The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-18
ARMY BOARD OF INQUIRY COM
MENCES IT'S IEVESTI-
CATIONS
EVlDENCE or B3CZ'S PARENTS
WAS TAKEN YESTERDAY AT THEIR
HOME AT RRIS-
T0L, PA.
WAS UNPOPULAR AS A CADET
Seems to BE Apparent From the
Testimony observation-disclosures
mate Tells OF Hazing at
West Point.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec 1.-THE taking
of testimony in the case of Oscar L.
BooZ, the West Point cadet, who died
two weeks ago from injuries which, his
parents allege, were inflicted at the West
Point Military academy, were begun to-
day by the board of inquiry, appointed by
the secretary OF war. Three sessions
were held during the day, two at Bristol,
the home of the Booz family, and
short session in this city late this after
noon. The members of the board, Gen
erals Brooke, Clous and Bates accom-
panied by Capt. Dean, of the Fifth Ar
tillery, who acted as recorder, arrived at
Bristol at 1880 a. M, and shortly after
went into session. The court sat in
the study of the Rev. Alexander Alison,
pastor of the Bristol Presbyterian church,
which adjoins the BooZ homestead. The
witnesses called were William H. Booz,
father; Mrs Sarah Booz, mother; Nellie
BOoz, sister Of the young man; Rev. Dr.
Alison, DR.. " eaver, a physician, who at
tended Oscar Bo0z. and several citizens
Little of their testimony was new. After
hearing the Bristol witnesses the board
made a flying trip to this city, where it
took the testimony of DR.. J. H. Soils, a
throat physician, who had Oscar under
treatment, and S. A. Albert, a fellow
CIeiSSIiIstlc VI OSCdI IJOOL i liz OOdi u
left for New York tonight and will sit at
West Point tomorrow.
THE FATHERS STORY.
Mr.. Booz said that his son had COM
planned to him of the indignities to which
he was subjected at West Point, but
when Mr.. BOOz spoke to Lieut.. Blakely
about it he was told that the hazing
would stop after the cadets got back in
barracks In August a letter was re
ceived. in which Oscar said he had been
in a fight and had received a pair of
black eyes, and had been knocked out
by a blow over the heart.
Mr.. Booz said he went to West Point
to see his son. Oscar told his father he
expected to be hazed, but he did not
want his mother to know how he was
being treated.
Mr. BOCz told how Oscar had informed
him that tabasCO sauce had been forced
down his throat Mr.. BoOZ said when
Oscar came home in the fall OF 1885, he
was broken in health and was never
well after that. oscar liked fun, the
father said, but not brutality. While in
tents, the father continued, Oscar said
the cadets would pull the blankets from
HIM and pour hot wax frOrl a candle On
his body. Mr. BoOz also said Oscar told
him that tabasco sauce was poured down
his throat both in camp and at the in
stitute.
In answer to another question Mr.. Booa
said that the only cadet he the father,
talked with at West Point, was the son
of eX-Congressnan Phillips, of Ohio. MIR.
P0oz thought the officers at the academy
could stop the brutality, but he would
not say they condoned it.
All the cadets We're rot treated like
Oscar was, he said, and he was at q
loss to understand why they had treated
his son in such a severe manner. Oscar
spent all OF last year at home in an
endeavor to build up his health. In
June Of this year he accepted q position
with a law firm at Philadelphia. but was
compelled to leave this occupation owing
to his throat trouble.
In conclusion Mr.. BooZ said Oscar
would never mention any names. When
he felt badly he would talk of the brutal
treatment he had been subject to, but
never would reveal the identity of his
prosecutors.
WAS a MODEL YOUNG MAN
Mrs. Booz, Oscars mother, said that
Oscar never told a Jie or acted one
Oscar wrote to her that he liked the
surroundings at West Point, but COM
planned of the treatment he had received
at the hands of the upper class men.
Her son told her in letters that the place
was unfit for any young man who wanted
10 UO itSlil anu IJslI Sl4OhlN1 ilOl SSllb
their sons there.
1.-The upper class men," Oscar wrote,
''are 'brutes' and 'bullieS -
MEDICAL TESTIMONY.
The board of inquiry reconvened at the
Lafayette hotel in this city at 4 O'Clock
for the purpose of hearing witnesses re-
siding in Philadelphia DR.. ]. H Soils
who had attended Booz for two or
three months during the past summer,
was the first witness called. He said
Oscar had tuberculosis of the larynX an
that when he came to this city for treat
ment, his case was a hopeless one and
he so told the sister. The doctor said he
noticed that Booz had an old affection
of the throat, an adhesion between the
criglOttis and the base Of the tongue;
the adhesion was a electrical tissue
From the appearance of the cicatfix il
could have been there a long time. The
doctor said he could not tell how long
He thought that if tabascO sauce haG
been forced down BOoz's throat it may
have made him more susceptible to tn,
disease.
SOMETHING ABOUT HAZING.
Sigmond S. Albert, who had been
cadet at West Point for fourteen month;
and was a classmate of Eooz, Wa
called.
Albert said that Booz was rot hazet
any more than any other cadet. He wa
one of BOOz's tent mates while in camp
Albert then related how nc and BOoZ ant
other fourth year men were made to d
ridiculous stunts" such as making tn
upper class mems beds and "other I'm
manly and disgraceful things" He tol,
of one night when some fourth year me-
were stood up in q tent and told to opel
their mouths and shut their eyes II
obeyed and then some one squirtcd int
Their mouths what he believed to be ia
basco sauce. It did not hurt Albert be
cause there was not enough Of It, H
could not say if BooZ was one of tn
victims as they all had their eyes cloze3
After some further unimportart ties
timony Albert was excused and the cour
adjourned to meet at west Point To