The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-09-05
Cadets Pay Final Penalty for
New Year Escapade.
THE GRADUATES AND MEDAL MEN
Winners of Diplomas In First Glass ut
Virginia Military Institute Made Public
at Lass-Denied Grad uatIon Honors for
Their Exhibition of Pyrotechnics from
Rcof. In Defiance of an Onacisi Edict-
First Dismissed, Then Reinstated.
Special to TIE Post.


Lexington. Va, Sept. lat last the class
Of lSs5-lsss. Of the Virginia Military Insti-
tute Will receive the much-coveted sheep
skins The express Office here tonight has
for shipment those long-worked-for diplo-
mas of the celebrated fireworks class -
No class in the history OF the school has
had diplomas conferred on them before at
the hands of expressmen.
The diplomas were turned over to the
quartermasters department this evening,
made into packages, and taken to the ex-
press Office, and there booked for their re-
Observation-Disclosures. The exact day for
the awarding of the diplomas was left to
the discretion Of the superintendent of
the school. Gen. Scott Ship, who decided
that they should be given in the manner
stated above. No one knew when they
would be given or how, as the matter was
never discussed.
The final announcement came this aft
ernoon, when the official order was pro-
mulgated and published. No one had even
an idea how the men OF the class stood.
The medal men were not even known.
The order follows:
Wianers Of Diplomas
Headquarters Virginia Military Institute.
September l. 1893.
General Orders, No. rs:
Upon the Recommendation OF the academic board.
the following members OF the first class have been
declared b. the board Of visitors graduates Of the
Virginia Military Institute in the order Of their
names: Morris Ernest Locke Cincinnati Ohio;
James Keith Paine Warrenton. Va: Daniel B.
Shaver Rockingham, Va George Audley Derby
shire. Richmond. Va; Armour c. Polk Galveston
Tex; Aristides Mcrene. New York y Y: F. Daniel
Griffin, Galveston. Tex. James ]. Marshall Mark
ram, Va; William Louis Zimmer IT,. Petersburg
Va: William NJ. GVIn, jr., San Francisco, Cal. 1;
William Doci Scott Fredericksburg Va; ]. Cloyd
Ken: Wytheville, Va; Louis K. Leake. Licking
Va; Robert W. Miller, WoodyiIle Va: Altar:
Arista Hoge. stanton. Va. Henry L. shaner
Lyneh5urg. Va: Henry Schley Ervay. Colorado
Springs, Colo; J. Marvin Peters, Norfolk. Va !;
Samuel G. Talbot. Richmond. Va. Neil Young St
Glars Potion Va: J. W. Yates Markham Va /:
Gail Hamilton Alexander, Darvilie, Va; Hugh -
Morrison. Gate City, Va; James b. Ayres Big Stone
Gap. Va; Philip Denny Ewing. Uniontown. Pa !;
Dexter otey. Lynchburg Va; Stephen Field Deaby,
Washington. d. c. William Wood, Bristol, Va. !;
Frank Allison Sullivan EIk,on Ky
Distinguished graduztes-Norris Ernest Locke
Cincinnati. Ohio; James Keith Payne, waTenton,
Va; D. r. Shaver Rockingham, Va; George Aud
ley Derbyshire, Richmond Va
Graduates in engineering course-J. K Payne Viz
ginii; II, L. shsIer Virginia; " E. Locke. Ohio;
j. J. Marshall Virginia; L. X Leake virginia /;
A. {. Polk. Texas; W. L. thinner VirgI:,;a; H. W
Miller, Virginia; II. s. Ervay Colorado: F. D.
Griffin. Texas; \ Moreno. New YORK: j. ". Peters
Virginia; d. otey. Virginia: H. L. Shaner. yir-
ginia; P. d. Ewing, Pennsylvania; J. C. Kent
Virginia; ". Wood, Virginia: s. F. Denny. Dis
triet Of Columbia; F. A. Sullivan. Kentucky
Graduates in chemistry c5urse-J. w. Yates Vir-
.inia; W. d. Scott. Virginia; W. NJ Gwin. Cali
fornia; G. II. Alexander Virginia; J. b. AYERS
Virginia; A. A. Hoge. Virginia; S G. Talbot, Viz
gnia.
Graduates in electrical course-G. A. De-bysaire
Virginia; n Young, Virginia; H G. Morrison, vir-
cnia.
Upon the Recommendation of the academic board
the following degrees have been conferre-Baehelo-
science, in the engineering course, James Keith
Payne. Virginia; Morris Ernest Locke, Ohio: d. b.
Shaver Virginia.
The first Jackson-Hope Medal has been awarded
Cadet Morris Ernest Locke, Cincinnati. Ohio
The second Jackson-Hope Medal has been awarded
Cadet James Keith Payne, warTenton. Va
BY command:
Brig. Gen SHIP. Superintendent
II. E. HYATT, Captain and Adjutalt. Virginia Mill
tary Institute.
How Penalty Was occurred.
For many years II had been the custom
of the first OF graduating class of the Viz
ginia Military Institute 10 celebrate the
incoming yeas with appropriate ceremo-
MES. This year the officers of the insti-
tute were on their mettle and determined
that the new-year frolic should not take
place The class was warned not TO in
dulge in any escapade whatever, but they
needed not the warning. and about II
O'Clock on the night of the last day of
the departing year managed 10 gain the
top of the cadet barracks unseen by off,
GERS or guards Each man was armed
with a bagful of fireworks of every de-
scription. A binding snow, sleet, ard
rainstorm was raging at the time The
trap door was fastened down, so that
they. could not be interrupted in their
frolic. AT given signal fire belched
forth from the entire length of the long
roof. The entire class. with the exception
of the officer OF the day. G. A. Derby
shire, OF Richmond, was Immediately
placed under close arrest. On the even
ing OF January an order was published
dismissing the entire class with the ex-
ception Of Derbyshire.
On January Is the board of visitors held
a long session, and finally decided to re-
instate the class. The officers were re-
duced to ranks as privates for a period
or time, extra tours of guard duty were
imposed on all the members of the class
a public graduation was denied them. and
all privileges allowed the graduating class
were taken away. First Cadet Captain
George A. Derbyshire. of Richmond. of
the class, was alone entitled to receive
his diploma publicly, for ne was not in
the escapade, but he chose rather tn
receive 1t with his comrades and in the
manner they should receive theirs. To-
days order is the closing chapter of "a
boyish escapade"