The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-12
BOOZ'SCASE In CONGRESS
An Enquiry Into Alleged Hazing
at West Point Ordered.
The House OF Representatives, by q
Vote of Sc to 3, Adopts n Rcsolu-
ttOn Authorizing the Appoint mn mt
by the Speaker of "a Special Conn
m!ttcc TO Conduct an Investigation.

m!ttcc to Conduct an Investigation
The House of Representatives by Al
overwhelming vote agreed yesterday up
on Congressional investigation Of tn,
published reports that Oscar L. BooZ o
Bristol, Pa. died as result of injuries
received by hazing. while cadet at tn,
| Military Academy at West Point. I'm
mediately after the reading of the jour
nal, Mr.. Hull. Chairman Of the Commute,
on Military Affairs. reported a substitute,
for the resolution of Mr.. briggs direct
ing an investigation of the charges relat
ing to the death of ex-Cadet BOOz. 1t re-
cited the fact that the Secretary of Wal
had convened board of officers to inves
tigate the charges and called upon him t.
report the results of the investigation
Accompanying the report made. Mr.. HUI
submitted the report of Colonel Mills
Superintendent Of the Academy, of his in.
vestigation of the matter. and the letter
of Secretary Root, notifying the commit.
tee OF his appointment OF an investigat.
ing board, as recommended by Colonel
Mills.
| Colonel Mills Statement.
Colonel Mills report to Secretary Root
which was read by the Clerk, follows:
Il have nc personal knowledge of Cadet
Booz, he having left the Military Acad-
envy October 4, 1888. shortly after l as
sumed the duties of Superintendent, Sep
/ TENDER 20, 1898. Any i'll treatment he may
/ n n nd Df nj m q q
must have occurred after his admission
and during the summer encampment,
| which ended August 49, 1895.
THE following is Cadet BcoA's official
| record: Admitted to the Military Academy
| from the Seventh Congressional, district Of
| Pennsylvania June 90 1888; submitted his
| resignation as cadet September %. 1898;
left the Academy October 4, 1898, having
been granted leave Of absence pending ac-
| ceptance Of resignation by the War De-
partment; cause of resignation recorded
as weak eyes; resignation accepted by the
War Department to date October 81, 1898.
Cadet Booz was on sick report July 30,
1898, and was excused by surgeon from
drill for that day on account of acute di-
arrhoea. He was at nc other time on sick
report. His recorded denerit from July
Is (when dement's of new cadets COM
mence to count to October 8, 1898, Is SO.
proficient: in mathematics it is deficient.
From the nature of the assertions In
this case l have been obliged to seek in
formation by instituting general enquiry
and have accordingly made careful and
thorough enquiry among officers and ca
diets to ascertain ali possible facts concern
ing Cadet BooZs career at the Academy.
Officers who were on duty here at the time.
have with but one exception, no distinct
ILL., L..
be nothing. beyond what his record shows.
to have specially impressed his individuals
ty upon any Of them. Cadets have freely
come forward to give all the information
in their possession. Among them, Cadet
BooZ was known by the members of the
present first and second classes. the lat
ter being his own class. have carefully
questioned the cadets of both classes who
have been able in any way to give light
on the matter. The answers of all have
been free, frank, full and free from the
slightest apparent desire to hold in re-
serve anything pertaining to the enquiry.
As the result of this enquiry / am con-
WINGED that until Saturday, August o. 1893.
there occurred nothing TO draw the spe-
cial attention of older cadets to Cadet
Booz and can find nothing to show that he
was in any way treated differently from
his classmates. or cruelty or violently haZ-
ed
A Fight With a Cadet.
ION the day mentioned he engaged in a
fist fight with cadet of the then third
class. now present here in the first class.
This fight appears to have had its ORR
gin as follows: On August Cadet Booz
was a member of the cadet guard, and
about 10 p. m. was on post as sentinel
on post No. >. about the cadet encamp-
ment. Several other cadets in the vi
entity noticed that he was not walking
his post as his orders required. They
claim they cautioned him about the mat
ter and advised him what he should do.
Cadet Booz, however they say, did not
act on the advice they gave him. but re-
piled in a way to incense them. and the
fight followed at the first opportunity
thercafter-the next Saturday
.'The fight was witnessed by six cadets,
all of whom are at the Academy now;
four being in the first class, and two,
classmates of Cadet Booz, in the second
class. These latter state that Cadet Booz
invited them to attend the fight, and that
he went to it and engaged in it willingly,
and in the beginning was the agsrcssor
''All these witnesses unite in stating the
encounter was of short DURATION of little
severity, and that Cadet Booz was In no
way injured in ii and bore away no per-
ceptible marks of having been in fight.
The cadet with whom he fought was not
an adept in fighting and had not before en-
gagged in fight. Another cadet, who had
occasion to speak TO Cadet Booz on his re-
turn to camp. Immediately after the affair.
has stated TO me that beyond red mark
below one eye. Cadet Booz showed no APP
pearaace of having been engaged in fight
and that he laughed when the matter was
referred to. The words of these cadets,
which believe are worthy of full Gre
dence, regarding the injury done Cadet
Booz in the fight, are corroborated by the
absence OF his name from the sick report
thar day or any subsequent day. whore 1t
surely woald have appeared had he suffered
injury. or been disligured TO any extent to
be noticed by the officer under whose al
most constant observation new cadets are
held
In view of the above. ] believe that
the charge, SO often reiterated that Ca
Diet Booz was dragged out and made to
fight, and was brutally pounded by an
older and stronger cadet is false and I'M
founded
THE additional specific charge that az |
ter the fight fluid was poured down Ca
Diet Booz's throat. from the effects of |
which he was afterward sufferer. is |
-Hl