The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-20
Also Relate Their Own Experiences
at the 1895 Encampment when
Spirit of Mischief Was Rife.
SHERIDAN RODE BROOM sTIC1
AND LIEUT.. HOBSON's BROTHER
STOOD ON HEAD IN BATH TUB.
Story Of BOOz's Fight with a Fellow
Cadet RetoId-Called a Cow
ard for Quitting.

WEST POINT, n. Y, Dec 19.-Some very
| interesting testimony was brought out to-
| day by the court of inquiry which is in
vestigating the alleged hazing of cadets at
| the Military Academy here in connection
with the recent death of former Cadet
Booze. Thirty-fve cadets were examined
during the morning and afternoon sessions.
and of these one was the brother of Lieut..
Richmond Z. Hobson, of Merrimac fame,
another was the son of Gen. Phil Sheridan
and third Mark Brooke, of Pennsyl-
vania, a nephew of General Brooke who
is the presiding officer of the court. All
three told of the hazing they got during
the encampment of 1898. at the time Oscar
L. Booz was their classmate. and not one
of them said the treatment received or the
things they had to do were either brutal
or degrading.
Hobsons worst ordeal was when he had
to stand on his head in a bathtub. in which
there was about ten inches of water He
said he was partly strangled, but was all
right In a few minutes. Young Phil Sher-
dan was made to ride a broomstick along
the company's street in commemoration of
his illustrious fathers ride, and he had to
keep shouting, Turn, boys, turny' all the
time. He did not think this was humiliat-
ing. he said, although he did not relish the
task.
In nearly every instance the witnesses
said that all the more brutal forms of haz-
ing were obsolete, and while "bracing" was
still prscticed secretly it was against the
regulations, and if any one were detected
violating these regulations he would be
summarily dealt with and severely pun
ished. There are about a score or more
of Booz's classmates to be examined. and
as there are several of first-class men TO
be heard from. as well as some of the Of
ficers, the court mag not get through the
taking of testimony until Saturday
NOT BRUTALLY TREATED
Cadet Raymond l.. Linton. of Michigan.
was the first witness to-day. He said he
knew former Cadet Booz in 1898 and he
seemed to be in good health. He said that
Booz was not hazed or treated brutallv
so far as he knew. The witness described
''bracing" exaggerated form of the
position of a soldier. Ii was a drawing
in of the chin and the throwing back of the
shoulders at the same time.
Captain Dean. the recorder of the court
asked: IF a fourth-class man is unpopu-
lar he is subject to more 'bracing' and .ex-
ercising than others?"
ION the contrary, sir. great deal less. !"
replied the witness. 'He is let alone by the
upper class men and members of his own
class.
n reply to questions by Colonel Heine
commandant of cadets the witness said
there are positive orders against "bracing''
and "exercising." and cadets have been
severely punished for violating these or
ders.
On blackboard in the rear of the hall
the following was written: ITO haze-To
play mischievous abusive tricks on, try
the pluck or temper of, especially by
physical persecution, lower class students
II, college or newcomer in any establish
ment of any kind."-Century Dictionary.
Stephen Cabot. of Illinois. the next wit
ness, when sworn was asked TO read this
definition OF the words Ito haze and he
sald that was not his construction OF the
words rs applied TO the hazing by "brac-
ing which took place in the academy. He
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5, COL. 81