Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-01-19
SEPTEMBER A GALA MONTH.
IT WAS WHEN HAZING WAS IN
FULL FORCE.
The Naval Academy Authorities
Acted Consistently The
Cases Now Under
Discussion.
PREVIOUS TESTIMONIES I'M
PLICATE OTHERS.

Mnlle 10 those unacqualnted With
the situation at the Naval Academy
there appears to be no method in
sequence of charges of haZing fled
against the midshipmen. the authori.
ties have acted consistently in their
every move. At the time when the
| first information was given to Admiral
Sands which justified him in bringing
charges, it was the intention TO com.
plete the trial of charges against ali
the members of the first class who
would be tried. but events have made
this impossible.
Early in the crusade it looked az il
only Decatur. Foster. Marzoni and
Miller, of that class would have
charges lodged against them, but the
testimony given during their trials i'm
pllcated at least as many of their class
mates as had been tried in such a way
that charges must be filed against them
unless the authorities lay themselv yes
open to the charge of favoritism By
the time Miller's trial was over. how
ever, the court of inquiry had discoy-
cred that there had been very severe
hazing during September last, VIII EN-
the midshipmen who had not passed
their examinations were kept at the
Academy during leave. In order that
the lesson might not be lost by reason
Of the remoteness Of the punishment
these were the next tried.
The cases of Minor Meriwether, Jr. !,
of Lafayette, La, and Chester A. A.
Bloebaum, of st. Charles, Mo-, have
already been tiled and tnat of Charles
M. James, of Grinnell, Ia, will fol-
low. All of those named were def.
oient in studies and lost the whole or
part of their September holiday. 1t is
we'll known that the month of Sep
tember is always a gala time for
hazeTs and that some of the meanest
kind of hazing is always done at that
time by the wooden" men of the
different classes, who had a great deal
better be working to keep up with
their classes.
The fourth class lad just entered at
the time and the lame ducks of all
the classes who have been kept over
undertake to set it's member mp and
teach them the true inwardDess of be-
ing midshipman. Two years ago.
during this period, Riohard II. Grady.
the son of a naval officer, and now
second olassman, was most seriously
injured by some of this same class of
midshipmen.
When this class of cases is finished
the authorities will return to the first
class. This can be said authoritative
ly. Evidence given during the court
martial trials as we'll as the facts ad-
duced by the court of inquiry make
the abandonment of the seniors out of
the question. If it was done there
would be general feeling that one
midshipman had been taken and an
other left when their guilt was GER
tainly equal. 1t is rgenerally said by
the midhipmen that none of the really
dirty hazers had been caught yet, but
the evidence in Bloebaum S case yes
terdav indicated.differently in that case
at least
Apropos Of Bloebaum's charges,
concerning which one of the midship-
men testified that he had been brutally
hazed because he did not care to in.
troduce the accused to young woman
of his acquaintance, it may be said
that although actions of that sort are
occasionally met with at the Acad-
emy, the great body of midshi pmen
frown upon it. Bloebaum is an ap.
pointee of Congressman Champ Clark,
who lately said he would arm a youth
with bowie knife and q hatchet il
he was going to send him to Annapo.
lis. Apparently his appointee might
have to trun his weapons on himself.
The charges against Midshipmau
Charles Nj. James of Grinnell. Ia, the
| next to be tried, are supported BY
eight specifications. They allege the
compulsion of the usual forms OF
| physical exercises. A variation il
that James called Edgar N. Caldwell
of Glasgow, KY, "a ------- speci,
men. There is known to be lots oi
that kind of hazing at the Academy
but this is the first time that it wai
brought to the attention of the court