The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-29
AUTOPSY OF BRANCH
SURGEONS QUESTIONED AS TO
 THEIR EXAMINATION.
Midshipman Meriwether Will Go on the Witness stand Today ana Give Testimony fin Ills
 Own Behalf

Annapolis, Md, Nov. 2S.-The au topsy held last Sunday on the pody oi the late Midshipman James k. branIh' Jr., bore fruit at today's session or the Icourtmartial, which is trying Mioship- man Minor Meriwether on charges ih- elusive of manslaughter In connection with the. death of Midshipman brahch after fist fight with Meriwether. The days testimony was gwen ebIei- lv hv medical men who had been pres ent at the autopsy and bore upon the uuestion whether the death or Mid- shipman Branch resulted from blows of his opponents fists or from ms neaa striking the floor of the room Tn when the fight was held. Testimons was, also given according to which. although The Naval Academy Journal shows the origin or lnJuries for whichs smidshipmen are treated the morning sick report sent\ by the nos pital officers to the superintendent or inc Academy does not, and witness giving testimony in this connection said that he knew of no inspection of The Hospital Journal having been made by the authorities.
 Meriwether Will Testify.
 Counsel for Midshipman Meriwether announced that after putting the ac- cused on the stand in his own defense tomorrow they will close their case
 Medical Director Howard E. Ames, who went on the stand at the open ing of the afternoon session, was not asked concerning the details Of the autopsy. The case of Branch's death, he said. was hemorrhage under the covering of the brain, which. he be- lieved. both from what he saw during the operation and at the autopsy, had been caused by Branchs head coming in sharp contact with some hard sub stance like a floor or wall.
 Dr. Ames, who has recently been re- lieved as medical officer at the Naval Academy, testified that all cases res ceived at the Academy Hospital were recorded in a journal kept for the pur- nose and were also reported to the su- perintendent on the morning sick re- port.
 Lieutenant- Commander Thomas P. Mapruder testified that he did not know of any inspection of The Hos pital Journal having been made by the authorities.
 ss-Examined by Surgeon.
 Surgeon E. D. Stokes, IT. $. N, who is assisting the prosecution, cross-ex- amined Dr. Ames and the other medi- cal witnesses offered by the defense particularly with regard to the eVi- dence that there was a paralysis or the left side of Branch's body, whereas he indicated that the probable injury was on the same side. In answer. w.t. nesses said that Branch's case present. ed some very unusual features.
 Dr. l.. w. Glazebrook of Washing ton. who is assisting the defense, as medical adviser, and who saw the au- topsy, was the last expert witness for the defense. From what he saw du- ring the autopsy the witness was sat isfied that the fatal injuries were due to Branch's having hit his head against a hard unyielding substance, such as floor or wall, and could not nave been due to the blows of fists encased In punching bag gloves.
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