Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-01-11
PROSECUTION Strengthened
BY WITNESSES IN DECATUR
CASE THIS MORNING.
Accused On The Stand This After
noon To Testify In Own
Behalf Miller's
Case Next.
FOURTH CLASS COURTESY is
CALLED HAZING.

The courJ's ruling this morning on
the question of the compelling OF the
testimony Of a witness Who asked for
immunity on the ground IF self In
elimination will greatly strengthen
tie prosecution in tie present case
that of Midshipman Stephen Decatur.
Jr., under trial for alleged hazing,
as we'll as in the subsequent proseou-
tions
The witness, Midshipman Petersen
b. MarZoni, was asked to relate the
circumstances connected with the haz-
ing of Fourth Glass nan Gaylord
Church and asked TO be excused ON
the ground that encouraging or conn
tenauoing hazing'' was an offence
and that the admission of his own
presence might incriminate him. The
court, after lengthy consultation,
ruled that he must testify to the ex
tent that he did in the former case
against Decatur. MarZoni then said
that he was in the room when Church
was doing the sixteenth. IL was
Decatur's room, he said, and Decatur
was present, but he was not sure that
he had spoken TO the underclassman.
Most Of the witnesses produced by
the defence testified that they had
often brought Decatur his breakfast.
The witnesses who testified to this
effect were Percival II. ID. Nagle aud
O. S. Graves, of the first class, the
latter Deoatur's roommate, Worth W.
Foster. of the first class. and Charles
s. Keller. of the second class. AS
they were upper classmen. the design
was TO show by their testimony that
such things were done as a matter OF
courtesy. Graves also said that dur
ing the first and third months OF the
academic year he had been in charge
of the room occupied Jointly by him
self aud Decatur.
The questions by members of the
court Indicated that it was surmised
that this responsibility extended only
| to the cleanliness and arrangement of
the room. The defence made "A strong
point, however, when Mr.. Theall read
| from the Academy regulations to show
that his responsibility extended also
| to observance of the Academy regu-
lations It had been testified that
| Graves was also present when Church
was hazed and Midshipman Graves
rather sought to throw the burden OF
| the responsibility on his own should
ers and take it from Decatur's.
Several fourth classmen were then
| introduced and were questioned as TO
their knowledge of the hazing Of Mid
shipman Chester S. Roberts by being
| told TO carry Co Decatur's room the
message "If she had been dog, do
you think she would have taken it in
| this way ?' Midshipman Clarence
W. Alger and Anrian b. Gather. both
of whom are stationed near Roberts
in ranks, testified that they did not
hear Decatur make such q remark.
Gerald A. Johnson, Roberts room
mate, testified that Roberts had re-
garded the remark as joke and also
that he considered Decatur his friend.
| Johnson also said he had often been
| to Decatur's room and lad been re-
| ceived on a friendly basis.
Decatur will go on the stand this
afternoon The next case to be taken
mp is that of First Classman John J..
| Miller, of Keutcuky. He will have as
| his counsel Col Charles II. LAUGH
| heimer, y. s. M. c. the author of the
standard work on the subject of naval
court martial. Miller is charged with
hazing four plebes and there arc eight
specificationns in .all. Among the
| plebes whom it is alleged that Miller
| hazed is Henry q. Cooper, Jr., of Ok
| ford, n c., who was stricken with
paralysis about three weeks ago. II is
alleged that the hazing took place
about a week previous to this event.
| Cooper has completely recovered.