The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-30
@IBIF TO
ABOLISH HAzING
Admission of the commandant of
Cadets at West Point.
SUPERINTENDENT TEsTIFlEs.
He Read from Letters Ho Had Writ
ten the War Department in His
Endeayor TO Abolish Hnzins,
Brutal Treatmcn
SUPERINTENDENT TESTIFlES.

J
aui,v appointed 10 investigate the ale
cations OF brutal haziaS OF cadets Colo
5s,l Helm produced the superintendent $
sick reports. which showed that cadet
Jsooz had only reported sick once white
he was AT The Academy. lie was excused.
on that occasion. from one drill. as ne
wae SUFFERING, from an acute attack. The
records made it clear that Booz had
meyer been absent from breakfast. dinner
or sumner while he was cadet at west
Point,
BRUTAL HAZING.
An extract from the records was feao
nv the Witness who said Cadet Booz
had awaited himself of the SatlIrday-eFeii
ing privileges Of going anywhere "itinh
Inc reservation. Saturday, August 6tf,
The day of the Rcoz-keller fight Booz
reported his going away at Lbs 7. NJ
md his returning at ::::iS p. NJ. In reply
TO General Clous. the witness said that
in the summer of 1892 through anony-
NOUS letters The brutal haZins of Cadets
Macarthur and Haskell came to the
knowledge Of the Academy officials.
An investigation was Immediately or
dcred, hut no information as TO the facts
could he elected fror,: any of those eX-
an,ncd among whom were Macarthur
md Haskell The regulations prohibiting
lIazinG provided punishment for hazcrS
and ilazed alike.
Ia itillnc OIL Inc TehtIicliL ny Lie
fourth-class men in 1892, among whom
were Cadets Macarthur and Grant. not
to submit TO llazing, Colonel Helm SAID:
ASKED TO AGREE
II called the class together lit was
very largo ono and explained to them
The rules and regulations prohibiting ha-
zine ! told them if they would agree
not 10 submit 10 haZins and promise not
TO haze any one themselves. they would
rid the academy OF foul blot on ITS
reputation.
Soon afterwards they appealed to me to
he released from this agreement, but
refused.
~ also heard continued the witness,
that candidates preparing at High
land Falls were being hazed. and L made
an Investigation, the outcome of which
was the severe Furnishing of the guilty
cadets
Is TRADITIONAL.
Speaking generally of hazing, Colonel
IIen said:
.'IIazing is traditional and l am sorry
TO say is thought by persons inside as
well as outside of the academy, to be
con1nicndablc. and as long as students
hear it spoken of in this way it will be
impossible Tor the authorities TO stamp it
out.
What methods do you think could be
used to stamp out the calling out of
fourth-class men and subsequent fisuc
encounters" asked General Clous.
.rWhy ] consider that form of haZinG,
and as long as the cadets don't live up
10 ih,. agreement not TO submit TO ha-
zfng and The upper class do not cease IN
terferins with them, it will be impossible
10 suppress it
EXERCISED DAILY.
Former Cadet Smith. of CarbondaIe,
III. testified to seeing Booz on one oc-
casion holding out dumbelis and doing
Wooden Willie I've were exercised al
most daily the witness said. Cadets
Myer and Nelley exercised me fre-
Quently.'
Cadet Trumwell Carithcrs, of Illinois,
the next witness. said he was called out
for discbeying upper class men, and
general freshness" His opponent was
Mr. Shannon. OF the present second-claSs.
What was The result"
81 got knocked-out, sir
Did you receive any serious injuries?"
inquired General Clous
Yes, sir. had an abrasion on my fore
head and my jaw was broken"
Did You so 10 the hpsp.tal?'
ses, sir. / MAS there just two weeks"
'Was Shannon d good man.?
''Yes. SIR. 1 thought So, replied the
witness who laughed as lie answered. He
aas allowed TO go then.
SUPERINTENDENT SWORN.
the academy, was then sent for and after
Z few minutes, delay he came into court
ana was sworIi. He submitted many re-
potts and extracts regarding the regAsa-
lions prob biting haZing and the measures
adopted by The authorities TO abolish the
several varieties which existed at The
post. He also submitted long lists of
tadets who were summarily punished for
Violations OF these regulations, but they
were merely repet!tipnS Of the extracts
n records handed 10 the court previously
by Conmandant Helm.
Speaking of ''bracing," the superntend-
ent said: Il do not consider 'bracins' as
haZinG, but it amounts to il when carried
10 excess. and causes physical pain
For The protection Of the fourth class
then the witness said that he had in
creased the responsibilities of the first
class cadets in regard to this end. de
tclt thst these men, on the verge of
graduation, would use their utmost en-
hcavors 10 abolish hazing methods.
Colonel Mills said that great deal OF
difficulty had been experienced by him
and the other officers in getting informa-
ton from cadets about cases of hazing on
The ground that they might incriminate
themselves.
SECRET SOCIETY.
The superintendent told of having Sc
cured the oath of 4 society known as
THE Hold Carriers" which existed
siaaaliG candidates for admission to this
academy who We're at Il preparatory
school at Highland Falls. about two miles
from West Point 1t was a society com
posed OF and formed for hazing candi-
dates.
The witness said that it was of such
n vile nature that he knew he had good
weapon in his hands. he submitted it to
the cadet body with the result that when
they saw what hazing entailed the grad
ua:ing class Of 1900 declared that they
would abolish hazing and wrote him 10
that effect.
As 10 Standardization of cadets. wit
ness said the paragraph giving the privi-
1cge of not answering what would be an
determination question, was amended by
the War Department. This amendment
left 10 the judgment Of the superinten-
dent of the academy whether or not q
cadet would incriminate himself by an
swering certain questions This change
was made after the cadets had made an
agreement to stop all forms CT exercising
Colonel Mills read some letters which
he had written to the War Department
in his efforts to abolish hazing at the
academy. containing such suggestive
words as brutal treatment of cadets