Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-11-18
TO RESERVE JUDGMENT. ;"
CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS
AGAINST MERIWETHER
Have Been Served On Him And
Lieut.. .-COm'dr J. K. Rob
inson Named AS
Counsel.

Commander j. Is. Robin
son, u. 5 N, who has been detailed
as his counsel in the pending court
martial against him, spent the greater
pant of today and a portion of yester-
day afternoon With Midshipman Minor
Meriwether, Ir. preparing the case
for trial
After receiving the charges against
Midshipman .Meriwether, which were
brought to this city Yesterday after
noon by Captain Adolph Mark, Judge
advocate of the court, and read TO
the accused midshipman. he was
closeted with is counsel for consid-
cradle length of time. After leaving
his client Commander Robinson said
to number Of newspaper men: Il
ask for MeriwetE er, as did Secretary
Bonaparte. that the public Judgment
be reserved until his side of this un-
fortunate affair is told He has a
side, aud when it is known there will
be no harsh feeling towa@l him from
fair minded people. .
The charges brought from Washing
ton yesterday by CAPTAIN Mark con-
tain three counts and four specifi-
cations in all. one each under the first
aud third charges aud two under the
second. OF these the most serious is
the charge of manslaughter. This
specification is 'that Midshipman
Minor Meriwether, Jr. did unlawfully
engage in a fight with Midshipman
James r. Branch ON the evening of
November .. 1905, and did unlawfully
strike with his fist the said Midship-
man Branch. infiicting injuries from
the effects of which the said Midship-
man Branch died. a" Under this charge
it is possible to provide sentence of
ten years in the penitontiary.
Charge No. ? accuses Midshipman
Meriwether of violating Clause of
Article of the rules for the govern
ment of the Navy This clause pro-
vides that no one. in naval service
''shall quarrel with, strike or assault
or use provoking or reproachful words,
gestures or menaces toward any one
in the Navy Thestwo specifications
under this head are that Meriwether
called Branch a SNEAK" 'and a
Coward and that in addition ne as.
saulted him. In the specification that
Midshipman Meri iwether engaged in a
fight with Midshipman Branch, the
former is charged with conduct to
the prejudice of good order and dis
cipline.h -
In the case of the first and most
serious charge the maximum penalty
provided is dismissal from the service
and ten years in the penitentiary,
while that provided for the third
that of conduct to the prejudice of
good order and discipilne-is dismis-
sal. In all Of the charges and speci-
fcations the court has authority to
provide any punishment that it should
see fit, less than the maximum. This
being so. it would rest with the court
to punish Meriwether by demerits,
confinement ct the Naval Academy or
in ssome other manner, although he
might be found guilty of all three
charges.
While in Annapolis yesterday after
noon Captain Mark, as judge -advo-
cate of the court-martial, was in con-
sultation with Admiral Sands in re-
gard to the facilities for the holding
of the COURTS sessions. AS soon as
the military judicial body convenes it
becomes entirelyand distinotlyseparate
from the Naval Academy and the
authorities there have no jurisdiction
over its sessions, which will be gov
erned entirely by the President and
judge advocate.