The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-30
BOOB INQUIRY IS lOSEb
TAXING OF TESTIMONY COMPLETED
At WEST POINT SATURDAY.
ao..a WIN Examine the Mass OF
notes before II and Make Ffnni
Report to war Department-Ei-
forts to Prevent Hasing Futile.

10KH0
WEST POINT, ~ r.. Dec. 2s--fne m
yestjgation OF the charges OF pru'ai ~
ing arising out Of the death OF Z,
Cadet Oscar l.. Booz. whicn q 49, ~
sno,irv appointed by the secretary ~
war has been In progress with lot .nc
last two weeks, was concluded az 'ne
west Point military academy TINS 49,
moon The military court OF iipuii
connposed OF Gems Brooke, Bates an"
e.lons together with Capt. Dan, the re-
corder OF the court, left for Io'ernois
Island tonight. and on Monday mornins,
at 10 o'clock, they. will examine the ilas -
.,ur,ns the several sessions OF the court
and unless something Unforeseen occurs
viii make a report to the war Depart
uneut very soon afterwards
While the court OF inquiry mas peeh q"
open one since II began taking testimony.
Mondays session will be exclusive, ana
OF no public interest.
Superintendent Mills and commahoan,
NJ cadets Helm were the chief witnesses
sx.utred TODAY. They produced lot OF
extracts from records OF the academy as
10 The efforts OF the authorities to abolish
ba xiue OF every variety in the institution.
Col. Helm produced the superintendent
sgck reports, which showed that Caoet
T7ooz had reported sick only once while
he was at the academy. He was excused
on that occasion from one drill. as ne was
suffering from an acute attack OF oiar-
rhoea. The records made It clear that
Booz had never been absent from meai
while he was a cadet at West Point.
An extract from the records was read
~ the witness who said Cadet Booz had
avaiyed himself Of the Saturday evening
privileges OF going anywhere within the
reservation. On Saturday. August 9. the
day of the Bookseller fight, Booz re-
ported his going away at 1853 p. m. and
his returning at 3:lS p m.
Brutal Hasing Exposed.
=, ,.p,v 10 Gen. Clous the witness saia
80. q tha s,,mmer Of 1889. through anony-
s.s.,,s 1stters tho brutal hazing OF "a
80 u.cArth,,r and Haskell came 10 inc
rro~Ie0~e Of the academy oniciais. Al
s.v.stsestiou was Immediately ordercu,
hut no information as to the facts cou,"
81 elected from any OF those exa" ,1s
among whom were MscArtnn ana III
r.ii The regulations prohibiting nazin.
.rnv,ae punlshment for hnsers and nazed
sue. in telling OF the agreement mace
hv the fourth-ciass men In 1899. among
vhcvn were Cadets Macarthur ana urant'
40 - submit to hazing, Col. Helm SAID;
81 csIled the class together dt was
vary large one) and explained to them
the rules and regulations prohibiting naA.
ing. told them II they would agree not
20 submit to hasinE and promise nor 20
hare anyone themselves. they would ria
~. academy OF a foul blot on Its reputa-
tlon. Soon afterward they appealed TO De
reIeased from this agreement. but re-
fused. n
IT also heard" continued the witness
.Yhat candidates preparing at Highland
Fails were being haxed, and made an
the outcome OF which was
the severe Furnishing OF the guilty ea-
dsts,"
the remainder Of the commandments tes-
tIv,,onv was mainly an explanation Of the
aetions and measures taken to suppress
hasinr Al the academy. The punish
ments were increased and the number OF
caNetn found guilty Of violations OF the
reeula lions In 1899. were greatly In excess
of the previous year
Hasing Traditional.
Speaking generally Of hazing. Col. Hem
said;
..Hasing is traditional. l am sorry 20
say and Ia thought by persons inside as
well as outside of the academy. TO be
eommendahie, and as long as students
hear II spoken OF In this way Il Will be
imnoaeible for the authorities to stamp
Il out"
.what methods do you think could be
used TO stamp out calling out Of fourth
class men anc subsequent fist encoun-
tersf'' asked Gen. Cous.
why, I consider that a form OF haz-
ing and as long as the cadets do not live
up to the agreement not to submit TO
hasing, and the upper class men do not
cease interfering with them, II viii be
impossible TO suppress It,. ~
Former Cadet Smith, OF Illinois, testi-
fed that one right several OF the witness
class called on Boox. and we're called to
ex-Cadet Hairless tent TO be exercised.
Witness did not remember anyone having
tainted: he himself was very much ia
tisued but not to the point OF cxhaus-
ton.
did Cadet Boox ever complain 10 your
No, sir: he never complained of his
treatment"
Cadet Truman W. Carrrthers. OF flli-
out "for disobeying upper class men and
general freshness" His opponent was Mr.
shannon. OF the present second class,
What was the RESULT" inquired Gen.
Cleus
II had an abrasion on the forehead. my
Jaw was broken aud ! wont TO the hospi-
tai for two weeks.
Superiutendeu Mtils Tcsttnes.
Col A. l. Mills. superintendent OF the
academy was then sent for and was
sworn speaking OF "bracing.' the super
intendent said
II do not consider 'bYaciug' as hazing
hut II amounts TO IL whoa carried 10 eN-
cess. and causes physical pain"
Fer the protection % the fourth class
men the witness said that he had Tn
creased the responsibilities OF the nrst
class cadets TO this end Tie felt that
these mrn. on the verge Of graduation.
would use their utmost eudcavors 20
abolish hasins methods. The supcrin-
tendcnt told OF his having secured the
oath of a party known rs tho Hoa Car
rters which had existed among candi.
dates for admission 10 this academy, who
we're al Highland Falls preparatory
school about two miles from West Point
IL was q society composed of and formed
for hasins cadets Witness said Il was
Of such vile nature that he knew he
had good weapon In his hands He
submitted II 20 the cadet body with the
result that when they saw what harlng
entaiied; the graduating class % lan
declared that they would abolish haxing
Col Mills read some letters which he
had written 10 the war department III his