The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-30
COL. Helm IN DEFENSE
West Point Commandment Talks
of Hazing.
HARD TO STAMP OUT
OFFICER SAYS IT IS ENCoUR-
AGED ON ALL SIDES

West Point, n. Y, Dec. 29.-Lieuten-
ant Colonel Otto l. Helm, commandment
at the United States Military academy,
| was the first witness called today to
testify before the court of inquiry APP
/ pointed to investigate the allegations of
brutal hazing of cadets. Colonel Helm
produced the superintendent sick re-
ports, which showed that Cadet Booz
had reported sick only once while he
was at the academy He was excused
on that occasion from driH. as he was
suffering from an acute attack of diar-
rhoea- The records made it clear that
Booz had never been absent from q
Point.
An extract from the records was read
Dy the witness, who said Cadet BoOz
mad aVailed himself of the Saturday
evening privileges of going anywhere
I within the reservation on Saturday.
Aug 9, the day of the Bookseller fight.
BOOz reported his going aWav at 1.5S
p m, and his returning 81 3:IS p. m
In reply to General Clous. the wit
ness said that in the summer of 1899
/ through anonymous letters. the brutal
, hazing OF Cadets Macarthur and Has
kelI came TO the knowledge Of the acad-
envy officials An investigation was
I ton as TO the facts could be ELECTED
/ from any of those examined. among
| whom were Macarthur and Haskell
/ The regulations prohibiting hazing pro-
vided punishment for hazers and hazed
alike
The remainder of the commandments
testimony was mainly an explanation
OF the actions and measures taken to
( suppress haZing at the academy The
punishments were increased and the
number of cadets found guilty of viola
( tons of the regulations in 1899 We're
greatly in excess of the previous year.
Speaking generally of hazing, Colonel
EEa.a said
'Hazing is traditional, and 1 am sorry
TO say is thought by persons inside ias
we'll as outside of the academy to be
/ commendable, and as long as students
I hear it spoken of in this way it viii be
impossible for the authorities to stamp
il out"
What methods do you think could be
used to stamp out calling out of fourth
class men and subsequent fist encount-
ers?' asked General Clous.
Why. l consider that a form of haz-
ing, and as long as the cadets do not
live up TO the agreement not to submit
to haZing and the upper class do not
cease interfering with them, it will be
impossible to suppress it
Speaking Of "braciRg." the superin-
tendent said. I Go not consider 'brac-
ing as hazing, hat it amounts TO it
when carried tozexeess and causes ply
1 steal pain
For the protection of the fourth class
men the witness said that he had in
creased the responsibilities of the first
class cadets in regard to this end. He
felt that these men, on the verge of
graduation, would use their utmost en-
deavOrs 10 abolish hazing methods.
"Hod Carriers " Oath.
The superintendent told of his hav-
ing secured the oath Of a society known
as the 'dOd Carriers, which existed
among candidates for admission to this
academy who were at a preparatory
school at Highland Falls about two
miles from West Point. 1t was a So
ciety composed Of and formed for haz-
ing candidates Witness said il was
of such a vile nature that he knew ne
had a good weapon in his hands He
submitted it to the cadet body, with
the result that when they saw what
hazing entailed. the graduating class
of 1900 declared that they would abol-
ish haZing.
Colonel Mills read some letters which
ne had written to the war department
in his efforts to abolish hazing at the
academy, containing such suggestive
words as brutal treatment of cadets
and secret Outrages,' - referring to the
encampment of 1899. Colonel Mills cit
ed cases where cadets had been dis
missed from the West Point academy
for hazing lower class men. He said
they invariably had gone to Washing
ton, where they brought a great deal
of influence to bear on the authorities
there to bring about their reinstate-
ment, and in every instance. Colonel
Mills said, he was ably supported by
the war department and the dismissal
was ratified by the officials there.
In reply to General Bates witness
said: 7 don't think that hazing can
be efeCtualiy stamped out as long as
human nature remains as il is. Even
in colleges and schools and business
centers it is carried on. For instance
the initiation of a member of a stock
exchange is marked by rough use of
the newcomer. But I think by the
vigilance of the authorities at this
academy and the cooperation of the
cadets themselves it can be kept with
in such bounds that no injury would
result. ] have been Unremitting in my
endeavOrs in trying to secure the as
sistance of the cadets to this end and
l feel that my efforts have been sue
cessful to a large extent
AT no time since Booz left this acad-
CONTINUED on mai a