The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-02
HAzING MIDDIES
SCARED SILENT
Many Of the Hazed Cadets Expect
to Fail in Their Exami-
nations.

Journal Special Service
Annapolis, Nd, Jan. 2.-The mid
shipmen had liberty to visit the town
yesterday. and took advantage of it
in large numbers. There was decided
~ less inclination to talk about haz-
ing and such matters than usual Gen
orally, when such things are going on,
the whole town knows all about it
from the talk of the midshipmen when
they get in the city. Now, however,
the fact that they are entirely uneom-
municative is significant of how thoro-:
ly frightened they are. The magnitude
of the hazing to which the fourth
class has been subjected, was known in
Annapolis long before it was brought
! to the official attention of the authori-
ties. 1t is also known that large
number, thirty or forty, of the fourth
| class men expect to fail in the Febru-
airy examinations, and most of. them as
sign their poor scholastic work to the
continued annoyance to which they
have been subjected.
Isaac n. McCrary, the Texas lad
for whose hazing Decatur Of the first
class is on trial. is rather bright boy
who has been so bothered that he is
| quite likely to fail. He is said to have
wished to stay in the navy, but is ut
terly disguised with the continued in
suit and mistreatment that has been
heaped upon him.
Trying to Save Decatur.
Annapolis, Md, Jan. 2.-The court
martial proceedings against Midship-
man Stephen Decatur, Jr., of Ports
mouth, n. H., charged with the hazing
Of Midshipman Isaac N. McCrary Of
Texas and Gaylor Church of Pennsyl-
vania, both fourth-class men, were con.
tinued today, Decatur going on the
stand in his own defense.
Decatur denied absolutely all the
statements Of McCrary and Church
which incriminated him. The court il
thus left to decide between the testi-
mony under oath of the upper and
lower classmen. Other witnesses were
introduced to bear out the defense =
theory that the prosecuting witnesses
were mistaken as to who had hazed
Them
Decatur's case is attracting great at
tention and desperate effort is being
made to save him. He is a great-grand-
son Of the famous naval hero Of the
same name and stands No. in studies
in the class which will graduate next
friends, who are willing to help him in
every way. Admiral Dewey is a rela-
tive, but little help can be expected
from this source if, Decatur is con-
victed
Whether or not the sound of stand
ing on ones head, as it is practiced at
the naval academy, can be recognized
by person in an adjoining room proved
, to be the disputed point in the evil
dence which counsel for the defense
submitted this morning in the court
martial proceedings against Decatur.
A number of midshipmen testified
they were IN Decatur g room the day
that Midshipman McCrary had said De-
catur had hazed him and that they had
seen no fourth-class men there. FL
forts were made on all the cross-exam-
nations to show that the midshipmen
We're not there the whole time that De-
eatur was, and also that victim might
be doing his stunts in the closet
and the witnesses not have seen it. All
OF the mldshipmen were confident that
!, they would have seen the incident had
,, 1t taken. place, and also that the
noise made by the shutting of the feet
of the underclassman when standing
! ! on his head would have been heard and
! recognized by them
: 1t was brought out successfully by
= the judge advocate. however, that Dc.
catur had his picture taken In one
l group or another on two or three oc
| casions.
This was of much Importance. as the
defense is attempting to disprove Nc
e Crary's statement that he was hazed by
|. Decatur after dinner on the day wlier
: the latter had his picture taken in 6
group of other midshipmen.