Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-12-18
THE DEATH OF B0Gz.
Army Board Looking Into Al
legged Cause.
WAS IT RESULT OF HAzEsG
Rev. III. Arson Testified as to High
Character Of The Dead Boy Father mi
Mother AID sister Testified, Also Sew
erai Physieians.

erai Physicians.
Philadelphia, Dec. 1s.-The taking
of testimony III the case Of Oscar l..
Booz. the West Point cadet who died
about two weeks ago from injuries
which bis parents alleged were ln-
Gicted ut the West Point military
academy was begun by the board Of
inquiry appointed by the secretary Of
war. Three sessions were held. two
at Bristol, the home Of the Eooz fam
lily. and Il short session III this city
The members were Generals Brooke
Cious and Bates, accompanied by
Captain Dean, OF the Fifth artillery.
who acted as recorder. st Bristol the
court sat in the study of the Rev. DR.
Alexander Alison, the pastor of the
Bristol Presbyterian church, which
adioins the Booz homestead. The
witnesses called were William II.
Booz. father; Mrs. Sarah Booz,
mother. Nellie Booz, sister of the
young man: the Rev. DR.. Alison, DIR.
Weaver. Bristol physician, who at
tended Oscar Booz. and several 9th
ers
Rev. DR.. Alison paid a high tribute
to the character Of Oscar Booz. At
ter the young man had entered the
academy he received letter from
Oscar. In which he told of Ill treat
ment. and said 1t was hard to be 4
Christian at West Point but he
would stick to ii at any cost. DIR.
Alison submitted letter from
Charles Burnett president of the Y.
NJ c. 4. Mt West Point, which stated
Mr.. Burnett had investigated the
charges made by the Booz family
and found them greatly exaggerated.
Afterwards the board made flying
visit TO this city, where it took the
testimony Of DR.. ]. Soils Cohen, a
throat specialist who had Oscar I'M
der treatment. and s. s. Albert, a
former classmate of Oscar Booz. The
board left for New York last night
and was to sit at West Point this
afternoon.
Mr. Booz testified on the lines Of
his recent published interviews. He
said his son had written him of the
brutal treatment he had received in
hazine: how he had been forced 70
fight an expert boxer, and how he
had received in the boxing a severe
heart blow. and furthermore that to-
basco sauce had been forced down
his throat while he had been tightly
held by number Of the upper class
men Mr. Booz told of his sons re-
turn to home in broken health and
spirits and that he was finally forced
to take to his bed. from which he did
not arise. He said his son stoutly re-
fused to reveal the names of the stu
dents who prosecuted him.
Mrs Booz also testified of her sons
complaints in letters to her of the
brutal treatment he received at West
Point. She said her son never told
lie and never acted a lie. She
thought superintendent Mills, Of
West Point. should be made to apol-
ogize for calling her son liar.
Nellie Beez q sister of the deeeas-
ed. also estified thar her brother had
complained to her of i'll treatment
received in hazing Mt West Point.
She said he told her that if he had
not swallowed the tobasco sauce he
would have strangled They were
holding him down and he could do
nothing else.
DR. Weaver, the physician of the
Booz family. testified that when Os-
car left for West Point he was in ro-
bust physical condition. but when he
returned hGme q few months later
he was pale and thin On examining
Oscars throat after his return he adj
viscd him to consult a Philadelphia
Specialist which advice he followed.
Or Weaver refused for professional
reasons to answer the question OF
General Bates us to whether tobaseo
would disease the boys throat He
TN hof in,
tempt of court, but the board could
not exact any punishment
At Philadelphia, DR. j. Soils Cohen,
throat specialist, testified to having
treated Oscar Booz. He said the lat
ter's case was hopeless one. He
said on examination he found Booz
had an old injury in the throat. He
could not tell how long he might
have been troubled with the effection.
| He thought If tohascO Sauce had been
| forced down Booz's throat it may
have made him more susceptible to
the disease.
Sigmend s. Albert apparently was
an unwilling witness. He admitted
| that fourth-class men were made to
suffer indignities at the hands of the
upper class men, but would not go
into details.
| He said Booz never complained to
| him ef i'll treatment He told Of one
night when some fourth year men
were stood up in a tent and told to
open their mouths and shut their
eyes They obeyed, and then some
one sduirted into their mouths what
he believed to be tobasco sauce. 1t
did not hurt him. because there was
not enough of it, He did not see the
fight in which Booz was engaged.