Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-22
Tell Of the Fight Between
Keller and Boose.
The Latter Quit and Played the Part
of a Coward.
Neither Boosc Nor Breth Mentally Qualified to
Finish Course.

TWO SUBSTITUTE Idlly at liie west I-oiIlt
Military Academy. ferrcting out the al
legged brutal cases of haZing of Cadets
Boose and Breth will not be able to
finish the work this week. Today, the
story of the fight between Keller and
Boose in Fort Putnam on the 9th of
August, 1898, told by Keller himself. as
wen as by some of the seconds and the
scnt.ncls. They all agreed that BOose
was not badly punished and that he
practically lay down.
Nothing adduced in the evidence,
today, showed that there was any bru-
tai hazing practiced at the academy
and that the trend of the evidence went
to show that neither Boose nor Breth
was possessed of the necessary mental
capacity to go through the entire
course of studies necessary for gradu
alton.
Tho proceedings were begun a few
minutes before 10 o'clock. The first
witness called was William j. Guthrie
Of Missouri, cadet Of the first class.
When asked if he knew Boose he re-
piled:
II knew him only as any upper class
man would know lower class man"
He also knew Cadet Breth. who was
his class mate. and was positive that
Breth had never been placed in
straight jacket. Such thing would be
so very unusual that he would certain
~ have known of 1t.
Cadet Lewis Brown, Jr., OF Rhode Is
land. one of Kellers seconds in his
fight with Boose was the next witness.
He was directed by the court TO tell
all about the fight.
II was one Of the kellers seconds
said he. Cadet Barnes was the other.
| cannot remember the names Of the
referee or time keeper. but the latter
was of the class of 80. There were
Boose and his two seconds and we had
three sentinels. Cadets Hayden. De
first class. The contestants stripped
TO their waists. met in the center at the
call Of time by the referee. There
were a few exchanges ana then Boose
turned his back to Keller and ran
around the ring. Keller followed and
IN consequence Boose was hit several
times on his back. In the second
round Keller landed blow on Bosses
eye cutting it slightly. This was the
hardest blow of the fight. Before the
down without having received a blow
Immediately before doing so. He would
not get up.
Lieut.. Frank w. Coe. Instructor in
mathematics at the Military Academy.
testified that Cadet Boose was def
Gent in his mathematics. He was next
to last in his section. He never could
have passed his examination. He was
qurcd by the Military Academy.
Cadet Frank Keller. who had the
fight with Boose in reply TO Gen. Clous
said:
Il was chosen by a committee on my
class to call out Cadet Boose because
he d:sobcycd the orders of the corporal
of the guard and made insolent re-
marks to an upper class man. | was
told to weigh in and turned $50 pounds.
Boosc was l52 pounds He was talle:'
than | and had a longer reach. We
went to Fort Putnam on Saturday af-
ternoon. Aug. g. The referee was Cadet
T. Wray.
We stripped to the waist and my
seconds told me ! had a tough custom
er to meet, to do my best For the first
80 seconds after the call Of time Boosn
showed fight ana struck me a couple
OF times about the shoulders. | struck
him under the loft eye. cutting il
slightly After this | found great diff
Guilty in getting to him as he turned
his back and kept running away. |
frequently told him to face or | would
hit him in the back. ! did hit him
couple Of blows under the right arm.
In the second round he came up ali
right and shaped for me. | thought he
was going to put up fight after ALL
hut he Immediately began running
around again. | struck him in the
right eye and then on the stomach. He
went down altogether. although the
blow was not heavy enough to knock
him down or a knockout blow. He lay
on the ground and was counted out
but was not knocked out"
cadet w. +. Bettison of Kentucky,
told Of one occasion when Boosc was
on sentinel duty at the rear Of BETH
sons tent. he spoke TO Boose, who was
standing at one end of the post and
told him to patrol his post properly.
"iIad YOU any right" asked Gen.
Brooke. ITO give him any such in
stcuCtiOnS?" No, not officially" re-
piled the witness. but | felt l had
right to give him information when he
was doing wrong.
Was it not a breach of military dis
oiplne for you to speak to sentinel
on duty"
1T was"
And as result of that Mr.. Boose
was called out to fight"
Yes, sir
Then. sir YOU had no right to put
Cadet Boose in that position" said
Gen. Brooks. sharply.
Cadet Charles Barnett. president of the
cadets branch Of the Y. NJ. c. A., was
asked if he had written to Rev. DR.. Alex
Ellison Of Bristol. Pa. lie replied that
he did and got a reply. He was requested
by the court to bring the reply TO the
court room.
When the court reassembled after
luncheon. Cadet Barnett submitted a let
ter which he received from Rev. DIR. AL
lison of Bristol Pa. in reply to one he
sent to the reverend gentleman and which
has been published. in which ii said: Il
can understand of course, how natural
1t is for You young men TO see no defects
in Your alma mater since you have
crossed the .'pebe'' Rubicon. The friends
of Oscar know that he was truthful His