Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-11-27
MONDAY EVENING, NOV. %, 1905.

Branch was sent from AnudpOlis ny
a correspondent of the Richmond Times
Dispatch. Ia the main, it is the same
story sent to all the newspapers and
needs little comment. 1t shows the
"code of honor" existing at the naval
academy TO be false and damnable; that
il is unfair to the weaker boy; that the
fights are brutal and that the officers In
command are hearless wretches, who
openly break their oaths 10 permitting
instead of preventing prize6ghts, as they
are sworn to do. In any civil court in
the county they would be he held strict
" amenable to the State laws govern
ing such matters. Jails are too good for
them. So reprehensible has the con-
duct of these officers been shown TO be
that the court on Saturday was asked
to recognize that the academy authOri-
tbs were also responsible for Branch's
death in that they knew of the fighting
code. The following is the story which
can only be read with indignation:
The large number of witnesses intro
dnced by the defense Saturday in the
court martial of Midshipman Meri-
ve,her. charged with having caused the
death of Midshipman Branch, resulted
in cumulative evidence OF the existence
nj a so-called "code" at the naval
academy, infexible in its terms, immuta-
BILE. inexorable, even though death itself
resulted. Cadet after cadet testified
along this same general line, and a.
each Of the trim young sailors told OF
fights in which be had been engaged as
principal or second, of helping to take
70 the hospital comrades battered or
bruised in fights with their fellows; or
OF one instance in which a young fellow
had had his jaw broken i'll such an en-
counter, and, after spending month in
the hospital, ha d resigned; the absorbed
attention OF the court and spectators at
tested The deep interest the stories ex-
cited The evidence of the existence OF
the "code" and Of the knowledge OF the
academy authorities as to the fact had
become so thoroughly conclusive, that
capt Wainwright, a member OF the
cour. and former superintendent OF
the academy, objected TO the introduce
tiop of further testimony on this line,
the objection was not sustained. 1t has
been made clear to those not connected
with the court martial that the court Is
not irving to establish the fact Of the ex-
jstencc OF this "cOde;" there is no doubt
in the minds of the members of the
court concerning the existence OF the
"code." The court is not sitting for the
purpose Of officially discovering this fact
'fhe defense is endeavOring TO show that
Meriwether could not have refused to
feht Branch, that had he done 80, he
would have become an "Outcast." to use
a term employed by midshipman in
the witness chair Saturday, and would
probably have failed to graduate. What
ever the court may think, there can be
little doubt that these facts have been
established. A great deal might be
brought before the court that hes not
been brought and may not and probably
will not be. 1t is not apparent that
either the government or the accused is
irving to elicit all the facts concerning
this "code." One witness testified Sat-
urday, concerning Midshipman Person
WHO went to the hospital, with broken
law, as the result OF fight, with com
rade one Sunday afternoon. The super
inlendent and commandment of cadets
learned all the particulars Of the fight,
the witness said, but no action was
taken, though these officers spent some
time with PiersOn in the hospital talk
ing with him, concerning the matter.
Tie Young fellow reigned in a month.
The first classman who whipped him
graduated and now is an officer of the
navy. The court sustained the ohjec-
ton # the government to that portion
OF the testimony relating to what Pierson
hal told the witness regarding his talk
with the superintendent and the com.
mandant But the whole story concerning
Pierson VS. not brought out. He was a
fresh young fourth class man, or "rat, "
sixteen years Of age. He was deemed
by his class to have been insulted by a
first class man. He sent a challenge to
the man who had, in the opinion of the
class. iusulted him. The challenged
midshipman referred the cartel to his
class. The first class would not allow
the man insulted to accept, but selected
another man TO fight the "rat," mid
shipmau named Blaisdell from toe Fest
side, in New York. Were he not now
an officer of the American navy, he
might be called a BOwery tough. He
knew everything there was to know
about fighting; PiersoD knew nothing,
and in less than five minutes after the
fight began he was down and out, his
Jaw broken. Pierson lay in the hospital
for week or more, suffering agony.
Finally, the midshipman, only boy,
almost a baby, wrote his mother telling
her the whole truth. She cut her son 5
name from the letter and then sent the
epistle to the Secretary of War. That
official referred it to the superintendent
of the Academy, and then it was that
that officer went to see the injured mid
shipman, and talked with him concern
ing his injuries, and the affair in which
they had been received. The story of
the manner in which the information