Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-12-20
NOW At WORK.
THE FORMER MIDSHIPMAN is
IN WASHINGTON.
Says He Was Disseminated Against
By An Officer Stationed At
The Naval Acad
emy.

Every effort is being made by for.
mer NldShlpmen Joseph Ralph Will
| Jams whose ejeotment from the Naval
| Academy was announced first by the
Capital on Monday evening last. Mr..
Williams was dismissed during the
Meriwether trial He claims the ques-
tion of ''hazing" is independents of
the questions involved in his case,
and he wants vindicatiop.
Mr.. Williams was appointed to the
Naval Academy in 1901 by the late
Representative James +. Stewart, of
Paterson. n. J., where Mr.. Williams
lived, although he was a native of
Michigan. The present Congressman
from that New Jersey district is Henry
Q. Allen. Mr.. Williams has subniN
ted the circumstances of his dismissal
to him. Friends of Mr.. Williams en-
deavor TO excuse bis standing in some
studies on the ground that he was
prominent in athletics at the academy
aud was captain Of the track team of
the Middies.
Mr.. Williams charges. respecting
the conduct demerits lodged against
him, that he was Disseminated against
by an "otficer in charge" at the Naval
Academy. He visited Washington
yesterday and consulted several Con
gressmen. Mr.. Williams says he was
deficient in conduct. having been, he
| admits, assigned LA demerits for No
vember. The total number of dement's
allowed respecting conduct for the
year is 1875. Mr.. Williams alleges that
of these Ia demerits everyone assign
| cd by commissioned officer was by
the same officer, except in a single in
stance. He declared his belief that
this particular officer Disseminated
against him and that he has ample
proof to sutsain this allegation.
The charge is made by Mr.. Williams
| that Captain Colyoooresses, the com.
| mandant Of midshipmen, told him
that demerits would be piled upon
him until he was swamped. He also
claims that he was given no warning
| concerning the number of demerits he
was receiving in the matter of CON
| duct or that these demeTits were ex-
| ceeding the limit of 1875. The claim
| is made that this particular officer in
charge is unpopular with his brigade.
and it is said to be a matter of gen.
| eral knowledge that he was "giveu
| silence in the mess hall while din inl
at the staff table on the night imme
diately preceding the Army and Navy
| football game just after Thanksgiving
Day.
"Given silence" is regarded by mid
shipmen at the academy as the great.
est mark of disrespect that the brigade
as whole can show an officer. BY
| "giving silence is meant that dur.
ing the whole meal not n sound j.
made by any member Of the brigade
in the mess room. The meal on the
night preceding the football game
was eaten in silence, particular care
being observed by the brigade that no
sound should be made by the use of
knives, forks or other tableware CI
by speaking louder than a whisper.
It is said that on this pan ticular occa
| sion the servants entered into the
spirit of the affair and performed
their duty noiselessly, and, further
more, that this was the first time that
an ocffier in charge had been "given
silence" since 1901, when a similar
mark Of disrespect was shown to an
| officer in charge, who is now station
ed at the academy in a department
other than the discipline department.