The room was full of suppressed noise until President Douglass rapped sharply for order.
Then, instantly all became as still as a church.
"Will Mr.Fullerton please take the chair ?" asked the class president.
"The present presiding officer wishes the privileges of the floor." Amid more intense silence Fullerton went forward to the chair, while Douglass stepped softly down to the floor.
"Mr.Chairman," called Douglass.
"Mr.Douglass has the floor." Douglass was already on his feet, of course.

He plunged into an accurate narrative of what had happened, and what he had overheard, on Saturday night.

He told it all without embellishment or flourish, and wound up by calling attention to Jordan's plain enough desertion from the corps.
Durville then obtained the floor.

He corroborated all that the class president had just narrated.
"May I now make a motion, sir ?" demanded Durville, turning finally toward the class president.
"Yes," nodded Cadet Douglass.
"Mr.Chairman, I move that the first class, United States Military Academy, remove the Coventry and the silence that have been put upon our comrade, Mr.Richard Prescott.

I move that, by class resolution, we express to him our regret for the great though unintentional injustice that has been done Mr.Prescott during these many months." "I second the motion!" shouted Douglass.
It was carried amid an uproar.