The sun., 1900-12-20
CADETS DENY
BRUTAL HAZ|NG
Of OSCAR |. DOOZ
Taking of Testimony by Mill
tary Board Was Continued
Yesterday.
TALES OF TOBASCO SAUCE
All of the Witnesses Knew About the
Little Round Bottle Containing
Red Liquid but Sauce Was
Never Forced Down Any
Ones Throat.

West Point, Dec. 19.-The examination
of cadets who We're in the same class
with the late Oscar l.. Booz at the Mill
tary academy here two years ago was
continued by the court of inquiry ap-
pointed by the war department to probe
the charges of the brutal hazing of Ca
det Booz, who resigned two years ago
and died two weeks since at Bristol, Pa.
Fourteen of Boozs classmates, who
number 6S, testified at the first days
proceedings, and each one of them denied
that any brutality existed at the acade-
my. The only hazing which was in
vogue consisted, they said, of 'correc-
tional measures" such as ''bracing" end
Exercising" which were in no way in
furious or humiliating.
The use Of tabasco sauce came up very
frequently. All of the witnesses knew
the little round bottle containing a rec
liquid, but every one of them protested
that the sauce was never forced into his
own mouth or those of other cadets.
Several of them had taken drops of the
sauce on spoon, and some of them had
their fingers smeared with it, and at the
request of upper class men they licked
their fingers or pretended to, and none
of them suffered from any illness in con-
sequence.
Robert II. Ralston. a young Pennsylva-
niGn, who looked the picture of health,
told of his being requested to stand on
his head i'll bathtub containing about
ten inches of water. The court asked
him how long did he remain in that posi-
ton, and Ralston replied, 'Oh, just only
while said something" just what he
said or how long it took him to do it in
his inverted position was not made clear.
This was the only case other than those
of the bracing, exercising and sitting or
standing in strained positions which
came to the knowledge of the court, and
| the Pennsylvania cadet was very en-
phatic. in denying that any hazing which
he or others had undergone was in any
| way injurious.
The cadets We're all of the same opin-
| ion when asked as to the character and
standing of Booz while he was here in
| 1893. They said that he was very un-
| popular because he had shown coward
| ice and was untruthful.
Cadet Linton Testifies.
| Cadet Raymond l.. linton of Michigan
| was the first witness of the 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 bru-
tally so far as he knew. The witness
described 'bracing" as an exaggerated
form of the position of soldier. 1t was
a drawing in of the chin and the throw
ing back of the shoulders at the same
| time.
| Captain Dean, the recorder of the
court, asked, If fourth class man is
unpopular is he subjected to more 'brae-
ing and exercising than others?
"On the contrary, sir, great deal less.
He is let alone by the upper class men
and members of his own Glass;
| In reply to questions by Colonel Helm
commandant of cadets. the witness said
''There are positive orders against 'brac-
i ing and exercising and cadets have
been severely punished for violating these
| orders"
Cadet Stephen Abbott of Illinois, the
next witness, was not quite clear on the
rules prohibiting hazing. He had been
requested as fourth class man to take
some few drops of tabascO sauce off O
spoon. He took it mt the order of two
lpper class men. 1t was hot, but did
lin no harm.
bid you see Cadet Booz after tn,
light with Keller?" asked the recorder.
"Yes, sir. His left eye was blackened'
He went on to say that he had never
Gnown Booz to he abused or i'll treatc(
ind denied that Booz was interfered witt
IN account of his religious actions. Ii
,eply to Commandant Helm the witnes.
said that he had known cadets, as well Il.
the commandants of the mess table, to b,
severely punished for permitting OF prac
ticng restraint, 'bracing" or other Tex
ercises" on lower class men,
New Name For Tabasco Sauce.
Cadet Albert b. DOckery of Mississipp
was questioned at length on militar,
regulations prohibiting hazing. Genera
Brooke read an extract from the United
States military regulations, prohibitin,
nearly everything which could he con
strued as hazing. Then the general ask
ed, Are these regulations violatedF'
YES, sir"
On being questioned by Colonel Mills
superintendent of the academy, the wit
ness said tabasco sauce, if not ON tn
: table, can be had by asking for it.
! "Do you know any other name for it |?
| asked the superintendent.
, After some hesitation the witness re
piled: eyes, sir. The cadets sometime
call it hell sauce"
5 Cadet Charles McH. Eby of Pennsyl
: vania when sworn said that he kney
Booz, who was not held in very high re
gard by the cadets, as he had not show
courage in his fight with Keller.
Cadet John X. Herr of New Jersey
who was present at the fight betwee
: Keller and Booz and who acted as on
/, of the latter's seconds, was then put o.
g the stand. In reply to several question
: he said: 81 knew Cadet Booz / say
, him hazed in his tent in camp in 1896
!, Booz was holding out Indian clubs an
was informed that he would be calle
out that evening or next day. and h
then put down the clubs.'
''Tell us about the fight" said Capital
!, Dean.
: The witness said: "The men put u
: their hands and spared. Keller lande
a blow on Booz's eye, and the latte
:, turned his head away. He tried to avoi
y Keller, who said, Stand up and fight
!, Then Booz went down from a light blo'
: and did not want to get up. He was hell
ed up, but went down again two or thre
times and wanted to quit He got
e blow in the body, but not hard enoug
\ to knock him down. Booz topped dowI
He cried and said he would rive M