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Show ANNAPOLISHAZEfIS CAllEOCAIPEI Tin1 Sentiment Is That Matters Will U Hani With Them. ;m; TO EXTREMES; OUTRAGES PERPETRATED These Have Aronsed a Widespread Wide-spread Peeling of Wrath Against Hating. HparlSl ta The Trlbun. W A S II I NCJTON, Jan. L Midshipman Midship-man Trenmor Coffin, Jr.. of Carson City, New. a member of the third class at the United States Naval academy, acad-emy, was put on trial this week before a court-martial of navy officers for the alleged hazing of Midshipman KI111-hrough KI111-hrough Of Tennessee, a member of the "plebe" class. This case Is likely to prove one of the most Interestine ever heard at the Naval academy and the out com of It will undoubtedly materially mater-ially affect the future dlasspllne of the Institution. Midshipman Klmbrough wrote to his relatives In Tennessee full details of the first attempts at hazing practiced on htm. His relatives took the matter up with the authorities, who instituted an Investigation, and this lncensd the midshipmen, who consider It against the ethics of the academy for one of their number "to tell tales out of school." Shortly after the hazing of Klmbrough Klm-brough Admiral Sands recommended that Midshipman Coflln and Midshipman Midship-man Van Derver of New Jersey be dismissed. dis-missed. The greatest excitement pre-vallt pre-vallt 1 In A nnapoUg follt ving the story of the alleged hazing. A hoard of ln-qulry ln-qulry was promptly appointed by Bu-p Bu-p rlntendent Sands, who forwarded the findings to Washington. One of the midshipmen Is alleged to have remark re-mark ,1 apropos of the Investigation; "It Is h 1 the boys are taking to the woods." The Klmbrough Case. The facts, briefly started, are that Klmbrough of Qermantown, Tann., a member of the fourth or "plebe" OSlSB, vas taken to the hospital December 12 In a seml-consclot s condition suffering from extreme exhaustion, the usiilt or being brutally hazed In his room In Bancroft hall The hazing Is alleK. 1 to have been done by Coffin and the charge ag&lnst Van Derver Is that In-w.i In-w.i in charge of the floor and failed to report the case. Immediately the facts were ascertained by the authorities, authori-ties, the two alleged culprits were put under guard and confined as prisoners on the training ship Hartford. There has been little doubt from the outset if tin a-e that the recommendation for the dismissal of Midshipman Coffin by Admiral Sanda will be can-led out. The bSglng "f Klmbrough, which led to his collapse, v.as the direct result of his having told his grandfather who visited him of the fact that he had been put through a few "stunts" by the upper class men. The grandfather mad' ompluint without the knowledge of the grandson and this made Kim-brough Kim-brough lk'ble for another and mor at -vera hazing for having "peached." He Was required to stand on his head In the corner of his roo muntll he collapsed col-lapsed from exhaustion. Efforts to revive re-vive bin were futile, but It was not until it was feared -hat he was dying that his condition was reported to the authorities and the oung man taken to the hoapltal. Another mldshlpman-Henry mldshlpman-Henry Coopei of Oxford, N. C. v as stricken with paralysis of the entire right side about the time Klmbrough collapsed and while Ccoper refuses to talkj everybody believes that his on- Ullioil w.is .iij- 10 11,11.11 s It appears thut the death of young Branch as a result of his fight with m art weather ii'd not have a tendency to discourage brutality In the arndeiny. No less than six fights occurred there In the Interval between the death of Branch and the conclusion of the court-martial court-martial trlul of Meriweather, le. 1 blow resulted fatally to Branch. It hafl become very evident to the authorities that If hazing Is to be stopped it will huve to be as the result of Interference bv the authorities. The midshipmen do not se-ni to have (he ability or willing ness to abolish It themselves. The case of Klmbrough Is by no means an lso- lal d one fnder the administration of President M Klnby .1 midshipman from one of the Western States was required to B buid on bis head until the treatment treat-ment resulted in hemorrhages, and his ondltlon was even more serious In Its ultimate results than was that of Midshipman Mid-shipman Klmbrough. The victim In this case had no father bvlng to Int. 1-fere 1-fere with the authorities In his behalf, but his mother wrote pathetic letter to President Mi-Klnley and an investigation investi-gation was instituted, but when It was discover. .1 thai (hose gutltv ..f th- hazing haz-ing were. the sons of prominent officers of the navy the matl r was mysteriously mysterious-ly dropped. Scenes of the Fights. it was formerly the custom at Annapolis An-napolis to condm t th... lights In a prize ring pitched In a lonely spot near the ncademy cemetery. The road leading lead-ing to It crossed the bridge which spans the Severn river and th surroundings I about the loneliest that can be Imagined Im-agined or described. The conditions and surroundings were enough to overawe the average boy who went Into a fistic encounter with his antagonist and who probably felt when he entered the struggle that be was without friends present. It must also be taken into consideration that these tights usualls OCCUr between "plebes," who have not had the benefits of a year's strenuous physical training, and upper class men who have had the training necessary to make them the superiors In such an en-cuniei en-cuniei . of anv 1 1 um who is likely to he matched ugalnsi them w ithout su, h sudi Hull lug. and particularly the - 1-perlors 1-perlors In strength of one younger than themselves. Altogether the proceeding agalnat the "plebe" Is rather a cowardly coward-ly one In every way. Generally It Is an alleged affair of honor" between lasses, and urged on with a shjiw at clasi spirit, but probably prompted mote by desire to witness a brutal exhibition ex-hibition of physical strength. Resolutions have been Introduced In both Houses of Congress as a result of Ho KlmbrOUgh-COfBn affair, am) bv Senator Carmack has pased the Senate requesting the Committee on |
