The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-01-05
HAZING CASES
ARE TAKEN UP AT THE NAVAL
ACADEMY
Grandson OF Famous Commodore
Denies Connection With the
charges-May Defeat the
Inquiry.

Annapolis, Md, Jan. I'm his own
! defense, Stephen Decatur, jr., grand
son of the famous Commodore Deca-
| tur, at the naval academy this alter
noon declared under oath, that he had
not hazed either Isaac N. McCrary OF
| Texas. nor Gaylord Church of Penn
sylvania, the fourth class men who
testified that they had been put
through stunts in room 9S Bancroft
hall, by the accused midshipman. De-
catur is slight, dapper little chap
bearing a marked resemblance to the
early portraits of Napoleon.
On the evening that the officers of
4 the first and second battal.ons had
their pictures taken when McCrary
alleges he was hazed Decatur by his
testimony today showed that he was
busy after diner shifting" his uni
lorm talking with his room-mate and
other friends and hurrying to the
steps of Bancroft hall where the
pnotos were taken. lie said there
were no fourth class men in his quar-
;ers that night and there could not
have been any there without his know
ing It,
Asked categorically If he had hazed
either McCTary or Church by the meth
Gus alleged In the specifications, De-
catur emphatically answered: 81 did
not, sir!''
Decatur remembered Church and
said that early in the academic year
he had ordered him to go to room 9S
and Church had Obeyed.
81 was at the window when he came
in" said Decatur, 81 heard some one
tell him to get in the closet and he
did so, but | heard no one tell Church
TO do the sixteenth | don't know
who told him to go in the closet"
Asked by member of the court why
he had ordered Church to room SO.
Decatur said that Church had smiled
In ranks, and he intended to repri-
mand him. He could not remember
whether he had so reprimanded him
but was sure that the plebe was net
hazed as punishment.
Z Lieutenant Commander Harrison
the juuge advocate, asked Decatur
about the Hungarian band" Dec u.
!. trr said there was such an organiza-
tion composed of dozen pIebes VINO
played guitars and banjos, reCltcd dll
loct poems and sang songs. Twice
: he said, the Hungarian band had play.
/, ed in his room. He knew only tht
= leader, Midshipman Bennett and coulC
: not recognize the others now If h,
. saw them.
"Did not McCrary sing in you
: room?" asked the judge advocate.
"Not that remember" was the an
= swer
{ Further questioning in this line wa
" ruled out as irrelevant.
Decatur was given a very sever,
cross examination by the judge advo
Il cate hut he stuck to his original state
i ments, frequently, however, sayin
D that he could not remember, or dit
- not know matters the judge adyocat
- inquired about,
. The judge advocate asked Decatu
=, in rotation, what he had done between
!, and O'Clock on each day in Novon
+ ber but except for Saturdays, Sunday
: and Thanksgiving day, witness ha
no recollection.
= With his statements as to his move
= ments the night the McCrary HAHN
= is alleged to have occurred, fully cor
= roborated by half a dozen witnesse;
'' II. is believed that Decltur stands a,
excellent chance of dateating the ha2
- ing specification. The Church cas-
was never very strong and the fac
that Church himself was unwilling I
q swear positively that Decatur haze
him, may defeat that charge.
The Worth Foster trial has been sc
for Thursday. Midshipman p, B. Mar
zoni of Pensacola, Fla, was today al
rested and will be tried on HAHN
charges. He testified in Decaturs bt
N half this afternoon. declaring that tn
accused had not ordered Church int
the closet.