The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-01
Describes the Contest; 1t Must
Have Been Brutal.
Branch's Face Was Pounded
Terribly; Body Blows.
Officers Say Marble Playing
Not Students Function.


ger, graduate of the Minneapolis Contra
nigh school and member of the third
ear class, United States naval acad
my, was witness of the terrific fist
light between Minor Meriwether, Jr.
md James r. Branch, Jr., at the nava
academy, which, it is alleged caused thu
cath of the latter.
Mr.. Jaeger officiated as second foi
Ieriwether, member of his class, an
has been one of the witnesses before the
ourtmartial that is investigating tn
'ght, now of national prominence.
Jaeger is the son of Luth Jaeger, one
If the organizers and cashier of the new
Union State bank. Mr.. Jaeger has re
.eived several letters from his son refer
ing to the fight, and is highly interest
ID in the inquiry. Both Mr.. and Mrs
aeger are much panied at the outcom
the battle and though they realH
hat their son is absolutely free fron
lame, dread the prominence he ha
gained. Young Jaeger is twenty-on
nd entered the naval academy in June
1904.
The illusions to the fight contained il
he letters of Jaeger are highly interest
ng and dispute some of the publishe
sccounts of this particular encounte
nd others that have taken place. l.
ne of the latter letters he said:
"The Baltimore Sun today contain
n editorial regarding the fight. Tn
hole article is q damnable lie. Ever
lidshipman who has seen the thing
point where anger cannot expires
is state of mind. One of the thing
he Sun says is that a code exist
hereby any midshipman, reported b.
upper classman for any offense, ca
et even by forcing the upper classma
vho reported him to fight. Furthermore
is stated that this was the cause
ne Meriwether fight. There is absc
ltely no code or anything else whic
ermits of such way of getting ever
here is, on the contrary, distinc
understanding among all the classe
hat no one who is reported by an uppe
iassman for any offense shall attemp
o get even.'
Mr.. Jaeger then states that the Meri
ether Branch fight was the outcome
LEGGED insults offered the former, b
Branch when the latter was the mid
shipman in charge of the floor on which
were the quarters OF Meriwether. He
eclares that the act of Branch was
IMPOSITION and entirely out of the lin
If his duty. He admits that Meriwetl
n called Branch a Coward" and othe
pithets, but denies these words wei
revoked by his having been reported b
Branch.
Young Jaeger became connected wit
he fight entirely against his will an
is consent to act as second was :;
oncession to the urgent solicitation 0
lis classmate. He says in this conneo
ion:
"When he asked me to be his secon
told him he ought to get some on
lse, because I knew absolutely nothin
lbout prizefghting. He insisted an
inally l agreed to act for him out 0
aspect for a classmate."
Young Jaeger then describes how h
net the seconds of Branch and rule:
cloves, place, ETC., for the Hateful ever
we're chosen. He states, not KNOWN!
lis words were to be repeated, that h.
ook little active part in the negotia
ions, telling his father that when tn
Branch seconds suggested the refere
he merely assented. The gloves agree
Upon were such as are used in bag
punching, as stated in the dispatches.
The following extract from lette
written Sunday night, a few hours afte
he fight, gives vivid description of tn
went:
"The scrap between Meriwether ant
Branch is over and never in my lif
have l seen such a fight. 1t laste
twenty-five rounds of two minutes eacl
md was decided draw then becaus
we were in danger of discovery by tn
officer in command Branch really go
the worst of the deal. I think his fac
was pounded terribly and he receive
some bad blows on the body. Merry
| only visible injuries are lump on tn
| forehead, swollen nose and couple o
large lips. His shoulder was wrenche
and his ankle twisted in a clinch durin
which they both fell to the floor. Wer
it not for these injuries I think N
would have knocked Branch out.
never saw more nerve in a man than i
Branch, however"
| The next letter received here was a
exceedingly pathetic one, telling of tn
death of Branch, alleged to have bee
caused by injuries received in the figh
Words failed young Jaeger, he sale
when he attempted to describe the sol
| row in his own heart and the terribl