The news & observer., 1905-12-29
How Kimbrough Was Tor
tured by Hazing.
LOST CONSCIOUSNESS
Unable to Identify His TOrmentor Be-
cause of a Rule FOrbidding Him to
Use His Eyes. Has Annapolis No
Hogarth to Portray Such
Scenes?
lBv the Associated Press.l

Annapolis, Md, Dec 28.-Court
martial proceedings against Midship-
man Trenmor Coffin. Jr., a member
Of the third class on the charge of
hazing Midshipman Jerdone p. Kim
brough, of the fourth class began at
the Naval Academy today.
Midshipman George w. Hewlett, of
the third class. was the first witness.
The witness testified that he had
looked in the door of room No. So,
in Bancroft Hall, on the evening Of
December / . and that he had seen
Kimbrough standing on his head and
Coffin and Kimbroughs room mate
in the room with him. Witness said
that he left the vicinity of room No.
SO and remained away about five
minutes. When he returned Kim
brough was still on his head and
Coffin the only other person in the
room. The witness was asked to il
lustrate what standing on the head
meant. He put his head on the floor
and raised his feet a few inches from
the ground in a series of jumps. The
exercise apparently put much strain
on the legs and arms and was hard
on the head. Kimbrough also ex-
hibited this performance to the court
little later.
Midshipman Kimbrough was the
next witness and It developed that he
was unable To identity Coffin as the
man who had irslad him. The rule. il
appears. is that no lower class man
must look at an upper class man un>
der such circumstances, and this was
so rigidly Obsedved in the present case
that Kimbrough could not say that
Coffin had hazed him. He told. how,
ever. how ne had been hazed by being
compelled to stand ON his head. He
had been hazed, he said, until he gave
out entirely.
Then the midshipman who was do
ing the hazing threw water over him
and compelled him to go on again. He
brought the relation up to the point
where he lost consciousness. He had
regained conScioUsne ess, he said, in the
Naval Academy Hospital. His arms.
legs and head, We're very sore.
In Bed Unconscious.
Lieut.. Commander Chas b. McVey,
Jr., was the last witness during the
morning session. He is attached to
the department of discipline at the
academy and is a member of the board
of investigation now going into the
subject of hazing. The witness said
during his testimony that he had
IedFI6u great uedl ABOUT naZlnS DUR
ling the last few weeks. He said that
he was on duty in Bancroft Hall on
the evenig of December II. He had
found imbrouKgh in bed, which was
contrary to regulations at that time.
He had questioned him and found that
he was apparently unconscious and
had summoned the academy surgeon
by whom kimbrough was removed to
the hospital.
The witness then investigated the
matter with the object of finding out
who had haZed Kimbrough, the fact
that he had been hazed having been
ELECTED from his room mate. He dis
covered that Midshipman Hewlett had
looked into the room and seen the
hazing. He then informed Hewlett
that unless he told the name of the
midshipman he would either be re-
ported for disobeying orders or called
before the board of investigation in
the morning and compelled to testify
Hewlett was allowed to make up his
mind and in the meantime Coffin
sought an interview with the witness
At this point the counsel for the ac-
cused objected TO the testimony after
an alleged confession and asked the
court to be allowed to interrogate the
witness. This the court permitted, but
took a recess at this point.
Upon reassembling the court admit
ted the testimony of Lieutenant Com
mander McVey as to Coffin's confess
sion. Coffin the witness said, admit
ted that he had stood Kimbrough on
his head for about ten minutes.