The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-11
REPORfON 7HEBOOzCASE
Colonel Mills Statement Submitted
to Secretary goet.
Declares ne Has No Personal KHoxI-
edge OF the Cadets MaIfressEaeat
by his cosnrades-BeIfeves Charges
of Brutality to BE Unfounaea.
Courts "A Searching investigation.


day The report OF Col AIbert Nils. re-
garding the alleged haziag OF Cadet Oscar
L. Booz, at the West Point Military Aczd-
enly- Secretary Root in acting cn the re-
port has issued the following order, Gre
ating board to investigate the entire
affair:
q board of officers, composed OF Major
Gen. John R. Brooke. Col. George L. Gil
lespfe, and Lieut. Col John ". Clous. IS
hereby convened to meet at West Point
on the 18th Of the present month. or as
soon thereafter as practicable, TO enquire
into. and report upon. the alleged treat
ment of former Cadet Oscar L. Booz at
the Military Academy, and upon the meas
nres taken to prevent such treatment Of
new cadets at the Academy, and the ex-
tent to which new cadets are now subject
10 such treatment The board vii have
authority to visit such places as may be
necessary for a complete aseerta inment
Of the facts. including the home of the
late=0scar L. Booz
In a letter to the House Military Conn
mittee. Secretary Root transmits copy OF
the order and says:
Ct return herewith House Resolution
No. 307. relating TO certain alleged hszing
OF former Cadet Oscar L Booz in the Mil
itary Academy at West Point, referred TO
me today for remark
THE newspaper articles, which I sup
pose are referred to in the resolution. we're
immediately, upon coming to the notice
of The department, referred TO the Super
intendent of the Military Academy who
has already made and completed a search
ing Investigation and has reported the re-
suit to the department today. The report
is transmitted herewith" :"
Colonel Mills statement is as follows
4 have no personal knowledge Of Cadet
Bocz, be having left the Military Acad-
emy October 1, 1888. shortly after l as
sumed the duties Of superintendent, Sep
tember 20, 1883 Any III treatment he may
have received at the hands OF older cadets
must have occurred after his admission
and during the summer eneampment,
which ended August 2s, 1898.
The following is Cadet Boozss official
record: Admitted 10 the Military academy
from the Seventh Congressional district OF
Pennsylvania, June 90, 1888: submitted his
resignation as a cadet September Is, 1855;
! left the Academy October I, 1855, having
been granted leave Of absence pending ae-.
ceptance Of resignation By the War De-
| partment; cause OF resignation recorded
IS weak eyes; resignation accepted by the
War Department TO dale October 81 1855.
Cadet Booz vas on sick report July SO,
1893. and was excused by surgeon from
driu for that day on account OF acute di-
arrhoea He WAS at no other time on sick
report His recorded demerit from July
Is (yvhen dement's Of new cadets COM
mence to count 10 October .. 1855, IS g.
In his studies his total mark IN English IS
proficient; in mathematics It IS dehcieRt-
From the nature OF the assertions II
this case. I have been obliged TO seek IN
formation by instituting a general enquiry
and / have accordingly made careful and
thorough enquiry among officers and ca
| diets 10 ascertain all possible facts concern
/ ing Cadet Booz's career at the Academy
| ofcers who we're OF duty here at the time,
have with but one exception. no distinct
| recollection of him and there appears 10
be nothing beyond what his record shows.
| TO have specially impressed his indivlduali-
u upon any OF them Cadets have freely
come forward 10 give all the Information
in tneir possession among La-Ia. Csset
Booz was known By the members O. the
present first and second classes the lat-
ter being his own class l have carefully
| questioned the cadets Of both classes who
have been able IN any way TO give light
on tie matter. The answers OF all nave.
been free, frank. full. and free from The
slightest apparent desire 20 bold II re-
serve anything pertaining to the enquiry
AS the result Of this enquiry l am con
yineed that until Saturday, August s, 1898,
there occurred nothing 10 draw the sDG-
ciaI attention Of older cadets to Cadet
Booz and / can find nothing to show thai ne
was in any way treated differently from
| MS cIassnste les. OF cruelty OF violently haz-
cd.
..on the day mentioned he engaged IN
| dst hzht with a cadet Of the then third
class. new present here N tne first class.
| This fight appears 10 have had its ORR
gin as follows: On August ? Cadet Booz
| was q member OF the cadet guard, and
! about 10 2. M. vas on pest as sentinel
/ on post Ne. ;. about the cadet eleamD-
ment. Several other cadets in the vi
einity noticed that he vas not walking
! his post as his orders required They
| claim they cautioned him about the mat
ter and advised him what ne 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
| thereafter-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 Bool
/ invited them TO attend the fight, and that
| he went to it and engaged in 1t willingly,
1 nd in The beginning was the aggressor.
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 il i fght-
| The cadet with whom he fought was Eot
/ an adept in fighting and had not before en~
| Sased in fight Another cadet. who had
| occasion to speak to Cadet Booz on his re-
| turn to camp. Immediately after the affair.
| has stated 10 me that beyond a red mark
| below one eye. Cadet Booz showed no ap-
| eearanets OF having been engaged in fight
and that be laughed when the matter was
| referred TO- The words Of these cadet,
which / believe are worthy OF full cTs-
| aeuce, regarding the injury done CaGet
| Booz in the fight, are corroborated by the
| absence of his name from the sickoreport
| hat DAY or any subsequent day, where It
surely would have appeared had he suffered
! injury. or been sIishgured TO any extent to
| ne noticed by the officer under whose al
| most cor stant observation new cadets sre
Leld
| IN vfe.v of the above. I believe that
ne charge. so often reiterated, that Ca
! det Booz was dragged out and made to
fight, and was brutality pounded by an
older and stronger cadet is false and In
fcanaed.
The additional specife charge that sf-
| Ter the light a aaid was poured down Ca
7 -