Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-12-14
TWO MIDSHIPMEN TORTURED
HAZING THAT HAD "STOPPED" AT NAVAL ACADEMY STILL IN
FULL F0RcE--AN0THER SENSATION FOLLOWS THE
MERIWETHER cASE.-DRASTIc MEASURES TAKEN
HE CASE TO BE TAKEN TO CONGRES
MlDSHIPMAN KlMBR0UGH FALLS FROM EXHAUSTION AFTER
BEING HAzED-HIs CONDITION IMPROVED

tell some things which offended the
upper classmen. His brutal hazinG
was evidently on this account II
could not be learned whether or not
Cooper was before the board. This
board will be in session for several
weeks, and its appointment, together
with the summary action Of Admiral
Sands yesterday, are the most telling
blows that have ever been dealt TO
hazing, fighting and other code prac.
tices.
There is astouishment here that
such practices snonld be at the Acad-
envy after the declarations under oath
before the Meriwether court; but
among those acquainted with Acad
emy practices it has been known for
sometime that extremely severe Eaz.
ing was going on. One very bad effect
of it is the serious disturbance to the
studies of the underclassmen. and
many failures are expected at the
semi-annual examinations in Febru-
AIRY on this account.
Violated Solemn Pledge.
When Admiral Willard Fl. Brownson
was superintendent of the Naval
Academy, just prior TO the incumben-
cy of Admiral Sands, a case of haZing
occurred and Admiral Brownson in
duced the upperolassmen to give their
word of honor that they would dis
continue the practice. The midship-
men then divided the practices which
would ordinarily be called haZing in
to two classes. These they called
hazing and running. The former,
they claimed, they stopped, but held
themselves under no obligation to
stop the latter.
The difference, he considered. was
that running did not allow any physi.
cal Gompulsion nor provide for any
physical strain on the victim. Ii
consisted generally of ordering him tC
do ridiculous thugs and applying
abusive language TO him. When Ad.
miral Sands became superintendent
and Captain ColvocoIesses commandant
of midshipmen they decided that they
would not require q renewal Of this
pledge, but merely called attention to
the fact that all midsnipmen swore on
entrance TO obey the regulations, and
| that they were breaking their oaths il
they. did not carry out this agreement
| This was done. but evidently all the
! midshipmen did not look at it that
way.
Violent And Brutal.
1t has been known that hazing be.
gan this summer and has been mosi
violent and brutal of late. Ever since
the Meriwetner trial, when the Acad-
emy code was held up to the pub
lie gaze many of the midshipmen have
I been trying to show their attachment
for what they consider distinctive
Naval Academy customs and THEN
contempt for the views of the general
public on the subject by going TO ex.
tremes in these practices.
This fact has led to a good deal OF
! talk outside by the midshipmen. and
there has been much Dragging about
the fights ever since young Braneh''
death and of what was being done tC
underclassmen. When one fourth
classmau was told yesterday afternoon
that Cooper had said that he had not
been hazed for three months. he said
"There is no use of him saying that
we all have got it. +"
Some of The Practices.
The PRACTICES that, according to the
words OF the middshipmen themselves,
have been going on for some time are
| hazing, if there ever was hazing ano
not running, even according to the
| Naval Academy definition A favor
ite method was that used on Kim
brough, of making the victim stand Oh
| Lis head 1t is ordinarily done By
compelling the underclassmeu to stanC
OH his head many times in success
sion, Strengthening up and getting
down continually. This is sometimes
! required TO be done two or three hun
dred times.
Then the fourth classmen are com
| pelled to do the regular setting-ul
! drills until they drop from exhaustion
and are made to stand on their head
ON the wardrobe until they drop off
In fact, the haziDg consists Of just th'
character of impositions that Nigh
very reasonably result in most seriou
injury when inflicted by indiscree
and cruel schoulboys. The presen
direct and positive action of the Su
perintendent and the comforting upcl
the board of officers powers similar L
those Of a grand jury are the mos
telling blows that have been dealt {
the schoolboy cnde in the history o
the Academy.
Boys Relative Indignant.
Kimbrough's mother is said to b
dead, and his father is an invali
but his grandfather, who is yer
fond of the boy and is often here
see him, is now in this city and is a
Hotel Maryland. The grandfather
very indignant at the treatment hi
grandson has been subjected 10, and th
old gentleman declares he is going t
take the matter personally before tn
President and also TO Congress.
The young man Kimbrough, while
candidate was very popular with tn
boys he boarded on Duke Of Glou
cester street and was a fayorite wit
all who knew him. He is quite geo
looking youth and because of his Iool
during the carnival last spring, th
boys voted for him in the queen cor
| test and he received q large nnrnher {