The times., 1900-12-26
What HazIng ReaII, Ir,

The New York Sun" prints some
what exhaustive description of the meth
DDS of hazing pursued at West Point,
which is said TO have been written by
person who has seen them in practice.
The writer states that the plebe, when
hazing is in store for him, is required to
report at some tent selected for the exer-
else. Here he is requested to eagle The
movement in question and the use to
which it is put, are described as follows:
This exercise is executed by bending the knees
as far as possible toward the ground and at the
same time extending the arms out IRON the sides
10 The height Of the shoulder, perpendicular with
the body, and gently moving the hands up and
down. The original position is then resumed and
one eagle has been done. The movement sim.
pie IN itself, soon demonstrates that 4 number of
muscles called into play.
The piebe soon becomes weary. Fifty eagles
produce fatigue; 0ne hundred aching muscles
But the number required is 'n'-that Il the
indefinite number which can be done before con.
seiousness reels or cran;ps ensue. Three hundred
three hundred and fifty. and four hundred are
forced upon the Ilebe. Never does it happen that
te succeeds in doing that many without a halt
being called by nature. The time soon coInes
when in lowering himself to the ground the mus
eles give out and he falls 10 his knees. Is the
yesriing satisfiedf No; the fun has but just be.
gun. The plebe occupants Of the tent in which
The solree Is held are percmptOrily ordered to
set the inan on his feet That done h. is told to
eagle again. Despair in his heart and face he
has alternative and again begins his self,tor-
ture This time ,lse end comes more quickly
The muscles, alreacy overtaxed, give cut again
lie falls, is placed on his feet again and goes
In doing four hundred eagles this takes place
usually three or four times. Sometimes the piebe
faints II is better So for in that case fright
cases the year.ing 10 desiss. In the event how
ever, Of his continued resistance 10 COLLAPSE the
yesTiing at last tells him 10 'core Of that AMI
take rest on the 'stretcher.'
"stretcher" is a shelf extended from
idge-pole Of the tent.
rests By grssping tine stretcher, one hand
her eide and siispcnding himself by his
The strctcbcr being about six feet from
ieor. he must draw his feet well under him
insure their free swing. The weight OF the
soon becomes too much for the arms, which
bearing the whole unsided. The fingers be
&c cramped and the hold must he loosed. Lest
the plebe should attempt TO 'desdbest'-and no
matter how well he ever does anything he is
told he is deadbestins-he is warned that il he
loosens his hold he must drop 10 the floor his
knees. The danger Of two-ioot drop On hard
Moor nerves the plebe TO further efforts but at
last. usually in three or four minutes down he
drops with thnd on the plank floor. He is
ordered back. If he cannot rise himself the tent
occupants are ordered to put him there
minute passes. and again he falls And so it
goes on, usually through six or eight minutes
Of agony. and embracing sometimes four five. ard
seven piunses 10 the floor, each time on the
knees
9in each tent are two rectangular boxes about
three feet in length and eighteen inches in epth
and width. These the tent lockers. They
take the place Of drawers in which t. stow ar
ticles. The exhausted plebe is now told TO sit
down oE one Of these and rest. lie is told
TO SIT on the extreme edge Of the locker, hold
his legs ont parallel with the floor and at the
same time touch his toes with his finger tips
There are few positions difficult painfHl.
!et the time allowed for this exercise Is usually
IRON five or eight minutes.
Having endured this until allowed t. stop
finally the next thing he is told 10 do Is 10 pick
up the lent cleaning box and hold Il out in
front OF him. This box Is a heavy wooden af-
tair. strongly bound with metal. aud used 10
tsafn cleaning materials of different sorts. Some
times The rife is made OF in this exercise
instead of The box The effect is the same, the
arms give out. As in the rest OF these 'ainlise-
Haessts. the frst signs Of exhaustion do not srt-
hee. The box, or rife. must fall again and again
from the weary arms
Upon the order. 'piebe. rest!' the man stands
leg and draws the other up fsr a
possible that the knee forms a resting place
for the elbow Tie head Is rested .he hand
A minutes trial OF this will convince OF the