Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-12
WEST POINT CADETS.
Three Hundred Ordered to bnr-
racks In Disgrace.
(NeW York HeraId.

A calamity that would have had no
equal in the history OF West Point. at
least from the standpoint Of the cadets,
was narrowly averted this week, when
Colonel Mills resctnded an order that
carried woe to the hearts OF the three
hundred or more men in the tactical de-
partment, as well as the sweethearts'
sisters, and all the rest OF the regular
army of femininity. to whom there Is no
place like West Point, and no persons
like West Pointers.
The Colonels order confined the whole
corps to barracks until June 18th, the
day on which the graduation exercises
are to take place This meant that Tiers
would be no exhibition drills no pleasant
walks or drives with the fair visitors,
who at this season throng the place. and.
eliminating horroS, no commencement
hop, or. at least. none worthy of the
name, for Hamlet" with Hamlet left
out would still be a presentable affair.
compared to a commencement hop with
out cadets to participate in the hop
ping"
WHAT CAUSED 1T.
The cause OF all the trouble was that
the cadets had in their possession what
was termed Unauthorized property"
This consisted OF nothing more dangerous
to discipline and good order than pref
tily-engraved invitations to the exercises
that would end the embryo state or
seyenty-three unusually good-lookinS
Young soldiers, and turn them out full
Aedged second lieutenants.
Ii has been customary I'm the last four
or five years for the graduating class
10 prepare these invitations, and, while
not strictly In accord with the reSula-
tons. the practice was winked at by the
authorities At least so the cadets
thought. and II was through That
overconfidence i'm the goodwill Of the Of
ficers that the trouble grew.
Examinations were ended on Monday,
and on that day one Of the officers. who
was recently detailed for duty ut the
academy. found a cadet I'm possession
OF one Of the invitations. He reported
him To- the commandant, who asserts
that he alone has the right 10 invite visit
ors to the academy, and began an
investigation, with the result that hardly
more than a dozen OF the men escaped
being obliged 20 confess that they had
some OF the invitations.
or these one had given his share 10
feIlow-cadet. another had lost his pack
age. and a third had not yet called upon
the cadet charged with the disbursement
to collect the precious pasteboards.
THE ORDER RESCINDED.
When the sentence was announced there
was n real wall OF horror. II meant
practical imprisonment. for the contne-
rnent applied TO all times when the ca
diets were not attending examinations,
and. as the examinations wer0 all over,
they had not an excuse cross the TIRES
hold. But they could look ont OF the
windows, and it did not put them in
more pleasant frame OF mind to see the
grounds filed with pretty girls. all like
wise making sorrowful protest against
the commandants order. A ridiculously
disproportionate number OF anxious-ook-
ing cadets made frantic efforts 70 enter
tain the visitors, but they were melan-
choly failures.
The strain was too much on Tuesday.
The prisoners decided that the only thing
TO be done was to make an appeal 10
Colonel Mills. and one OF the graduating
class volunteered to act as spokesman.
He saw the Colonel, and what occurred
is still unrevealed. IL is reported. how
ever that words failed him. and he sim
ply led the Colonel 10 the window and
pointed out at the disconsolate fair ones.
This way OF putting 1t was too much for
the commandments soldierly gallantry, and
that afternoon the order was rescin led.
50 there will be the hop tonight. and
the walks and the parades and whatever
else has been arranged for.