Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-04
DECATUR TRIAL OVER
FINDINGS OF CoURT-MARTIAL
BOARD SUBMITTED.

| The case of Midshipman Stephen Decatur,
| jr., who for three days has been on trial be-
fore naval court-martial. at Annapolis.
! for the alleged hazng of Midshipmen Isaac
N. McCrary and Gaylord Church was given
to the court yesterday afternoon. At 4:45
O'Clock the court had decided upon its
findings which will be forwarded to the
superintendent of the Naval Academy for
his action. Under the law~the record then
goes to the Secretary of the Navy, but Sec
rotary Bonaparte has announced that he
regards his duties in the matter as merely
ministerial and that unless some glarng
error should have passed the superintend-
ent's notice he will approve the action Of
Admiral Sands.
One of the charges against Decatur is the
haZing of Midshipman Gaylord Church of
Meadville, Pa, by causing him to perform
mo. 49, usual form of hazing. Church
testified to this and Decatur admitted that
he had ordered Church to come to his ODE
catur's) room, and that some one in his
presence had ordered Church to perform
mo. 49," He denied, however, that he gave
the order.
Decatur's Explanation.
Decaturs explanation for ordering
Church to his room was that he had smil-
ed in the ranks and was to be reprimanded
This, in itself, was a breach of discipline,
and the accused midshipnan was put in a
bad position when he was compelled to adj
NIT that he did not reprimand Church, but
heard him ordered in the closet to be hazed.
Cdunsel for the defense will urge that, I'M
der the act of 1874, active participation in
hazing must be proved to support the
charge. The prosecution contends however,
that the admissions, coupled with the testi-
mony OF f1rSt-clasS Man p. B. MarZoni, to
the same effect are 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 clear
case of neglect of duty IN falling to pre-
vent the hazing of Church in his room could
be made out In subsequent proceedings,
though the defense is confident a conyic-
ton cannot be had on the specifications
which relate to the haZing of McCrary, as
while McCrary testified that Decatur did
the hazlng alleged In two of the three speci-
hcations. Decatur fatty denied 1t, and there
were no corrobOrating witnesses to Nc
Crary's testimony.
Fosters Case Up Today
The case of Midshipman Worth W. Foster
of New Albany, Ind. will be taken up to-
day, and that of P. B. Marzoni, of Pensa-
cola, as soon as the case against Foster is
concluded. Both are first-cass men and
both are charged with hazlng Midship
man Cester S. Roberts OF Joliet H. on sew
eral different OCCASIONS. There are two spec
ifications under the charge against Foster
and four against Marzoni, Roberts evident |
ly being a newcomer who came in for a
special dose of haZing, If allegations are |
true.
1t is specified against Foster that he COM
PEELED Roberts to get under a table while
he was eating his dinner In the mess hail |
and that he compelled him to hang to the |
top of the door frame for a long time. Three |
of the specifications against Marzoni allege |
that on different occasions he compelled |
Roberts to bring him food from the dining |
room an act contrary to the Naval Acad |
envy regulations The fourth specification |
Is that he compelled Roberts to stand on |
his head a number of times in succession, |
and the fifth that he compelled him to hang |
from the locker in his (Marzonf s. room.
MarZon1 was one of the witnesses called |
by the defense Tuesday in Decatur's case. |
His evidence certainly did not help the |
accused midshipman, and 1t was thought |
that the charges against him concerned the |
same matter as did Decatur's so far as 1t !
referred to Midshipman Church This is an |
error, however, as all the specifications in |
Marzonis case refer to the bazing of young |
R2Rerts;
while not a brilliant student, is a crack |
man on naval affairs, and has given prom !
Use of much usefulness in the service He |
has done fine work in ordnance, navigation |
and torpedoes, eXcelling in his understand |
ing Of the latter. He has invented new |
Warhead to be used on the Whitehead and |
Swartzkopf torpedoes. The head at pres |
ent In use must come in contact with the |
hull Of a ship at almost a right angle in |
order TO explode the guncotton charge Also /
it has been found that the torpedo frequent |
ly strikes the object and springs back. the |
explosion occurring after the torpedo has
recoiled some little distance and thus de- |
stroying much of the effectiveness of the |
torpedo Fosters warhead overcomes these |
defects in large degree.