The news & observer., 1900-12-29
.GAGGING OF CADETS
Mouths Stuffed With Cotton
to Prevent 0utCrieS.
BOYS Haz4d 10 the Point Of Exhaustion. The
Military Court Will CIse Its Sit
tings Today.
(By the Associated Press }

West Point, N. Y. Dec. 2S.-The taking
Of testimony by the military court of in
quiry, in regard to the death of former
Cadet Oscar l.. Booz, will close here to-
morrow afternoon. Today's investigation
brought out testimony that cadets had
been haZed to degree of exhaustion. The
victims mentioned particularly were Ca
dets Macarthur and Haskell
Macarthur himself denied that he had
commissions but acknowledged that he
had been exercised to such an extent that
he had cramps in his muscles and that
he lost control of them. Haskell is not
in the corps now, so that his testimony
was not available.
Several OF the present fourth class
men told Of what forms of hazng existed
during last summers encampment and
while there were a few cases Of men be-
ing made to stand on their heads there
was very little exercising done which
would show that the majority OF the
cadets are living up to the class agree
ment made last year to abolish severe
haZing methods.
Cadet John c. Pegram, OF Virginia tes-
thed that in camp in 1899 he exercised
Cadet Kennel II gave him 150 eagles |
think" he said. II was in my room. Ca
det Williams called me out into the hall
and told me he had tainted. Kennel was
laying down. gave him some water.
lifted him up and he said he was all
right. ] heard also that a cadet named
McGinnis had tainted, and that a plebe
had tainted To the latter / carried some
smelling salts. He was fourth class man.
He revived"
Did you ever hear Of cotton being
put in cadets mouths TO keep them from
crying or being hysterical?"
Yes, ! was told that Cadet Macarthur
had requested some upper class men 10
stuff his mouth with cotton so that he
could not cry out Historically, as he said
he could not control himself after some
severe exercising"
"Why should he do this?"
There was an officer nearby at the
time and | was told Macarthur was afraid
he would hear him"
Young Phil Sheridan was recalled. lie
added the name OF Cadet Brenton to the
list of those who had tainted after exer-
cising He also said that Cadet Haskell
was only shamming the night he was sup
posed to have tainted.
Cadet Quinn Gray. Of Texas, had heard
that Haskell had been hazed and that
Cadet Macarthur had been attacked with
commissions after exercising.
Cadet w d. A. Anderson, OF Virginia.
told the court of his having been re-
CURED to swallow Tabasco sauce and
qualify for the mess hall by eating one
hundred prunes.
Cadet II. H. Robert, OF Mississippi.
cleaned grass guns and bayonets. carried
water and swept out the tents Of upper
class men during the summer encamp-
ment this year Cadet c. r. Alley. or
Massachusetts. was compelled TO stand
on his head In q bath tub In six inches
of water. He only remained in that posi-
tion for moment. He slid across the
floor of the bath room and stood guard
over dead rat
In reply to further questions by Cen
eral Clous Alley said that on one oeca-
sion in camp he was called upon to say
who was the meanest man In the third
class He refused and he was called out
to fight Cadet Blair. OF the third class
Blair won giving witness a bad nose
bleed. Other witnesses gave experiences
in hazing West Point officials also tes-
tilted TO steps taken to suppress hazlng.
Former Ceaet ]. n. DOYLE. of Philadel-
phia. testified he saw Cadet Bender ex-
ercise Breth to the point of exhaustion
Cadet Ulysses s Grant. grandson Of tho
late President, said that In 1899 he had
r. do eagles held out dumb bells and
did other exercises and ridiculous things.