The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-24
CADET DuELs AT ANNAPOLIS.
"TIghting Bob" Evans Opinion OF Z"
Youth who whipped Four Men in
One Nirht.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.


Readers of Tom Browns school Days
and Tom Brown at oxford" like the
books for the manliness of them The man
illness consists of a youngster who was
thoroughly boy--ready to give
with a generous heart, to help with will
ing hand and to resent with blow. Tom
Brown had fighting blood in him. 1t came
down to him in a red stream from the
white skinned Saxons who. drunk with
the liquor of battle reeled around the
dragon standard of Senlac. 1t is good
thing for America that the same blood
flows in the veins of its sons. Writers
may write and preachers may preach, but
the world-our world, at least-wll take
to its arms the boy who is as anxious to
fight as to play. 1t predicts great things
of him and is willing to help him along.
Out of these battles come blaclSened eyes
and bloody noses but not any harm. Self
confidence is born of them and the abili-
ty to make the hand guard the head.
There used to be an old fellow in Goliard
county, Texas who expressed his utter
condemnation of neghbor in this way:
'Smite him on one cheek and he'll turn
the other. Smite him on the other and
he'll have you arrested" Then he spat in
disgust.
1t is not known that the authorities of
the naval academy at Annapolis encour-
age fighting. There is nothing in the pub
lished rules urging the cadets TO follow
the advice of dead Sam Randall and "get
together" as often as possible. But it is
certain that they do not discourage II.
There are tales among the embryo admi-
rails handed down from class to class,
| of how the preceptors have stood afar
| and watched the battles through spy
! glasses, granting at each well-delivered
| blow, and betting gleefully among them
| selves on the results. The consequence
| of this laxity is That the younger cadets
those in their first year-come in a little
while to believe that the powers are very
| friendly TO a fighter and would offer act
| i've encouragement to combats if 1t were
| neeessary-wh it isn't. This state of
| affairs may not conduce to study, but it
does conduce to the development of mus
Gle and the fattening of the fighting in
| stnct. Not long ago a cadet took leg
leave of the academy and wandered into
| Baltimore, where he splced a multiple
| ity of main braces. AS a result he first
whipped a cab driver, then whipped a
! friend of the cab driver, and then whip
ped two policemen who had walked up
| in time to see the end of the fray. He got
/ back to the grounds badly battered but
! standing up ell under his canvas. The
| affair made some noise and persons went
| to Washington to obtain the cadets dis
/ mssal. There they met Fighting Bob
! Evans and mistakenly detailed the cir
cumstances, requesting his influence.
! WHAT beloved the veteran. Dismiss
| a boy ike that Licked four men in one
night? Damme, sirs, are you crazy?
| What In the blue - do you think a ma
val officer is for? When he graduates
/ give him to me. Put him on nv ship l
| want a hundred like him"
In the matter of humping his fellow
! there are certain rules governing the ca
| det They are legeS non scriptae, but iron
! clad nevertheless. The epithet liar
! must be resented with an instant blow.
| All insults must be accounted for on the
| spot. The only spots exempt are the chapel
| and the class room. The combatants are
| Immediately separated by any one stand
| ing near. tirst-year man Is permitted
| to separate seniors. After that the code
! has play, The combatants name two Sec
onds each. These lay the matter before
a member of the senior class. He fixes
| the place and date of the encounter The
place is always an open space behind the
gymnasium. 1t is not turf, but is ground
worn bare and hardened by many feet
1t has been redeemed time and again by
the best blood in America. The time is
always the afternoon of some Saturday.
No meetings are allowed on week DAYS
The rules are Marquis of Queensberry-
| three-minute rounds and a minute rest
between. The exception is that no glovea
are used. Wrestling is not permitted of
course. Occasionally, however, when one
of the combatants has had two years
training in the sparring school and the
other is a newcomer the old style OF
trough and tumble fracas is allowed
Always a senior class man is master of
ceremonies, appellate court and supreme
court in these fistie' litigations. The sec
onds are there to handle their men but
all points of dispute are submitted to the
senior. His decision is never questioned.
A fight is fought out until one of the
mon s. deemed inpOrnpatpnt btr HE oao
onds, who throw up the sponge. Then no
is borne to the hospital. The sponge never
goes up until he Is made I'll for a cot Woe
to the warrior who cries enough or quits
when he is able to continue. Nothing is
left save to depart to civil life His class
mates and the men in his dormitory win
not speak to him. He is "conyentried -
There IS no instance where these bare
knuckle dues have had fatal termfna
ton. The participants are endowed with
the blessing of youth, and are always In
condition.
So numerous are cadet combats that
during the first six months of a year
until all of the newcomers have whipped
somebody or been whipped there is often
not time of q Saturday afternoon to finish
with the fights dated for that day Three
or four couples will be carried over
week, or surreptitiously "pitted" and
thrown togetherb on Sunday Frequently
there will be a dozen disputes set for set
Element al the same time. 1t sometimes
happens that a cadet goes through his
four years at Annapolis without an APP
pearance on the field of honor, but the oc-
currence Is as rare as black swan The
courage Of such men is looked on with
gravest suspicion by their comrades. In
deed, a fight is regarded a necessary COM
PIGMENT to an education and escape would
seem impossible to any man who could be
made 70 resent an insult.
All Of this does no harm. Enmities end
with the duel. 1t is required that this