New-York tribune., 1922-11-07
sze;d Middle
Tells How He
OF, Pie Race
/. S. John p. C;ln,er ,Jr.
iaused Him TO Send i'm
designation From Navy
81 Wasting His Time
her Witnesses Cool
,,sarded the Contest as
! Ioke: One Says Accused
spoke TO Him of Trial
.,,,.,o, -. r,sspasch to The Tri,un,

srscfai Dsspdsch 10 3hs Tribune
I avsap0LIS, Nd, Nov. s.--Fourth
,.,ssan Joseph NJ. Bonifant, Of Pow.
,..,a. Va, occupied the stand at the
-, Academy courtmartial for most
] sts.dsy,s session, Midshipman John
,s;.ner IT,. of San Diego, Cal, being
!. rial Bonifant testified that Mid
,.;s.asn Gilmer had pursued him with
sriss Of questions, many of them
sr;yolous, until he could neither eat
eamtortably or study successfully. In
consequence, he said, he had lost his
aessre TO remain in the navy and had
forwarded his resignation.
gonifaat is oae Of the four midship
nen alleged to have been hazed by Gill
| Ener Three Of the six specifications
ssssr only to him. The fourth alleged
ast Bonifant. Karl X. Biederman. Of
aasonts, N. Y; Ethelridge Grant, of
! as hateo, Calf, and Neil r. Camp
1hg Of Big Rapids, Mich, were com
: alsd to take part in a pie race. The
! ssh and sixth set out that Gilmer
sud biederman and Grant by COM
xaihg them to do physical exercises.
sgnrous defense was made at every
(sat OF to-day's session by Major
Esnry Leonard, Giimer's chief counsel.
Il he series of trials is beginning to
Ifrss. great attention, and many spec
s.srs, most of them relatives of mid
a,men caught in the net of the acad
sy authorities, were present to-day.
: sse anteroom were more than TWEEN
nidshipmen, called as witnesses.
sing them Vincent P. Conroy, cap
/. al Of the football team, called as q
isreter witness for Gilmer.
TesE;cs Without Reluctance
g;dshsr,n N Bonifant proved himself
] Il rnusue, witness for midshipman
I zsifying against an upper class man.
j has generally been the rule that
sashipman in such position indi-
zea his reluctance to testify most
anly Bonifant, however, talked
= IA apparent willingness, though with
81 special rancor.
ionifant appears to be the youth
Ii had much to do with the present
aement against hazing. On October
I .shen the session had been in prog
~ only day, he wrote letter to his
j aother telling her conditions were un-
/ sesrabls, calling the upper class men
Fha had haEed him ''brutes" and telling
her that he might resign. AS this let
.er was presented by the Judge Advo-
rate to-day, it is assumed that it was
pat IN the hsnds of the academy author
tiles and gave them enc of the strong
intlmstions that hszing was going on.
The chief Incidents along the line OF
hasing to which Bonifant testified were
ialrslaten 20 tie questions asked him.
id3s Ess cone during every meal, Boni-
fsri ssfs and the questions we're Of
sgsh nature that he had to pass mosS
his study period trying TO find the
sasEers He understood that physical
stunts would be required of him if he
did not answer the questions. He
admitted that he had not performed
M though told on two occasions to
aaplso
The pie race was not given any cruel
!mrticularly humiliating aspect by
Ed testimony before the court Boni-
as and Biederman, who stated they
sk part in it and stood first and
anad, respectively, at the finish, both
sting that they regarded it as joke.
alderman proved himself a witness
asan entirely different stamp from
aNfans. He was inclined TO make
ssgs as we'll as could be for the ac-
md midshipman, though he did not
Mas questions put to him. He said
ut on two occasions, once with Mid
apnan Grant, he had performed
lt'slcal exercises. the cleaning rest"
tffen times, but that he felt neither
saaiia'ed nor oppressed by it.
Says Gilmer Spoke of Trial
Biederman, however, brought
1ssaftling incident before the court, in
4 spqe Of strenuous objections Of Major
Latnard, in answer to a question of
1uage Advocate Murphy, when he
stated that Midshipman Gilmer had
islfed to him about the case a short
sAras ayo,
y,lass went to his room. Biederman
aa' md told him what he, "the ac-
easea nitshipman,' would state in
80 ssasSsiaiony, and added, ann telling you
..a sar. you must say, but if the piebes
siSaa ny me everything will come out
IN. lac court was considering the OBJ
;eSuoh to this question and answer
morrow.