New Britain herald., 1915-06-16
ADMIRAL FULLAM
ON WITNESS Stand.
.ae
Naval Academy Head Declares He
Fought "Gouging" System

| nniral William F. Fullam superintend-
| ent of the naval academy was given
an opportunity late yesterday to ex-
I plain before the court of inquiry in
vestigating the .'cribbing" scandal,
| the advice which he had given pros
1 pective midshipmen Witness Earli-
! err ia the day a letter was received
! from him acknowledging receipt Of
the courts request that the practice
| against which Congressman Hay en-
| tered protest Monday be discon-
| tinued The admiral wrote that he
would comply with the courts sug-
gestion and that he was ready to APP
| pear before the court to make an ex-
| PLANTATION.
i While he was in the witness chair
1 today Admiral Fullam said:
II consider myself in some sense
/ defendant in view Of what the press
| of the country has had to say in
| criticism of the system as the aca-
| denny"
When Midshipman A. G.. Rogers
| Joined the seven original defendants,
after testimony had been given that
a paper in his handwriting had been
found on which answers appeared to
questions in the last Spanish eyamin-
alton and which had been circulated
as dope prior to the examination,
he accepted the counsel Of the other
defendants Admiral F,ullam said he
sent for Rogers the next morning be-
cause he felt he needed advise con-
corning that proceeding; that he was
wronging himself and jeopardizing
his interests by placing himself in the
same category with the seven MIDI
shipmen who had been recommended
for dismissal. His impression was
that three or four other midshipmen
in his Office may have heard what
he said and possibly he had advised
others.
Never Tried to Influence Them.
In no case did try to Influence
their testimony or actions jim 4 this
court said the superintendent
After others had baen drawn into
the proceedings tn9 superintendent
said. counsel camaffo him and asked
that the seven uHder arrest be freed,
that all the defeAdants should be Civ
en- the same status. He told counsel
he considered the status OF the seven
very different and he could not
release them ffom confinemnt aboard
the prison ship.
Dute as Commander.
Referring again to Rogers, Admiral
Fullam SKID that when he considered
that the young mans interests had
been jeopardized he wanted to know
as his commanding officer, If he was
satisfied. It was his duty. he said be-
fore putting him on the prison ship,
to ask him If he wanted to go intoI
that category ss
y Asked by Congressman Carlin about 1
his interview with Secretary of the
Navy Daniels in Washington last Sat
urday, the admiral said that he re-
! viewed the whole matter with the
secretary who expressed a desire for
"a full and free investigation Of the
whole thing by a court in order that
there should be no complaint that
there had not been a thorough in
quiry. : t6
Admiral Fullam said he considered
1t for the best interests of the acad-
envy and Of the navy that he should
reiterate to the secretary his previous
views as to the guilt Of the seven
midshipmen.
Midshipmen, Guilty, He Says.
Unless the court discovers evil
dence of which 1 cannot conceive and
which I never heard" the admiral
added, Il think it hardly possible to
establish the innocence of these
men"
In reply to another question by
Congressman Carlin the admiral said:
II would feel very badly if my
Judgment were impugned and they
were not found guilty"
Admiral, is it your purpose to re-
sign and go to sea in collier?" asked
Congressman Carlin.
Bitterly Opposes "Gouging."
! Mot at ALL was the reply. my
reason for mentioning that subject at
all was simply this: That after all
+ had said to the midshipmen of my
views on 'gouging' I had apparently
mot succeeded in pounding into them
the seriousness Of it. I told the four
class presidents that / considered it
such reflection on the school that
If it continued to exist here I would
find 1T no honor or satisfaction to re-
main here as superintendent"
Evidence was given yesterday morn
ing tending to show that there was
d material difference in the value
OF information given to midshipmen
in class room by instructors in vari-
Gus sections pursuing the same course
of studies in the modern languages
department.
Special effort by several of the de-
PENDANTS not represented by counsel
was directed toward securing from
Lieut.. D. G. Paterson, jr.. and instruc-
tor in the modern languages depart
ment the information that many of
the instructors gave out advance i'm
formation according to their own
ucfo Nj sa0f 1on ~, tee >f
different midshipmen Of the same