The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-14
MERIWETHERA VENGEDINSULT
FACTS WHICH TEND TO JUSTIFY
HIS FIGHT WITH BRANCH.

House Committee Learns That the MILDLY
: VINO Was Killed Had spoken s~fightingiy
OF Merfwether's Mother and Grand.
mother-Mllder HaZjng Penalties Urged
WASHINGTON; March is.-An interesting
circumstance in connection with the Branch
Meriwether fight at Annapolis, which re-
suited in the death Of MidAhipman BranohI
10 disclosed in the tastinnnnv recently taken
by the investigating oommitr.c Of the
House which went to the academy to- cake
al inquiry into the subject Of hazing.
The individual members Of the committee
returned to Washington with the personal
belief that young Meriwether had more
justification for his fight with Branch than
has heretofore been made public.
1t appears9rom the evidence given before
the committee hat there had been some
~ill-feeling between the two boys. One
evening, according to the evidence, Branch
came into Meriwether's room and picked
up several letters which the underolaas man
had received. Among them was one from
his mother aud one from his grandmother
In New Orleans.
The mothers letter was written upon
the letterhead Of q firm by which his father
was at that time employed. Branch is said
to have made slurring remarks about
Meriwether's mother because she used
that sort Of stationery.
Branch, IL was declared, even went FUR
Their and read q letter which Meriwether
had received from his grandmother an
old and feeble woman. The handwriting
was cramped and difficult to read and
there were several r words s mnlSs spp s q
alleged to have taken her photograph,
which she had Just sent to her grandson,
and to have held 1t up to ridioule. 1t was
tinted rather dark and Branch suggested
that it might be the picture Of a negro and
insinuated that Meriwether was Of negro
blood.
Brench's remarks were OF such a charao-
ter and said with such a tone OF insult that
Meriwether became indignant. Hethought
the matter over for a time and then went
classman In bed. He asked him to get
up and fight with him there, In order that
he might YER the insult. Branch re-
fused to fight then but agreed to accept
a challenge, which was given and which
resulted in his death.
Representative Vreeland, chairman Of this
investigating COMMITTEES, to-day submitted
to the House m on Naval Affairs
It's report with respect 20 haZing. The
belief Is expressed that. haEing at the
present time does not exist.
The committee recommends graduated
punishment for offences of this sort and the
substitution of a system of dement's for
minor breaches of discipline rather thar
dismissal oE trivial acts and boyish pranks.
The report passes a mild criticism upon
Rear-Admiral Brownson, until recently
superintendent Of the academy, for his
action in releasing the midshipmen from
their pledge to him not to haze during his
incumbency at the academy and for re-
garding the promise Of the cadets to him as
a personal one rather than as made to the
guperlDtendent Of the academy,
h most striking virtue of the boys at
the academy which the committee found
was their ~truthfulness, there being the
greatest adherence and detestation OF q
lie. From September I, 1901, at the time
Admiral Brownson left the academy, to
December IL, the time of the Kimbrough
incident, there were sixty m%idshipmen
Of the first class, ninety Of the second, 1871
Of the third and 2sl OF the fourth implicated
In various acts of hazing, most Of the cases
being Of a minor character. Under the
present law, had it been enforced, nearly
all the midshipmen would have beer dis
Cadet officers not only failed to
report these cases but often took part in
the hazing themselves.