The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-22
ANNAPOLIS THEFTS
Are LAID TO NELSON
witnesses Testify That the
nigll Standing Midshipman
Operated for Years.
CLASSMATE ACCUSES HIM

lNNAIfhI'Nf d'lllf IL N'Eu
u.,i,. of the court OF inquiry which Is
.vr;ug,tiug r.uditions relating to ex-
carnations a. the Naval Academy
,-,ur .. out this afternoon the most
,,.,;ion,l inc of testimony which has
50 ar n go produced.
Vi.r.. .e gave testimony tending TO
,,,rc.. Nioshipmau RALPH Nick. Mel
am one of the seven original defend
ant. ,1 were recommended for dis.
rl..A, d., ADMIRAL Fullam. with a series
,ffheii. Of examination piper1 extend
INC ever q number Il yeas.
Nelson. ONE OF the best students in the
.,,.. WIS graduated this month. but
his dirloml was withheld pendins
og,tonc Of the rir.cn Investigation
and The action OF the Secretary OF The
Navy.
The evidence as to Nels 'ns t;iuns in
,h.se matters was all in1!rcct. in fact,
,uco as would not be ala .;ed b. civil
co,r,s because II vas helrsay, but II
nas received under the liberal proce-
dure which obtains in courts of this
President Russell stated the position
NJ the court to ne That the testimony
a, % the vague rumors would not be
accented, but that as the court was no
conducting q trial but an Investigation
testimony as To direct statements or
o.h.rs would be received SO that the
makers OF such statements could be
c,led upon to give first hand state
ments.
The Main Testimony.
Til. main TESTIMONY OF the day was
ry.n by Lieut.. william w. Turner.
r,slg- ivan NJ. Graham and Midshtp-
mar John +. H%efrernan.
Lieut.. Turner gave Midshipman Hef-
.rran as the source of his statements
,n.c,ing Midshipman Nelson. Midship-
Nm Henernar quoted Midshipman
ch,rles NJ. Rsagel as his chief author
nv Ensign Graham related a statement
m,as by M%idshlpman James z. Waddell,
in which Midshipman Nelson was in
eulpated.
Neither Reagel nor waddell appeared
a, the stand. hut they are expected to
IA tho star witnesses tomorrow morn
ne -
Lieut.. Turner said MidshIpman Het-
,.-rsn had told him that Nelson had got
A high rank In his class by obtaining
,avanc information about examinations
and that Midshipman Reagel, VINO ad-
rit,ed being his confederate nan given
him this information. -.
The witness mentioned that this had
been told him privately about June !
And that when he saw that the Nava
Academy was getting a bad reputation
A. the result Of the statements that were
being published he had felt II his duty
20 offer himself as a witness and had
SO informed Midshipman Henernan.
Midshipman Heffernan testified thai
his information as to the acts OF Mid
s,ipman Nelson were based on Reagers
statements and the general conversation
@, members OF his class. who belonged
with him to the Seventh Company.
witness Quotes Rcagel.
Reagel had frequently said. according
70 Herernan, that he and Nelson had
zone TO different academy buildings
and distracted advance Information, and
mad also seen the marks obtained by
, ne class. The witness added h a
Reage. had not recently mentioned Nell
sons name. but had spoken OF Midship-
man Waddell as his confederate.
Another important statement by the
witness was that Midshipmen Wade and
withers had told him that they had got
in advance all OF the recent examination
papers in modern language.
On cross-examination Heffernan aid
tha, ne had some trouble with both
Reagel and Nelson. but that he had no
special feeling against them. He de-
clared that he had called Reagel a
'liar' on one occasion. but that 1t was
nothing very unusual in Reagers case
Heffernan admitted hat Nelson. who
vas a high cadet officer. had some feel
Ing against him and had threatened to
report him every chance he got. He also
said that Midshipman w. b. one had
threatened to expose Nelson to the COM
him.
Ensign Graham, Q olassmats OF Mid
shipman Nelson, "a we'll as OF Ensigns
Burhen. Confer. Strubel. Hough. Nun
nally and Harrison. gave his testimony
under decided stress. and seemed to feel
kesnly his position.
His testimony related to conversation
whtch no had hold with Midshipman
wAddsl. He said that Waddell had told
him that with Nelson he had gone to
different departments and had taken ad-
vance matter.
Waddell alluded particularly, he said.
" visits which Nelson had made to the
marine engineering room. where he had
procured turbine sheets" which con-
,slned questions which were to be asked
on that division OF the subject.
The witness added that Waddell de-
cared that Nelson had opened a drawer
ana taken these sheets from II and that
a Few Of Nelson's classmates were regu-
Isrly helped by him.
classmates Involved.