Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-10
HAZING AT WEST POINT AND ANNAPOLIS
How Uncle SANS Cadets are Al.
lowed 70 Amuse Themselves.


lowed 70 Amuse Themselves
The mutilation OF Cadet Whitaker at West
Point has attracted more attention than any
thing Of the kind that has occurred in either Of
the national institutions It was not hazing as
that word Is understood, even If Whitaker did
not disfigure himself. The occurrence has,
however, again directed attention to hazing"
as shown by the Senate debate yesterday. Some
hold that this practice Is no worse at West
Point or Annapolis than in the colleges. They
are wrong. There is hazing at the colleges. but
the sophomore class has not the facilities for
induigiDg In the pastime that are possessed
by third clasSmen at West Point and Annapolis.
The third class is above the new conner, the
certain sort of supervision over him. He is
made superintendent of the fourth class floor.
AS he has just come into little authority he
or reported for everything. He is not spoken to
like gentleman, but more like dog. He has
to put ''sir" after every answer to an upper
classnan. He must stand up and take off his
cap when one OF these august and1mpOrtant in
div1duals enters his room. He must stand and
have his looks, figure and his name made fun OF
by perhaps young STRIPPING foot shorter than
but 1t is seldom that the pleb dares to resent it.
The hazer generally tries to be very funny. II
he happens to getoif something that approaches
into for daring to laugh at an upper classp an.
This is the mllder form OF ''hazing' il is lied
running To most young men it is more gall
ing than ''haz1ng" proper. The latter affects
the body While the former consists in Slurs and
personal abuse. On drill the youDgster is yelled
at upon every opportunity by the cadet officers.
ana sneer1ng remarks are made aloud at the
manner in which he conducts himself. AS
general thing none but the third class are sup
posed to haze but all three of the upper classes
combine TO make the new cadet as uncOmfOrt-
able as possible. There are different forms OF
hazing.
THE PHANTOM DRILL.
One that is always practiced more Or less
every year is the "shtrt-tail parade After
taps, when everybody is supposed to be in bed,
few choice spirits of the third class go to the
floor where the plebs are in bed: They turn
them out and make each one arm himself with
a broom. Night clothes are all that are worn
The plebs are organized into companies and
under the dim light in the corridor are drilled in
all their phantom-like picturesqueness. The
WardfobeS in the cadets rooms are very mar
row; the youngsters are made to climb them
very quickly. Often the wardrobe falls on them.
AT Annapolis sheet is stretched across the
10 go through the evolutions of loosing reefing
and furling sail. They get dusty, and, what is
worse, are often kept in their cramped positions
OF top the wardrobe until their limbs ache
They are made to get on the table, dance and
sing; no matter whether they can dance or
sing they have to go through the motions.
FAvoRITE PAsTIME
for the festive haZer is to make one youngster
get IN the wardrobe to sing while another acts
as If he was turning the crank of hand organ.
Whenever new tune is wanted the outside
man taps on the wardrobe and the singer sings
from the beds in several rooms and piled up
around a few selections OF the genus plebo untii
the hollow column reaches near the ceiling
Into the top OF this water is poured upon the
tree. sometimes, but not often, a par
IcuIar cneeKy young man is made to
eat soap. Frequently he is shaved with blum
Iather. and whisp broom for brush. If a
yOungSter gets to exhibiting too much gall.
and eVinceS determination not to submit to
his many prosecutions, he Is taken into a dark
room where some twenty or thirty upper class
men are assembled. The operation OF passing
around is then carried out. This consists in
one man giving the rebelious pleb punch in
The ribs, knocking him 10 the next man on the
right. He is carried around the circle until he
either gives In or becomes exhausted. This treat
ment Is known to bring even the most cheeky
youngster to proper sense of what is due by
him to the upper classman.
CADET IRREvERENCE.
Frequently 20 or so plebs are gotten into a
room seated In chairs. The most religious one
that can be found is made to take the desk and
preach sermon from text in the Bible. His
audience at proper intervals says Amen" He
then calls on brother for prayer" The
made to sit on their beds and with a broom pre-
tend to row until exhausted. Tying Dlebs up in
sheetS and hanging them out of the windows IS
not as common now as 1t used to be. Cases are
frequent, however, OF tying them in their beds
ON their backs and leaving them there. Run.
ming piece of rope into room over the tran
som after taps and then making it fast to the
feet OF the pleb Is common. The youngster is
suddenly awakened by feeling himself drawn
out OF bed. He is pulled UP by his feet to the
transom and lowered again. These are some
OF the many ways that the pleb is made to feel
that he'iS 10 be obedient and serviie to his
uppelS