Evening star., 1915-06-22
Midshipman WaddeII Makes a
Frank Admission Before
"Cribbing" Board.
MUST GET ADVANCE TIPS,
FOR STUDIES ARE so HARD
Two Testify at Annapolis Hearing
of Engaging in Surreptitious Ex-
peditions to Get Information.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. June 22-1t was
general practice among Naval Acad-
emy midshipmen to enter surrepti-
tiously the marine engineering depart
ment to obtain information as to their
marks on recitations and examinations.
according to the testimony today of
Midshipmen James E. Waddell and C.
NJ Reagle Of the former third class.
They were called before the court of
inquiry which is Investigating irregu-
larities in examination papers. because
of testimony given yesterday to the
effect that they had admitted engaging
in such expeditions
Waddell and Reagle said they had
gotten into the engineering depart
ment by themselves several times, and
in company with others, among them
r. NJ Nelson. an honor man of the
graduating class. who has been recon-
mended for dismissal.
The purpose of obtaining advance in
formation on marks, it was testified,
was to enable a midshipman who was
behind to study. up.
wooden" Section Treated Unfairly.
waddell said that man who gets
into the wooden" or low mark section
has hard time to keep his head above
water. and it was his opinion that men
in that section were not fairly marked
The dope" system. that of getting
advance information, was bad, Waddell
said, but the course of studies at the
academy was so hard that the average
man had to have dope" to get through.
He had sat up late at night studying
mathematics and then failed on the
examination.
Regrets to Incrfminate Classmates.
Manifesting deep feeling that he was
compelled to testify in such manner
as to incriminate former classmates.
Ensign Ivan NJ Graham, who recently
graduated, yesterday afternoon related
a conversation he had last week with
Midshipman j. E. Waddell aboard one
of the ships of the practice squadron at
anchor off Annapolis. Graham said
Waddell told him that he WaddelD
knew of lots of things that had been
pulled off, during the last year by
star man Of the first class, who is
one of the seven midshipmen recon-
mended for dismissal by Supt. Ful1am.
Nelson on one occasion had asked
Waddell. according to the story Graham
said he was told. how to get in win
dow of the steam building and secure
on examinations. At another
time the two men were in the same
building and Nelson showed him ad-
vance examination ratings. together
jects to be given for days work in
classroom.
Men Refused to Resign.
Later Graham conferred with Ensign
Richard R. Adams, the class president,
in regard to asking the guilty parties
to resign. He said Adams took up the
matter, but the accused men refused
to resign. Graham said Waddell told
him he was reluctant to testify before
the court of inquiry because he knew
Nelson would get him." especially as
Nelson had some things on him."
matter was one that ought to be
cleaned up, and that he had related
the story to Lieut.. w. w. Turner. one
of the officers on the battleship Mis-
souri,.
Ensign E. B. Hough. who was made
a defendant after the court had begun
its investigation. was further impli-
Gated by the testimony given by Gra-
ham, who later mentioned three more
of his classmates. Ensigns Overesch.
King and Barnett, as having had deal
ings with Nelson. Waddell also had
told him, Graham said. that Moss had
nearly a whole examination in calculus
on one occasion which. he said, he re-
youth who claimed to have received
through the mail from an anonymous
source papers which the academy au-
thorities assert were actual examina-
tion papers stolen. from the depart
ment of modern languages.
Lieut.. Turner'S Testimony.
Jieut w. W. Turner, who preceded
Ensign Graham on the stand, testified
to having advised the ensign to come
forward and tell what he knew, and
that he, himself, had decided person
ally to report the matter to the au-
thorities.
Midshipman John B. Heffernan testf-
fed as to the very general report at
the academy that Nelson had been get
ting examination papers throughout
the whole year. The witness had been
advised by Midshipman w. D. Jones
with him in petty ways. to
threaten to report Nelson for the
dope" he was getting for the fourth
class men he was coaching.
Counsel for the defendants, while
cross-examining Hefferman. brought out
that not only had there been personal
III will between Heffernan and Nelson,
but that serious disagreements had
arisen between the nrst and second
classes during the past year.
Witnesses Kept In Seclusion.
Midshipmen Waddell and Charles NJ
Reisle, who were mentioned in testi-
mony as men who had been with Mel
son at various times when trips were
made to the academy building for ex-
animation papers or to see what marks
he had made. are being kept secluded
from all other witnesses. They were
marched to the building where the in
quiry Is being held, each under guard
of an ensign, and kept separated from
each other.
The reason for these extraopi,narv
precautions was touched upon in the
testimony OF Ensign Graham, who told
Of being informed. since the witnessed
reached the court building, that Mid
shipman Nelson had made an EFFORT to
talk with Mishipman Reigle. and when
Reigle's guard. Ensign Lusk, arrived
in time to break up this conversation
Nelson was saying to Reigle something
about testimony.
THREE TURKISH SHIPS
SUNK BY THE RUSSIANS