The Washington times., 1906-01-08
NARZONI COUNSEL
MAKES HARD FIGHT
Relief He Will Be Con-
yicted Growing.
COURTS EXECUTIVE SESSION
Definition of Hazing May Have Large
Bearing on Final
Findings.
COURTS EXECUTIVE SESSION

O'Clock this morning. The record of
Saturday was read by the judge advO-
cate and approved.
The first witness was Prof S. ].
Brown. He knew Marzoni The pro-
fessor said he was in the service In 1874.
and at that time was midshipman of
the third class.
The judge advocate objected TO this
line of examination. Counsel for the ae-
cused said he wanted 10 show what
Congress meant by haZing. There was
nothing In the debate a the time the
act was passed in 1874 20 show what was
meant by hazing. And the men VINO
were at the Academy in 1874 We're the .
only witnesses who were competent 10
tell what hazing was at the time the
act was passed. The court went into
executive session 10 consider the OBJ
lection made by the judge advocate.
Conviction Probable.
Marzonrs case may be disposed of late !
this afternoon. His counsel is making /
bitter fight. 1t is generally believed. (
however. he viii be convicted and dis /
missed
The next on the list is Decatur. whose /
first trial resulted in an acquittal, as
fOFeshado~ed in The Times.
The result In the cases of Coffin and
Foster may be given out in Washington
today. Here at the Academy the opinion
is they were convicted by the court. and
the sentence, under the act OF 1874 un.
der which they were court-martialed, is
dismissal
Specifications Substantiated.
The evidence in the Marzoni trial sup
ports in the main the specifca tions
charging that Midshipmen Tye and
Bryant, Of the fourth class. were or
dered by the accused to bring breakfast
TO him The specifications charging that
Marzoni ordered Midshipmen Roberts
and Bryant, on different occasions, 10
stand on their heads and do the six
teenth,' have not been clearly establish
ed. g. H Mann, counsel for the accused,
by his cToss-examination of the wit
nesses on Saturday, having succeeded in
creating an element of doubt. con-
viction Of Marzoni al depends on how
the court views the practice of first
class man having his breakfast brought
him by pebes. when the first class man
and the plsbes know that il was against
the regulations of the Academy 10 take
food from the mess table
How Far Are the Officers Guilty?
And in this connection the question il
asked: What about the officer in charge
OF the mess hall whose duty il is TO see
that the regulations against taking
breakfast 10 a middie's room is not vio-
lated? AS has been frequently remark
ed since the beginning of these courts
martial il doesn't seem exactly fair to
.'biIge" the midshipmen who have been
caught by Rear Admiral Sands board
OF inquiry, when the officers in charge
were not In ignorance that hazing was
going on in Bancroft Han, and IN sy
made no effort 10 stop it.
Perhaps the first class men. who are
now on the anxious bench, knowing not
what moment they will be called on to
face a court-r,artial, could throw some
light on this question of the officers
on duty having knowledge of hazing
and running. But it is, indeed, doubt
full if any of the middies. even those
who know they are 10 be 'bilged."
would peach" on their superiors. And
this gives the officers d feeling of Sc
Curity. And IL follows that the upper
class men can haze and run the plebes
with the same impunity knowing or
feeling confident that the plebe will
make no report TO the officer on duty.
Reluctant Witnesses.
Nothing has illustrated this better
than the reluctance Of the plebe wit
nesses to testify before the court-mar-
tial II has been commented on as
rather remarkable that the plebes can
not positively identify the upper class
men who give orders to stand on the
head, do the sixteenth, the leaning rest
or hang from the locker. on some
immaterial points they seem 10 have
good memories
In some quarters il is urged that if
Rear Admiral Sands program is car
ried out and all the midshipmen who
have INDUCED in haZing since the be-
ginning OF this academic year are "a
be court-martialed. then, in all justice
to the great body of cadets. a Congress
sionaI investigation should be ordered
hat 2 he nj
that the offending middies are not the
only ones who have violated the Law
and the regulations governing the
Academy. In fact. opinion here grows
in strength that Congress viii investi
gate not only hazing. but the mana ge
ment OF the Academy as we'll.
Counsel Midshipmen Together.
II is a eoineident that e. s TheaI. o
Washington, who defended Midshipmel
Coffin, Decatur, and Foster, and C. II
Mann. of New York counsel for Mid
shipman Marzoni, were midshipmen to
gether. Theall was a first class ma
when Mann was a plebe, about dfteel
years ago. Speaking OF this last even
ing Mr.. Mann said:
II remember Mr.. Theau. He was
splendid looking fellow with large brow
eyes, and was well liked. ] remenbe
that shortly after my entrance TO IN
Academy. not knowing the rates,
asked him Tor some information. II
looked me i'm the eye and said / was
rather fresh piebe That evening, afl
supper he came into my,room and stoo
me on my head. / did not do as IN
plebes do now when ordered to stan
on the head. l went up in the air m
feet rested against the wall, and not o
the floor. He was the first upper elias
man to haze me. And while / was a
Academy / got my share"
All kinds of hazing stories are no1
ahoat. They say that Admiral SchleN
when a middle, was a bird at the bus
ness. and that if the admiral could b
Induced to drop into reminiscent moo
ne could tell some most interesting an
laughable in idents, all OF which he sa'
and in the %est part OF which he had
part.
MAKES LEGAL HOLIDAY