The Washington times., 1906-01-10
All Victims Of Inquiry
Board Must Face
COurt-Martial.
GLOOM AT THE ACADEMY
Plan on Foot to Have Con-
greSS Present Law Gov
ern Punishment.

deemed reliable il was learned today
that Admiral Sands program 70 try
every midshipman found g'Ji y OF haz-
tng by the special board of inquiry VIII
be carried out 10 the letter. aid that
there viii be no interferencc from the
Navy Department
This information has cast a deep
gloom over the great body of cadets for
IL means a continuous session of The
court-martial for several weeks 10 come.
And every middle declared guilty by the
court. under tse act OF 1874 and the
amended act of 1903, must be dismissed
The present law. say the officials. gives
Admiral Sands no discretion; he must
impose the sentence of dismissal
To Condone Mild 0fenses.
officers say it is not fair to dismiss
middies who have INDUCED in only
mild form of hazing or running. and
that the trainers of the act of 1874 never
intended 10 "bilge' a midshiDman whose
only Offense was 10 request a plebe to
bring him breakfast: put "a pIebe under
the table as "A correction for faulty table
manners, or the breaking Of a pate"
or requiring some slight physical exer-
else 10 be performed. To dismiss for
cruel treatment of - plebe. which has
now and then been inflicted by some
upper class man who has gone too far.
is all right. and no one here upholds
this form of haZing
IL can be said TO The credit of the
great body of cadets that there are few.
very few of dirty and mean runners"
10 be found. And no one welcomes the
''biiCing of this class of runners
more than the upper class men.
But as matters now stand there can
be no discrimination and some Of The
brightest middics OF the upper class will
have to SO If called upon to face the
court-martial now in session. There is
some talk that petition will be sent 10
Congress number of letters have al
ready been written-asking that the law
against hazing be modified so that dis
mlssdl shall only follow where the upper
class man has been oVerstrenuOus in
making a plebe do physical stunts, as
was brought out in the kinbrough case.
Depriving a middle of all of his privt-
leges for a month or two would indeed
he "A severe and drastic punishment. and
would keep in restraint the temptation
TO haze or run plebe. just as effectual-
~ as the dread of dismissal And il
would not deprive the Government of
tho services of young men just about
10 graduate. young men whose training
and education have cost Uncle sam
thousands Of dollars,
The opinion is freely expressed that if
Congress VIII at once order an investi-
cation OF haZing at the Academy il Will
he made clear TO the Members ana SEN
atOrs that an amendment to the present
law against haZing is iupera tive. and
that "a continuance Of the courts martial
VIII make conf Isi0n worse COnfOunded
In the ranks OF the midshpmen.
Results to Date.
Here is the result of the court-maritaI
20 date; Aidshipman Coffin. sentenced
10 dismissal; sentence takes effect when
Secretary Bonaparte returns TO Washing
ton. Midshpman Decatur, court-martiaI
and acquitted; on trial again on one new
charge and also practically for the same
onense of which ne was acquitted. Mid
shipmen Foster and Marzoni tried. evi-
deuce against them considered most
damaging. and general belief they were
convicted. When mdshipman is ac-
quilted that fact II soon made known by
Admiral Sands. When the verdict is
guilty the action of the court is made
public in Washington.
When DecatuTs second trial is closed
Midshipman J. p Miller will face the
cOurt-martial. These are all first class
men whose records aside from the haz-
ing charges are No J. with q promising
fuUrre before them. But under the sur
face their future il is said. will not
be aboard Uncle sam S war ships but
rather in the commercial walks of life
And all because of the aC' OF 1874.
Is InIee-SCr1 Der.
AIidshpman John Paul Miller. of the
first class. is three-striper The
charges against him are drawn under
the acts of 1874 and 1868 He is charged
with ordering Midshipmen Max Burke
DE Mott Henry George Cooper. jr
Stanley Roscoe Canine and John Find
ley Donelson. of the fourth class. to do
the 10 between the 1st and 18th of
December This under the act of 1874
Under the act of 1903 he is charged
with COuntenancing and ahetting the
hazing of the same plebeS in room 43S
in Bancroft Hall II will thus b,s seen
that the authorities are playing both
ends against the middle i'm order 10 bring
about MilleT's conviction.
+. = Thcali. counsel for Decatur by
his plea at the bar yesterday TO tho
effect that the accused was being tried
a second time for the Offense of which
he had been acquitted threw the court
up in the air so TO speak. And Judge
Harrison obtained an adjournment of the
court for twenty-four hours in order
that he could go 20 Washington and con
suit with the Judge Advocate General.
Counsel Theall played a trump card and
the court was not prepared 10 lead back.