Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-12-22
EPR..NANDBY BROOKE
The General Talked Sharply to
Cadet Bettinson.
WRONG ACTION TOWARD BOOB.
Cadet to Admit Violating Discipline by
Speaking to Booz When Latter Was
on Sentinel Duty and Putting Him In
Position Which Led to Fight.

WEST Ioibts ~, IL Dtt.5 g. 4 lie
taking Of testimony as to the alleged
i'll treatment of the late Oscar l..
Booz, while cadet at the United
Stats military academy, was re
sumed by the court e inquiry, of
which Major General J. F. Brooke
is the president. We do not give the
testimony of all the witnesses, nor all
the testimony of all those referred to
in this article.
Lieutenant Frank w Coe, instruc-
tor III mathematics at the military
academy. testified that Cadet Booz
was deficient in his mathematics and
never could have passed his examina-
ton. He was mentally far below the
standard required by the military
academy.
Cadet Frank Kellar, who had the
fight with Booz, said
II was chosen by committee of
my class to call out Cadet Beoz be-
cause he disobeyed the orders of the
corporal of the guard and made inso-
lent remarks to an upper class man.
| was told to weigh in and | turned
$50 pounds. Booz was 152 pounds.
He was taller than and had a longer
reach.
I'VE stripped to the waist" contin-
ued the witness, land my seconds
told me | had a tough customer to
meet, and they told me to do my
best For the first 80 seconds after
the call of time Booz showed a lit
tie fight, as he struck me couple
of times about the shoulders. |
struck him under the left eye. cutting
it slightly. After this he turned his
back and kept running away. | fire.
quently told him to face me or
would hit him in the back. / did hit
him a couple of blows under the
right arm.
''In the second round | thought he
was going to put up fight after all,
but he Immediately began running
again. | struck him in the right eye
and then on the stomach. He went
down altogether, although the blow
was neither Il knockdGwn nor a
Knockout blow. He lay on the ground
and was counted out.
II went up to him and shook hands.
| said | hoped he had no i'll feeling
towards me. He said mo- and
smiled"
Ibid you hit him any blows in the
region of the hearth" asked General
Clous
mo. sir, l did not
Cadet w. T. Bettinson. of Kentucky,
told of one occasion when Booz was
on sentinel duty at the rear of Bet
tinson's tent. he spoke to BooZ, who
was standing at one end of the post,
and told him to patrol is post prop
erly.
Had you any right" asked Gen
eral Brooke, ito give him any such
instructions? p
mo. not officially" replied the wit
ness. But | felt l had right to
give some information to him when
he was doing wrong"
'Was it not a breach of military
discipline for you to speak to a SEN
try on duty?"
at was
And, as result of that Mr. Booz
was called out to fight?"
eyes. SIR
Then. sir. you had no right to put
Cadet Booz in that position" said
General Brooke. sharply
Cadet Charles Barnett. president of
the Y. NJ. c. A., submitted the follow
ing letter, which he received from
Rev. DR. Allison. of Bristol. Pa, as
a reply to one sent to DR. Allison:
Bristol Pa. Dec 10. 1900.
my Dear Sir-I beg to acknowl-
edge receipt of your letter of Dec.
Z. 1t is my desire to say to you that
your letter is a confirmation in not a
few particulars of my friend Oscars
experiences. Your surprise that a
Christian minister should make
statements of a certain kind, I can
not help. 1t is Christian minis
ter's duty to tell the truth. | feel
quite sure that the congressional
committee of investigation will dis
cover that no untenable position has
been taken by MIR Booz's friends
"Your letter is to me a most inter
esting communication, in the face of
the sweeping and other kinds of
statements by Colonel Mills. He de-
MES the 'hazing' and the presence of
'tobasco sauce at West Point You
do not You admit both. but en-
deavor to excuse it by the
theory of 'exaggeration.' etc l
am glad to have had your letter. as
ways than one. | can understand of
course. how natural it is for you
young men to see no defects in your
Alma Mater. since you have crossed
the 'Plebe' rubicon.
The friends of Oscar know that he
was truthful. His statements are to
them prima facie evidence What he
stated in the long letter he wrote
home. when he pleaded to be allowed
to leave the academy is enough. Only
yesterday | had the sad privilege of
perusing its contents. | am sorry you
mention that novel theory. The ca
Diet who told you that made state
ment that your Christian grace and
common sense ought to have taken
cum grano sails Oscar was not that
kind of a young man.
Most sincerely yours,
Alexander Alison"
The letter was read and copied but
not ordered attached to the record
Cadet James Prentice, of New York,
said that one day Booz came into his
tent and asked If he could not lie
down. He told Prentice that he was
afraid he had heart disease and Prem
tice advised him to resign Booz also