Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-11-23
SECOND DAY OF COURT.
Morning Session of Meriwether In
vestigation Taken Up Almost
Entirely By Medical
Testimony.
U. S. ATTORNEY ROSE TAKES
PROMINENT PART IN
QUESTIONING.
The Federal Officers Questioning of
Witnesses a Development
May Change The
Court Room.

The second days sessions of the
Meriwether court martial at the Acad
envy today were not so favorable in
point of testimony submitted for the
accused midshipman as that taken be-
fore the court yesterday. All evidence
SD bm tilted was largely of an expert
medical nature, the principal witness
being Surgeon f. p. Stone, u. 5.
Navy, placed on the stand by the pros
ecution His testimony was rather
strongly charged with the views of a
man who has not been through the
Academy as a midshipman, the gist of
his direct submissions being that the
death Of Midshipman Branch was, in
his opinion, due absolutely to the
pounding fright swing" which yes
teFday's midshipman testimony show
ed Meriwether had frequently landed
on the left side OF the dead midship-
mans head.
While this was tue, it was almost
amusingly evident that at least some
members of the court-martial must
have known of the "code" during
their four years tenancy at the govern
ment institution as naval cadets, and
were considering the matter, in this
| light, while at the same time holding
| their minds in an unbiased condition.
In the cross examination of DR.. Stone
| by members of the oonrt. who desired
information. the points brought ont
were even more favorable to Meri-
| wether than those produced by the re-
| direct examination on the part of
| Lieutenant Robson, counsel for the
accused. In this examination by Ad-
| miral Mccormack and other high
| rank members of the court, DR.. Stone
was led to admit that, as there had
| been no autopsy performed, he would
not swear to a hard and fast statement
of the direct cause of branch's death,
| by medical term. His testimony had
| previously been along the line that
| the condition of Branch's brain was
| due to blows, but 10 question by the
court he said that it might have been
caused by fracture at the base or
another part of the skull.
| The most important development in
| the conduct of the case today was the
| increased interest manifested in the
| prosecution by u. S. District Attorney
| John O. Rose. of Baltimore. This
| federal court officer was present at
| both the morning and afternoon ses-
sions yesterday. but took no active
part in the conduct of the case At
| this mornings session and particular
l ~ hullhB hAAO AatAOA IuAb VI ~
| Stones testimony, he practically con-
Quoted the prosecution. His question
| ing was sharp and with a clear point
| in view from each of them, and show
| ed a sharper insight into the demands
| of prosecution than had the work of
| Captain Adolph Mark. judge advocate.
Although it had been generally
| thought from the rapidity with which
the witnesses were called and heard
Yesterday that the caseiwould not be a
very lengthy one, it now seems not
unlikely that the hearings may last
| until next week This was brought
out by the request of Lieutenant Rob-
| ison that Medical Inspector Howard
E. Ames, U. s. Navy, be summoned
/ to appear before the court for the de-
| Tense. DR.. Ames was formerly chief
of staff al the Academy hospital, but
is now assigned TO duty as feet sur
/ geon of the North Atlantic fleet,
and he can hardly reach here before
/ Saturday, if then His testimony
will PROBABLY bear upon physical de.
/ velopment Of .midsbi pmen at the Acad
/ envy as he had been detached from
the institution prior to the fight be-
| tween Branch and MeTiWether. aud he
| would hardly have any personal knowl-
| edge of the fight itself.
/ Another indication of more
/ lengthy session than was at first ex-
| peeted was the introduction into the
/ court and swearing of an additional
/ stenographer at the morning meeting
| of the body today. This gentleman.
like the other official .stenographers OF
| the court. was sent over from the
| Navy Department at Washington.
| Mr.. W. l.. McNutt, of Memphis,
Teun.. an uncle of the accused mid
shipman, on his mothers side, was
again present this morning and occu-
/ pied a seat near his nephew during
/ the session Of the scourt. He and the
| accused midshipman were allowed TO
| converse freely with each other aud
| talked toge ther for while in another
room near that in which the court sat
| for few minutes after Meriwether
/ had arrived and before the court con-
| vened. Young Meriwether seems to
| feel that the press representatives at
the trial are fair minded ard Impair
I tiaI. Those with whom he had talked
Yesterday were recognized by him this
/ morning and to all he offered his hand
/ and thanked them for their reports of
the trial.
The room in which the sessions of
| the court are being held has been
/ found too small for the comfortable
| accommodation of the memb bers of the
| court. counsel, witnesses and press, and
an effort viii be made TO obtain a more
| suitable place. This change may take
place this afternoon. Admiral Nc
| Cormack, as a member of the conrt,
| this morning made a motion that the
| indge-ad vocats act in this matter and
| if possible have the change made at
once. 1t has been suggested that a
| more suitable room would be the
| reception room in Bancroft Hall, the
handsome new granite structure in
which the $50 midshipmen are now
auartered. The need of additional
space was made manifest with the ad-
mission Of one or two citizens into
the court. Among these was the Hon.
John Writ Randall. president OF the
Farmers National Bank Of this city
aud a prominent member Of the Anne
Arundel bar.
Much time this morning was EgiyeT
to the work Of correcting the testi
| p,os,v fakou Yesterday As fha record