The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-01-15
MER|WETHER THE
NEXT To BE TRIED
Principal in Branch Affair Is
Now Accused of Haz-
ing.

| peared this morning, when II became known
that tho caso to be brought before the
court would bo that OF Midehipmon Minor
| Meriwethcr, Jr., OF Lafayette. la the mid
shlpman OF the third class whose trial OF
charges connected with q fist light with Mid
| shipman James Z. Branch. after which tho
| latter died, attracted much attention
Mc1wether is now serving confinement OF q
| yoar in tho Naval academy, TO which ne was
sentenced In connection with tho Branch mat
| ter.
Occurred During September.
All tho oGcnscs charged against him sro nj
legged 70 have occurred during September last.
AT this timo tho fourth class had just entered
ond mort OF the members OF Tho three upper
classes wero on leave Morlwe;her wus among
tho number who wcro compelled to remain
Mt Annapolis because OF deficiency in his
studies. 1t Is during this period that tho
hRzinS 10 alleged 10 have taken place
Six Alleged Cases.
Eo orrense or my Kind has becn charged
asninst Meriwcther since tho sad affair with
young Branch. Tho charge against him is OF
ha5inG under tho nct OF 1874. and thcrc is no
charge OF encouraging OF countcnoncing haz-
ing under :he net OF 1893. There six
specifications, which run tho whole gnmut OF
The hozing practices and each specification
alleges the hazinR OF different midshlpman
OF tho fourth class. 1t is specified that they
wcro hozcd by being compelled TO stand on
,helr heads perform No l6' and do tho
Tho trial Of Stldshipman Mcrlwether will I'm
mediotoly follow that OF the case now on
trial. that OF AidShipman John p. Miller,
Miller on Trial.
II is alleged that Miller huzod Stanley r.
Canine OF Llano, Tex. Henry C. Cooper Jr..
Of oxford. ~ c. Max l.. DcMott OF Niles
Mich, and John F. Donelson OF Pawnes
l6 together Miller. II no is acquitted, will
graduate on tho 18th OF next month and his
scholastic standing will not bo below number
In tho class OF n hundred
on being orraignod today Midshlpman Miller
stated that he wished TO plead through hib
counsel. md Col. Lauchhoimor then Inter
posed q demurrer on the ground that tho facts
alleged under the charge do not constitute
hnZ!ng.
Demurrer Overruled.
Col. Lauchhemer addressed the court on this
contention. Hc occupied about one hour In
his argument to show that mnltrcatment In q
physical scnsc was he grave feature OF hbz-
in6 and that as this was not alleged In tho
specifications the demurrer Rhould DO granted.
Tho court ovcrrulcd the demurrer holding as
had been held In other cases that any molesta-
ton or annoyance OF n fourth classmnn by On
upper classmsn wns hazinG.
Initiated an Auto.
Midshipman Miller pleaded not guilty TO the
charSee and specifications Tho nrst witness
was Midshipmnn Max b. DeMott He said he
had been In Mlller's room one nighS no hav-
Ing been toc 10 20 there Initiating an auto
mobile with Canine, Cooper and Donelson
Canine was the headlight, Cooper wns q
sheunour and Donelson was tho horn and
DeAott tho exhaust
Did the Sixteen.
Cooper supposed to twist Donelson's
,ar 10 stop but he fell down and wo went
Gound the room several times. Miller then
old us to do tho sixteen md we did IL. He
told us TO go and report to Boyd's room at
80, Several times after TINT We were In hio
-oom and had to do the sixteen -
The first haZing, he Rnld, took place shortly
nter the West Point game, December 2 1865.
Complimented by Court,
At the conclusion OF DeMott's testimony the
,ourt complimentcd him on the manly md
manner in which he he'd given
lis testimony.
Aidshpmon Henry G. Cooper and M,dship- |
nan Stanley r. Canine corobornted the tcs-
lmony of DcMott.