Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-11-23

of the sessions of the first day were
read. each midshipmau and other Wit
ness concerned was given a typewrit.
ten copy of his testimony. These were
read over by them and any errors
which they fond, according to their
recollection of what they had said
were reported upon and entered in to-
days poceedings The admonitiou
not TO hold any conversation upon the
subject of the court and their .respec-
tive testimony before that board on
the outside was repeated and urged
stongly upon every witness, whether
called for the first time or recalled to
the stand for additional testimony.
The interest in the case continues
unahated, aud persons leaving the
court room are besieged with ques-
lions as to the days developments.
While Branch had equally as many
friends in Annapolis and the Acad-
emy as MeTiwether and all regret his
sad death, the general trend of sym
pathy is with Midshipman Meri-
wether, and the universal wish seems
TO be that he may be dealt with as
Ieniently as possible under the law.
DR.. J. NJ. Finney, of the Johns
Hopkins Hospital. Baltimore, will be
another important witness. rs he per-
formed the operation on Midshipman
Branch on the night'before the latter s
death. he has been summoned by
the prosecution aud is expected TO tes-
ify this afternoon. His testimony is
awaited with interest. Although it
is not customary in court martials
for one witness to hear the testimony
of another, permission was this
morning granted Surgeon Stone to be
present and hear the expert opinion
of.Dr. Finney. This was granted with
the permission of the accused's S coun-
sci. who stated that while the defense
would recall DR.. Stone to the stand,
the questioning would not he along
any line upon which DR.. Finney' S
testimony would be likely TO effect
DR.. Stone when he again took the
stand.
The first witness placed on the stand
this morning was Lieutenant Com
mander X. j. Leigemyer. u. 5 Navy,
who was executive officer of the u.
S. s. Hartford during the recent sum
mer practice cruise Of the midship-
men. His testimony was introduced
to show that the rules for the better
government of the Navy had been
posted on the berth and quarter decks
the midsbipmen at general formation
at least once in each month, and that
Midshipman Meriwether had made
half of the past cruise aboard the
Hartford and therefore heard these
rules read.
The only other witness except DR..
Stone and Mr.. Ieigemyer at the ses-
sion this morning was John Freder-
ick Mahneke, hospital steward at the
Academy sick bay. He was ordered
to the room of the injured midship-
man on the morning after the fight
as soon as the matter had been report
ed to the authorities His testimony
dealt only with the condition of
Branch, whom. he said, was uneon-
scious, when he reached tho boy Is
room, and the manner in which
Branch was transported from Ban.
croft Hall to the hospital. He said
that the removal TO the hospital had
been in the Academy automobile and
was without accident of any kind,
the prosecution evidently wanting to
show by this that there had been no
cause after the fight which would
have resulted in the condition of the
injured midshipman as found by the
first examination by the surgeons.