The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-12-20
LIFE AT ANNAPOLIS.

LIFE AT ANNAPOLIS.
How tho Plebs at the Naval School ar
Hazed.
The reading Of the order agains
hazirg at the United States naval schoo
was resented by the third class as 81
insult to their understanding for, the.
said, the thing stared them in the fac,
from every corner. But their inclina
tion soon proved stronger than their re
spect for the law. They had been hazed
why should not they haze others9 Th,
plebs soon began to suffer as lower olaal
men have suffered before them at th.
hands Of their elders. At midnight tht
plebs were 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 anc
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. might and intimidated BY
day. 49,. .. l.. =!
While two fourth class men, Norton
and Nihlack, were at study in thei'
room, o member of the third class en-
tered and proceeded to amuse himself
by ordering them to the tops of theil
wardrobes, where he put them through
q drill in seamanship, finishing the per-
formance by, standing them close to
their beds and knocking them over back
ward by a blow On the forehead. An.
other "pleb |" was hung out OF 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 forgtt his dignity as to in
dulge in q little private hazing on hif
own account. Entering 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 in
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 q "pleb" out of bed at midnight,
take him to safe distance, and then
run him up tree. Glad in his scanty
niehtshirt, and with chattering teeth,
he is persuaded to climb from branch to
branch and favor the company with
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. ,.i, .,-..i
"PIebs" dare not complain of these
indignities for fear of mourning the dis
pleasure of all the upper class MN.
Third class men have been known to
cherish desire for revenge upon
"plebs" who have resented their In
suits, until they have become second OF
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 iniuring ther,.
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 il
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 ls
may serve as witnesses, and
furnishes material for the action of the
court martial. It is tho court OF inquiry
that has already caused the dismissal Of
nine third class men who have refused
to testify against their comrades. 1t If
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 vls'
aged officers in "full fig surround q
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. It 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.
It 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