Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-03
ACCUSED IN GREAT DANGER
Liable to Conviction on the Fourth
Specification.
EACH OF DISCIPLINE
Was Placed in Bad Position When
Compelled to Admit Derelic-
tion of His Duty.

defense, closed this morning in the court
martial proceedings against Midshipman
Stephen Decatur. jr.. charged with the haz-
ing of Fourth ClassnGen Isaac n. McCrary
and Gaylord Church.
At the request of the judge advocate and
counsel for the defense. the court took a
recess until 2 o'clock this afternoon, when
the argument will be concluded. The case
will be given to the court this afternoon.
One OF the charges against Decatur is
that he hazed Mldshipman Gaylord Church
OF Meadville, Pa. by causing him to per-
form number 1G," a usual form OF haz-
ing. Church testified to this and Decatur
admitted that he had ordered Church to
come to his Oecatur's) room and that some
one in his presence had ordered Church
TO perform as specified. He denied, how
ever, that he gave the order. Decatur's
explanation of his reason for ordering
Church to the room was that he had smiled
in the ranks and was to be reprimanded.
This, in itself, was a breach of discipline
and the accused was put in a bad position
when he was compelled to admit that he
did not reprimand Church, but heard him
ordered in the closet to be hazed. Counsel
for the defense will urge that, under the
act of 1874, active participation in hazing
The prosecution contends however, that
the admissions coupled with the testimony
of FIRST Classman P. B. Marzoni to the
same effect is sufficient TO support the
charge of hazing. particularly as Decatur
was the ranking midshipman present 1t
was also stated that If Decatur should be
cleared on the present charge a clear case
of neglect of duty in failing to prevent the
hazing of Church in his room could be
made out In subsequent proceedings though
the defense is confident a conviction cannot
be had the specifications which relate
TO the hazing of McCrary. as while Nc
Crary testified that Decatur did the hazing
alleged In two of the three specifications,
Decatur fatty denied It and there were no
corroborating witnesses to McCrary's tes-
timony
The case of Midshipman Worth w. Fos-
ter OF New Albany, Ind, will be taken up
tomorrow and that OF P. B. Marzoni of
Pensacola as soon as the case against Fos-
ter is concluded. Both are first class men
and both are charged with hazing Midship-
man Chester S. Roberts of Joliet Ill, on
several different occasions. There are two
specifications under the charge against
Foster and four against MsrZoni, Roberts
evidently being a newcomer who came in
for a special dose of hazing If all allega-
tiOns are true.
1t is specified against Foster that he
compelled Roberts TO get under a table
while he was eating his dinner in the
mess hall and that he compelled him to
hang to the top of the door frame for
long period of time. Three of the specif-
cations against Marzoni allege that on
different occasions he compelled Roberts
to bring him food from the dining room,
an aot contrary to the Naval Academy
regulations.
The fourth specification is that he COM
PEELED Roberts TO stand on his head
number of times in succession, and the
fSth that he compelled him to hang from
the locker in his (Marzonis) ROOM
Marzoni was one of the witnesses called
by the defense yesterday in Decatur's
case His evidence certainly did not help
the accused and 1t was thought that the
charges against him concerned the same
matter as did Decatur's, so far as 1t re-
referred to Midshipman Church. This is
an error. however, as all the specihca-
tions in Marzonis case refer to the haz-
ing OF young Roberts.
ANNAPOLIS, Nd January 3.-The prose-
cution introduced witnesses this morning to
testified for the defense in the court-mar-
tial proceedings against Midshipman Ste
phen Decatur, tr.. of Portsmouth, n. H,
charged with hazng fourth classmen Isaac
NJ. McCrary of Calvert, Tex, and Gaylord
Church of Meadyille, Pa.
1t is practically certain that the case Will
be finished and given to the court today,
and 1t is conceded that the decision in the
though McCrary and Church testified TO sep
arate acts of hazing on the part OF Decatur,
there was no additional witness to any act,
and Decatur has denied them all emphati-
cally.
1t is generally admitted that the strong
est case has been made on the fourth speci-
fcatlon. which states that Church was
hazed by being compelled to do Number
16" Although Decatur claims he did not
order him to do this. he admits that he
did order him to report to his Decatur 81
room. and that some one else gave him this
order In his presence.
Witness Marzoni to Be Tried.
Midshipman P. B. Marzoni. a witness for
the defense. also made this statement Mar
zoni IS under charges of hazng.
The court will take up the case OF Mid
shipman Worth Wright Foster OF New Al
bany. Ind. charged with hazing Mldship-
man Charles S. Roberts of Joliet, ILL.,. to-
morrow.
Foster Is another first classman. and It
Is alleged that he hezed young Roberts
by compelling him to get under the table
during a meal and also by compelling him
TO drop from the top OF the door frame
The latter form OF hazing is a particularly
dangerous one as the victim strikes the
end OF his spine against the floor after
a fall of three feet.
A Drastic Precaution.
What Is considered a somewhat drastic
precaution was taken today when Provost
Marshal TORY, United States Marine Corps
ordered to remain near the assembled
witnesses in the room where they are kept
pending their call before the court. He was
told TO prevent any and all conversation
on the subject of the court, cases or their
own admissions on the stand between the
witnesses.
The record findings and recommendations
Of the court in the case of Midshipman
Trenmor Coffin were today returned to the
court for number OF minor corrections