Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-07
CADET COFFIN
TO Be DISMISSED
DECATUR is ACQUITTED BUT
REARRESTED
He viii Be Tried on Other Charges Of
Hazing-Testimony Shows
That Tagging System
Exists
By Associated Press.

by Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Jan. G.-The develop
ments today at the naval academy
we're important. Stephen Decatur, ir.,
the first of the members of the first
class to be put on trial, was declared
acquitted and restored to duty. but
was rearrested shortly after and will
be tried on other charges of hazing
under the act of 1874 and of encourage
ing or countenancing hazing under the
act of 1903.
Announcement was made that Mid
shipman Trenmore Coffin, jr., OF the
third class. from Carson City, New,
has been convicted of hazing and dis
missed.
During the trial of NIdshipman Mar
zoni it developed that tagging sys-
tenn exists at the academy. under-class
men being expected to bring food from
the breakfast table to upper-class men
when they miss the formation.
1t was also made clear that since
the hazinS Investigation began upper
class men have been subiecting each
other to the practices generally visited
on fourth-Class men so as to be able
to testify that certain things were
not done to under-class men only and
consequently do not constitute hazng.
AS intmatiOn of this had been gained
by previous testimony it remained for
Midshpman Robert w. Cabanniss,
first-clasS man from Birmingham, Ala,
to finally let the cat out of the bag
when he stated that since the sessions
of the court of inquiry began the first
class midShipmen and others at his
table had been required to report des-
sert. This was required only of the
fourth-class men up to a few weeks
ago.
Roberts on the Stand
The prosecutors first witness was
Midshipman Chester S. Roberts. upon
whose alleged hazing the first specifi-
cation was based. He said:
AT supper formation about n month
or two ago, someone came up behind
me G believe it was Mr.. Decatur), and
told me to go to Marzoni'S S room. / did
not know Marzoni but went to the room
and somebody told me to go to the
closet. | went to the closet and did
the 16 for Il few moments. 1 did not
see the person who told me to go in
the closet or who told me to do the 16.
did see Mr. Marzoni when he told Inc
to come out"
Midshipman Benson, fourth class
man, was the next witness. He cor
robora ted Roberts.
From an unofficial but reliable
source it is learned that Midshipnan
Coffin of Nevada has been found guilty
of hazing Fourth Glass Man Kim
brough and sentenced to dismissal.
At the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion Midshipman Marzoni was called
to the stand by his counsel. He abso-
lutely denied that he had hazed Rob
L, IL
.Tye had brought him food by request
Bryant had also brought him food. un-
der the same circumstances as in Tye's
case. Upper Classmen, he said, had Of
ten done the same thing and there had
been no difference i'm the circumstances
under which they had done it.
Explains Bringing of Breakfast
Marzoni was asked in regard to the
bringing of breakfast to his room by
"plebes" Tye and Bryant. He said that
both boys We're from the same section
of the country as himself and that it
was the custom among southern mid
shiEmen TO be on a friendlier footing
than others. He had requested the
youths, not ordered them, to bring his
breakfast when he was not down and
they had done so.
Marzoni was followed on the stand by
Charles n. Woodruff his roommate,
who said that Marzoni was careless in
regard to the small breaches of the reg
ulations. but never committed any
grave offenses, and that he enjoyed a
good reputation among his fellows,
which was also testified to by NIidship-
men Mccain and Newton, first-class
men.
Russell Wilson of Wyoming. a first
class man. said that he had often
"butted in" on hazing when he was a
fourth class man, because he enjoyed
doing the stunts"
George w. Simpson. a second class
man, said that he had often brought
rolls and milk to Marzoni, and had
done it as a matter of compulsion.
First class man Edward Moses had
done the same thing. He said, too,
that with a few days practice he had
stood on his head three hundred and
fifty times successfully and had felt
no bad effects.
John Dixon of Fayetteville. Ala. a
member of the second class, said that
he took particular interest in Fourth
Glass Man Bryant and he considered
Marzoni was very nice to Bryant The
last witness was Benjamin f. Tilley.
formerly a claSsmate of Marzoni, but
now a member of the fourth class. He
said that when he was Marzonis class
mate he had brought the latter food at
breakfast times. He also said that the
accused was liked by the members of
the fourth class.
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