The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-27
TWELVE CADETS HEARD
One Boy Bound and Placed Un ier a
Water Faucet.
A REPORT THAT LACKS VERIFICATl0N
Cadets Made to Run Down Company Streets
While Others Throw Water on Them.
OrdeaIs in Which Cadets
Pretended" to Faint.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press)
West Point, n Y, Dec 26.-The mill
tary court of inquiry resumed its inves
tigation of alleged brutal hazing at the
West Point Military Academy this morn
ing
Twelve witnesses were examined by
Generals Brooke. Bates and Clous. They
were all of the present first class and
classmates of former Cadet Bretn. One
of them, Cadet Tidball, of Virginia, swore
| that he had seen Breth exhausted after
going through an exercising ordeal in
camp in 1897. Some of the men who we're
hazing Breth gave him whiskey when he
| became exhausted. The witness coSld
remember only one of the hazers and this
was Lieutenant Mumm, who graduated
! last year.
Cadet Russell said that he heard of a
| cadet being bound hand and foot, and be-
| ing placed under a water faucet. He
could rot vouch for the accuracy of his
! informant and did not remember his
name. All of the witnesses said thet
knew of no brutal treatment in the haz-
! ing.
| The witnesses all denied that they had
held any conversation with other cadets
as to the holding of testimony at the in
vestigation and said all the cadets was
anxious that everything should be told.
Tomorrow Congressman P. o. Phillips,
of Cleveland. will be witness in refer
ence to the statement made that he came
to the academy in 1898 in order to have
l
Mr.. Phillips already has denied this by
telegraph
Horace Booz, of Bristol. Pa, brother
of Oscar L. Booz. who died three weeks
ago, also will be here tomorrow and it is
understood that he is coming here to
/ testify.
| Cadet B. f. Browne. of Virginia, now
of the first class, testified that he knew
Booz. but did not remember his being ill
while at the academy. He denied having
given any hell sauce" to any fourth
class men.
Cadet Brown said that he had taken
part in "feet inspections" which consist
ed of dropping hot candle grease on the
bare feet of fourth-class men.
did you know Cadet Breth?" asked
General Clous.
|
! did you ever know OF his being drop
ped out of his tent?''
mo. sir
WAS he ever put in a straight t-jacket?"
mo sir, 1 never heard of such a thing
in the Academy"
What do you make fourth class men
do?'
Nothing in barracks, but bracin9' an
! nit Tn I
fourth class act as special duty men.
He cleaned my gun and bayonet and car
ried water and cleaned my tent"
The witness described how cadets had
been made to run down the company
streets while others threw water on them.
This was called taking bath.
"Did you ever see a man braced or eX
ercised to the limit of his power of en-
durance?" asked General Brooke.
Il could not say. sir. but 1 have seen
them pretend to faint in order to be ex-
cused from going any further with the
| exercise
What was the most exhausting thing
you yourself were required to do as a
fourth MANI
"Eagling. SIR was the reply.
Describe it. please"
"It is a modification of the setting up
drill for back and legs
Ibid you ever know any injury to re-
suit from exercising?'
'No, s:-."
The witness said there was no danger
in hazing and the classes voted to do
away with the hazing only because of the
stories published about it.
What besides bracing' do you require
a fourth-class man TO do?" inquired Gen
eral Brooke.
I'VE have them do ridiculous forma-
tions, one of which we call the barn
yard. The men are designated by names of
barn yard animals and When they are
told to form they initiate the noises made
by the animals
us any force used?"
mo sir
do you make them do anything you
tell theme
mo, they are told to do it and they
| generally do all they are told
The witness said that when he was
! fourth class man the idea of refusing to
| do all he was required to by hazers never
entered his head. There was no brutal
spirit in it. If there was brutality by
word the fourth class man would resent
it.
"Then he would have to fght?" sug
gested General Brooke.
"Yesi, SIR"