Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-12-02
LIFE AT ANNAPOLIS.
How the PIebs at the Naval School are
Hnzed.


Hnzed.
The reading of the order against
hazing at the United States naval school
was resented by the third class as an
insult to their understanding for, they
said, the thing stared them in the face
from every corner. But their inclina-
tion soon proved stronger than their re-
spect for the law They had been bazed;
why should not they haze others2 The
plebs soon began to suffer as lower class
men have suffered before them at the
hands of their elders. At midnight the
plebs we're dragged FROM their beds,
and forced to engage in combat at the
whim of their tormentors. The diges
tion of the plebs became impaired by
the too frequent use of ink punches and
soap cocktails as beverages. Not that
the plebs liked these compounds, but
when their prosecutors stood treat, the
plebs dared not refuse to drink what
ever they offered. The plebs were tor
mented by night and intimidated by
day.
While two fourth class men, Norton
and Nihlack, were at study in their
room, a member of the third class en-
tered and proceeded to amuse himself
by ordering them to the tops of their
wardrobes, where he put them through
drill in seamanship, finishing the per-
formance by standing them close to
their beds and knocking them over back
ward by blow on the forehead. An
other "pleb was hung out of a second
story window by one arm and one leg,
and kept there for some minutes, at the
imminent risk of falling to the walk
twenty feet below. One of the first
class so far forgot his dignity as to in
dulge in little private hazing on his
own account. Entering a room in
which there were several "plebs," he
asked their permission to lock the door,
in order, as he explained, to keep out
the meddlesome third class men; then,
with ironical politeness, he begged the
favor of little music then, with iu-
creased suavity, suggested that if the
vocalists would take position on the
wardrobes it might improve the effect
The "plebs were too badly frightened
to refuse. A favorite diversion is to
pull "pleb out of bed at midnight,
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run him up tree. Glad in his scanty
nightshirt, and with chattering teeth,
he is persuaded to climb from branch to
branch and favor the company with a
different song from each one. Two of
the little fellows are frequently ordered
to the tops of opposite wardrobes, sup
piled with quantity of shoes and boots,
and made to hurl them at each other
until they are exhausted.
"Plebs dare not complain of these
indignities for fear of mourning the dis
pleasure of all the upper class M n.
Third class men have been knosn to
cherish a desire for revenge upon
"plebs" who have resented their in
suits, until they have become second or
first class men, at which time they are
invested with petty authority over those
below them. In these positions they
have the power of giving dement's,
which they often give undeservedly to
the object of their spite, thereby dis
gracing and injuring them.
The most recent cases of hazing were
not discovered by complaints made by
the victims of the hazing, but by the
vigilance of the officers who had charge
of the several buildings. AS soon as it
was shown that hazing was still prac-
ticed, two courts were convened-a
court of inquiry, and a court martial.
The former, consisting of three commits
stoned officers, examines those who it is
supposed may serve as witnesses, and
furnishes material for the action of the
court martial. It is the court of inquiry
that has already caused the dismissal of
nine third class men who have refused
to testify against their comrades. 1t is
known that many of these were them
selves implicated in the hazing, and
might eventually have been dismissed in
disgrace instead of going away, as they
do, with flying colors and regarded as
martyrs.
The court martial sits in one of the
Offices of the "steam building" AS the
trembling "pleb," who is ordered to the
witness stand, enters the room, his
heart sinks within him. The stern Wis
aged officers in "full fig" surround a
table, the president at its head and the
Judge advocate at the foot, with pre-
pared lists of questions which the wit
ness must answer, and pen and paper to
take down his replies. On one side are
the accused upper class man and his
counsel, eager to catch him in some slip
or misstatement. His position is any
thing but enviable. 1t is a choice be-
tween dismissal from the academy if he
holds his tongue, and the lasting con-
tempt of the upper class men, who are
to be his seniors in the service, if he
testifes.
1t is believed that there will be many
more dismissals before the end is reach
ed. All the members of the third class
make comm On cause with their hazing
comrades, and are supposed to have
bound themselves not to testify in any
case.