Sands, was the first
occasion on which any of the Acad-
emy authorities have been seen official
| ly on the floor OF the court. The mes
| sage from the department was merely
| a consent to the action asked by the
| court, and stated that the necessary
| orders had been issued. No date was
| set for the dis-interment of the body
| nor for the autopsy, these matters be-
| ing left entirely in the hands of the
authorities here
Another development was tho re-
| ceipt of a message from the depart
ment appointing Surgeon Stokes rs
| assistant prosecutor TO aid Judge Ad-
vocate Adolph Marixsin the case Sur.
geon Stokes arrived shortly after the
message and was presented TO the
| court. He took no active part in the
proceedings, however, and il is
| thought that he will be used by the
prosecution only in connection with
the coming autopsy on the body Of
Branch.
The morning session was given over
| largely to the testimony of additional
midshipmen. summoned by the de-
fense, and the correcting of the testi-
mony taken yesterday. The evidence
introduced by the defense through the
| midshipmen witnesses was largely to
| show that Branch had vented his dis
like for Meriwether in the use Of his
higher official rank, and the reporting
of the accused on many occasions
Each witness was also interrogated
regarding the course which should
have heen persued by Meriwether nm
der these circumstances and most Of
them admitted that they would have
done exaely as the accused had done.
1t was also brought out that had
not Meriwetber acted as he did in
forcing challenge and then accepting
the challenge, he would have surely
lost caste with his fellows. not only
of his own class, but in all of the
grades at the institution A man who
would stand these constant alleged
actions of Branch's and not force a
fight, and after receiving a challenge
should decline to fight, would, accord
ing to several Of the witnesses, stand
in danger of being placed in coventry
by his fellows.
The first witness was Midshipman
l.. J. Oarstein. He testified that he
had known Branch and that Branch
had held conversation with him on
the subject Of reporting Meriwether
for offence, one particular case being
when the deceased midshipman came
to Carstein after hearing that Meri.
wether had been caught by the latter
'frenching I" On this occasion. &C.
cording to the witness, Branch had
been most insistant. and had asked
him that he ''be sure to see that that
report of frenching be made. - The
witness, in speaking Of the way in
which Branch bad urged this report,
used the word Fnagging" me to do it.
He was asked "what was the cause Of
this nagging, and replied 1T seem
ed to me that Branch had some deem
seated grudge against Meriwether.
Midshipman Ii. B. Labhardt testi-
fed to Branch having read letter Of
Meriwether's IS on one occasion when
the upper classman bad entered the
room of the accused to run" him.
Lieutenant Commander Zeigemeyer
testified to an occurrence on the u. =
s. Hartford, Of which he was execu-
tive officer during the summer cruise.
when Branch had reported Meri wether
for disIespect to an officer. This
reporting of the accused had led TO
an investigation by the executive Off
Ger, and on cross examination. Mr..
Zeigemeyer was led to admit that nc
thought Branch had an exaggerated
idea of the disTespect to an officer.
Midshipman William q. Page testi.
fed to this incident aboard the Hart
ford, and said it occurred one night
when fruit boat came alongside The
vessel after taps. The witness, with
Meriwether, tErned out of their ham.
mocks and in their pajamas went to
buy some of the fruit Somebody
yelled "jiggers' while the barteripg
was in progress and all hands rushed
back TO their hammoeks. According
to the witness Branch, who was assist
ant mate of the deck, came along
shortly after and told Meriwether that
he ''had him good and was going to
report him. The witness added that
Branch did not report any one else of
the fruit buying party except Meri-
wether and that he. the witness, had
thought this rather strange at the
time
Other testimony by this witness was
to the right of midshipmen in charge
of floors in quarters to investigate
the clothes bags and other belongings
of another midshipman when the
owner was not present. He said that
he thought that was considered ex
ceeding the authority Of the man max
ing such an inspection. He also tes-
tilted to the prevalence Of fighting
and stated that after each fight one
or both Of the participants landed 10
the hospital az a result.
The last witness of the morning was
Midshipman w. II. Post He also
told of the Hartford incident, and
said that at the time Branch had
caught the men out Of their bunks
after taps he had not worn any uni
form to indicate that he was on duty.
and had claimed that MeriwetheF had
told him to go to n, and it was
for this "disrespect "that he intended