Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
ANNAPOLIS. Nd, January G, 1905

nom arrest anu ICSlOl " dul
ANNAPOLIS. Md, January G, 1905.
The trial of NIidshipman Peterson B.
Marzoni before the court-martial assembled
at the Naval Academy was resumed this
morning Marzoni plead not guilty 10 the
charge and all of the specifications which
support it. OF these the first alleges the
hazing of Midshipman Chester 5. Roberts
of Joliet. ILL.,, and the second and third the
hazing of Benjamin W. Tye of Atlanta, Ga
The men are of the fourth class and the
hazing alleged is that MarZoni compelled
them to carry his meals to his room and
to perform various forms Of physical eXer-
ciSes
The prosecutors first witness was Ches-
ter S. Roberts. upon whose alleged hazlng
the first specification is based. This is
the fourth class man whom It was alleged
that Foster hazed and who gave more IN
willing testimony against him. He said:
AT supper formation about a month or
two ago some one came up behind me,
believe it was Mr. Decatur, and told me
10 so to Marzoni's room. / did not know
Marzoni, but went to the room and some
body told me TO so to the closet. l went
to the closet and did the sixteenth for
few minutes j did not see the person
who told me to so in the closet or who
told me to do the sixteenth. did see Mr..
Marzoni when he told me to come out.
The room was number 9S in Bancroft Hail.
Roberts said that he did not see Mar
Zoni in the room when he went in, but did
when he went out. Benson. fourth class
man. was in the closet with the witness,
he said.
Recollection Refreshed.
The judge advocate, by permission of the
court laid before the witness a record Of
his testimony before the court OF inquiry
in order TO refresh his recollection of the
incident Roberts read his testimony on
the former occasion, but was not able to
make his testimony more certain. The
record of the court of inquiry was not read
publicly, but presumably the testimony as
given before the previous court was more
definite.
Although the witness had said that he
did not know who had ordered him to the
closet he later said that the voice was the
same as the one which told him to come
out. He said that he had been told to go to
the room and say to Marzoni: IF she had
been a dog, do you think she would have
taken it?''
Not Sure About Date.
On cross-examination the witness said he
rences. He also said that he was not viii
ling to say positively that Marzoni said
anything TO him but tell him to leave the
closet.
He was then asked II he was harassed
or humiliated by what had been done to
him. He said: Not more than any other
plebe."
on redirect examination the witness said
he did the sixteenth, something worse
might be done to him If he did not.
Midshipmau Howard II. j. Benson, a
fourth classman. was the next witness. He
said he had gone into a room with Roberts
and that one Of them told him to get in
the closet and do the sixteenth He said
he did not remember seeing the accused
in the room and was not sure of his voice
On cross-exa mination he said that his
health had improved since he had been in
the academy. The counsel for the defense
evidently wanted TO show that the "plebes''
were benefited by their course at the hands
Of the upper classmen.