Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-03
DECATUR CASE is ON TRIAL
Descendant of Famous Comm odore
Faces Csurt on Charge
of HasinE.

ANNAPOLIS. Md Jan 2.-The court
martial proceedings against AIidshipman
Stephen Decatur, jr. OF Portsmouth, n
H., charged with the hazing of Midshipmen
Isaac N. McCrary of Texas and Gaylord
Church Of Pennsylvania, both fourth-class
men, were continued this morning.
Decatur's case is Attracting great atten-
tion and a desperate effort is being made
to save him. He is a great-grandson of
the famous naval hero of the same name
and stands No. in studies in the class
which graduates next month. He has some
very powerful friends who are willing to
help him in every way Admiral Dewey
is a relative, but iittie help can be ex-
pected from this source if Decatur is con-
Victed.
After the reading OF the record of the
last days session 'Midshipman Charles S.
Keller was called to the stand for the de-
fense. He said that he remembered the
day the photograph OF the petty officers
were taken dt having been testified that
this was the day of the hazing) and that
he had been in Decaturs room after din
ner. He testified thar a number of mid
shipmen were there and that one of them
was Decatur The latter was evidently
surprise to the defense as it corroborated
the prosecutions testimony. He said that
he saw no fourth-class men in the room
and thought that lie could have seen them
If they had been there. On cross-examna-
ton he admitted that the officers had their
pictures taken on several days.
Midshipman John +. Cox of the sec
ond class was the next witness. lie said
that he had been IN Decaturs room after
dinner on the day when the petty Off
GERS were to have their pictures taken. lie
said that he had seen no one being hazed
and would have seen or heard them If they
had been, he thought.
On cross-examination the witness said that
someone might have been doing number
sixteen or "the leading rest" in the closet
and the witness not known it, but he was
sure that he would have heard the noise
had anyone been standing on his head
Ndshipman Robert V Lowe, class
mate OF Decatur, next testified. He had
glanced in the closet. he said and had
seen no one. Decatur. he said, had been
in the room when the witness arrived and
had left before the witness did. On cross
examination he admitted it was possible to
come in the room and not see in the
closet.
Mdshipmen Percival f. Denagl, Carroll
S. Graves, G. K. Davis and Harold Jones
also leSiIleu out Drought out nOtnlnS new.
1t is stated that Graves will be tried for
hazing.
The testimony of Midshipman Decatur in
his own defense revealed the fact that mid
shipmen in the United States navy are in
direct conflict In statements they have made
under oath.
Decatur denied specifically and positively
all the statements made by McCrary and
Church which, connected him with their
hazing. He said on the stand that he had
never hazed either of the men and did not
even know McCrary before he saw him in
the court-martlal room
McCrary had testified positively during the
first days session tret Decatur had ordered
him 70 stand on hi% head ard 10 do mo.
10 and Church also said that Decatur had
given him similar order The cross-ex-
animation brought from Decatur the admIs-
sion that he had ordered Church to report
to his room and that some one there had
compelled the under class man to perform
mo. 16."