New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-11
Eleven Men Now on Trial
in Cribbing Scandal
at Annapolis.
NO HONOR SYSTEM
AT THE ACADEMY
Officer Testifies There Once
Was, but That II Fell
Into Disuse.
lBy Telegraph to The Tribune


Annapolis, June 10.-A protest in
open court by one OF the lawyers that
Rear Admiral Fullam, superintendent
Of the Naval Academy, ought to diseon-
tinue consultations with accused mid.
shipmen and the opinion of the head OF
the department Of modern languages,
member of the previous board of in
vestigation, that there does not now
exist among the midshipmen code OF
honor in matters relating to studies
were the features of to-day's session
of the court of inquiry.
Ensigns II. II. Harrison and A. V.
Struble, who were graduated last Fri
day. were to-day made defendants. The
two young officers, together with En-
sign Confer, named yesterday, were
present and took their places with the
defendants. The number Of defendants
is now eleven.
Midshipman Rogers, who was added
to the defendants yesterday, declined
to allow Representatives Carlin and
Hays to represent him. He was impli-
Gated only through the fight put up by
counsel for the original seven to show
that others than their clients were in
volved.
Commander Traut, head Of the de
partment of languages. was questioned
as 10 what he thought advisable to
safeguard the examinations. He sug-
gested that an honor system be estab-
lished and that those who broke this
code be dealt with by their classmates.
He said: There was once some such
system in vogue here, but it was al
lowed to fall into dissuse; why. cannot
say"
Suspected Three Midshipmen.
Commander Traut related story
told him by Instructor Washburn, OF
the English department, of the sus-
picious actions of three midshipmen,
Mr. Washburn said he had occasion
on Christmas Eve to go to his office.
On entering the building he saw three
mdsh ipmen, one of whom was in the
act of closing the door of the Office of
the department of modern languages.
He hailed them, he said, ut they ran
away. The instructor reported the in
ciJent, but the men were not caught
and then identity is not known.
Retaliation of the general charge
that has been made by counsel for the
a cused midshipmen that improper ad-
vance information of examinations had
been circulated as coming from instruc-
tors "a contained in the testimony Of
Professor c. V. Cusachs, of the Spanish
and French sections of the modern
languages department.
Called to explain his conversation
with Midshipmen, now Ensigns, Kriner
and Overesch, Professor Cusschs said
they called at his house a few days
before the examination and asked II
he would advise them what to study
for the examination. 81 told them"
Professor Cusachs declared, that I
would gladly give them the informa-
tion | gave to my section as to the
most important points to be covered in
the examination"
The professor emphatically denied
that either of the young men, who
were graduated last Friday, had asked
him about what particular questions
were likely to appear in the examina-
ton.
Advice He Gave Was Poor"
II remembered after looking over
the examinations the day after they
were given that my advice to Kriner
on the subject of night watch had
been rather poor, due TO the fact that
there were more questions on that
subject than on other articles"
Indication that three other midship-
men would be formally announced as
defendants came with the appearance
in the courtroom of r. J. Walker. G. d.
Price and II. " P. Baugh this morning.
They were told by the judge advocate
that they were not 'equired yet, and
left the seats they had taken with the
other defendants.
With the increase in the number of
accused, only the original aeven Of
whom are now under arrest, another eff
fort was made by their counsel to get
them released by Superintendent Full
man. This effort was unsuccesa full.
Professor c. V. Cusachs, vino has
been often mentioned as giving out ad-
vance dope" to middies, wa one of the
witnesses to-day. He described the con-
versaton he had with the midshipmen
involved, and showed that he had given
no information which could be called
Official, or even improper.
A letter was read from Secretary
Daniels urging that ss much haste as
possible, without sacrifice of thorough
ness, be observed in the proceedings,
that the midshipmen's practice cruise
to the Pacific Coast might be started.