The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20

Woodenrw1uying- and 'lookerSittiDR have been
endured, the mind loses control OF the muscles
COMMISSIONS follow and endure for considerable
time Medical treatment Is seldom afforded tho
patient in such distress The sole thought OF
tho yearling is 70 hush tho moaning and thrash
Ing of the semi-conscious plebet Each sound
strikes terror 70 his heart He is now abiect with
fear and grovelling in his willingness to restore
his victim, lest some officer should hear and mako
investigation Occasionally surgical aid DO
comes necessary and the practiced eye Of tho sur
gcon at once detects the cause OF the sickness.
lie ask questions As q rule the investlgati
avails nothing. Tho plobe Is loyal 10 his Honor"
or his fear. and refuses 70 tell
Another result OF this Exercising" Is vomit-
ing. and II is not unnatural that 1t is so when
IL Is remembered that the "sorecs" fre-
Quently tako place directly aftor meals Hang
ing" results in painfully blistered hands and II
Is not an unusual sight TO see a row Of blisters
as largo as dimes running across tho two hands
Of the fourth-class man. No one ever asks how.
II Is a symptom too we'll understood. why do
men submit TO things OF this nature1 why don't
they refuse TO comply with such commands and
orders since they arc entirely illegal and I'M
authohzed7"
The answer Is simple. They put UP with them
TO avoid trouble" Trouble" in the West Point
vernacular means fight" Refusal 70 obey one
Of these orders makes pebe subject to calling
OUT by tho yearling class. When plebe is
Informed that he Is called out" he understands
at once that he Is challenged TO fight He has TO
accept II he does not he will be deemed a cow
ard by the rest of the corps II would practically
end his days In West Point, as tho corps would
render further life with IL burden. So the plcbc
accepts
Tho challenge 10 fight is made through a com
mil ofy - for hat
Theirs is tho duty TO act upon names presented
to them as subjects deserving calling out" They
arc supposed TO weigh the charges against tho
plebe and TO decide accordingly. There is moro
or less farce as a rule to this because by proper
wire-pulling. any plebe can be called out
Despite all ever said TO the contrary there Is no
fairness in West Point fight when u has for
participants called out" plebc on the ono side
and an upper classman on tho other. Any pebe
Is liable TO calling out II matters not whether
he DO tho strongest or tho weakest in the class
Offences can be trumped up by someone who has
taken dislike 70 him. and pull" easily docs tho
rest
Against him, tho ycaring class puts out a
man whose weight Is the same Here the equal
ity ends The yeahing sent out Is tho best fighter
in the whole class Of that weight Besides hav-
ing had the benefit OF year Of hard training in
the West Point gymnasium under most efficient
instructor, he is a man who has proved himself
finished boxer, hard hitter and a man capable
OF taking severe punishment Coupled with this
he Is usually ono who has been training for such
an emergency. has been 'boning scrap" as Is
called Against such man the plebe stands no
chance. He knows Il before going out
Tho fights takes place usually In Fort Clinton.
There arc present principals, seconds, tmekeep-
and referee Sentries are posted to sec that
the coast remains clear. The sentries on guard
in camp are instructed as to when tho fighters
will cross their posts and diligently look the other
way at that time.
As rule tho fights occur before reveille, at
about 4 a. m, and seldom last long. The newt
able soon happens The first round is spent in
sizing up the plebs and in the second tho slaughter
begina Often IL ends In this round. Some
times II lasts longer. II depends on the ycarling
fighter. II he Is merciful II ends at once; II moro
brutal he takes care to prolong It He wishes
to cut up his opponents face all he can before
giving the final blow. When he does not follow
this course he Is subject to severe criticism from
the more brutal minds in his class, sometimes tho
class president himself
In case the plebe proves q tartar and wins.
Il means simply that he will have to fight after
man until finally whipped. II the corps cannot
find a man who Is able To do II the pebe is left
alone thereafter.
The men who bring about this calling ont" Of
the plebo seldom fight They take caro- To haze
men who arc too big for thsm or too small These
they bully with impunity because they know
danger Is IN store for themselves. As rule 1t
b tho understood man who carries hazing 10 tho
extreme, though this rule has plenty OF cxcep-
tons
Another thing TO be noted is that the plebc can
not call out" a man even II he should wish. II
IL wero possible, that Is II corps custom allowed
It, there would be little or none OF this exercise"
suffered. and there would be less inflicted because
OF fear Of personal harm. As 1t Is. the plebe never
has o chance TO get at tho ones he would gladly
meet in Fort Clinton. In short, the plebc has no
chance. II is intended that he shall have mona
The outcome OF these lights Is always moro or
less serious Sometimes broken !awbones
tho result and frequently tho bones Of tho hands
are fractured. The lights, be II remembered, are
without gloves The unprotected hand Is used
in q match governed by Marquis OF Queensberry
rules Tho whipped party almost always reports
at the hospital.
In view Of all this the fact that the authorities
fail TO stop these abuses causes much surprise
That they know OF their existence, that they
trying TO put them down and yet are unable TO
locate and pin TO anyone the Preparation OF a
particular offence are undisputed facts
Order after order has been issued in relation TO
the matter Threats, appeals TO manhood and
honor alike have tho same results Nothing
definite is effected. Could an upper classman he
detected in any Of this work his daysin the academy
would DO numbered But there the difficulty lea
Tho plebe will not tell; ho cannot, dare not tell
The yearng pats him on the back and compli-
ments him when he dcHes the commandment, and
in pure delight eagles" him some more II is not
cadet homer" which restraints him from revealing
tho names Of men whose brutal characteristics
proclaim them unfit for service in tho United
States Army II Is rather fear OF what would
follow and the innate shrinking OF any man from
being tale bearer. Then too submission TO
hadng makes him party to the of1ense and liable
10 punishment with tho other offender. This
makes the position Of the officers very difficult It
making Investigations They meet with poinn
blank rctusals 10 answer questions asked. They
may threaten court martials but as long they
do not carry out their threats nothing be
done
But aside from mere questioning. tho officials
have taken some stops productive of good. They
ha he and Dlaced tho eeptriea