Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-27
More Cadets Testify in the Booz
Investigation.
hey ALL DISCLAIM BRUTALITY
Brother of the Deceased Cadet on
the Stand.
r E F E r S TO LETTE r S


the first witness. He said he knew Former
Cadet Breth, and saw him hazed in the
tent of ex-Cadet Beder in camp in 1897.
The witness after being frequently asked
to describe the forms of hazing to which
Breth subjected, replied:
Il cannot exactly describe them in detail,
but think were the usual forms, such as
holding out Indian clubs until it became
tiresome, doing Wooden Willie. and other
things which We're in vogue at that time.
Beth was a very awkward man, and did
not seem to be able to do anything right.
He subject to nervousness and was
easily ratified"
Continuing. the witness said: II got
letter from Breth about six months after
he left here. In 1t he tried to explain his
difficulty in doing things right while at the
post here. and said that he had been suffer-
ing from sickness all the time he was in
camp He had hoped to get better in bar
racks, but did not
What the nature of his sickness
inquired General ClOus.
Il don't remember. sir
Have you got the letter.
"No. sir | looked for it. but must have
destroyed it long since"
Knew of Eight Fights.
The witness in reply to Gen. Clous said
that he knew of about eight fights having
occurred during the first two years he was
in the academy and about nine during the
next two years.
In reply to Gen. Bates Cadet Peace said
that whenever fourth-class man was in
trouble or wanted advice or perhaps some
article which he would come to an upper
class man for information or the loan OF
the desired article and he would invariably
get 1t.
rs there any hatred or feeling in exist
ence between first class men and fourth
class men?" asked the general.
L don't believe there is any feeling on
the part OF the first class men against
fourth class men, but there may be on the
part of fourth class men against the upper
class This may be accounted for by t..e
treatment OF the lower class. but this feel
ing passes away when the cadets are ad-
vanced to the third class
Peace went on to say that he did not con-
slider exercising brutal.
Then you don't think that being re-
quired to exert yourself physically against
your will almost to the point OF eXhaus-
ton brutal" exclaimed General Bates.
Il was exercised myself. sir, and l did
not think it was brutal. 1t was uncom-
Portable. but l never knew it to result in
permanent injury
Cadet Hayes Testimony.
Cadet Allen c. Kaye of Minnesota, who
came next, said that he had seen Cadet
Breth the night before he left the academy.
Breth seemed very much cast down at be-
ing found deficient, and the witness SYM
pathized with him. Breth did not complain
of Illness. nor did he say anything of his
treatment by the ether cadets wnlle here
In reply to General Brooke. the witness
said he had never hazed a man to the limit
of his endurance, he never saw a man faint
or become exhausted from hdzing and had
not heard of such case
DO you think it is for the physical bene-
fit to a cadet to have him 'eag.ed' seventy
Yes l should say it is. l did it myself
and it benefited me- was the ready reply.
Cadet John A. Pearson of Tennessee,
when asked If he ever hazed Cadet Booz
answered in the negative In describing
several forms of exercising, he said:
Choo-choo1ng 1s the most exhausting
The man is required to get down and use
his hands and legs as rapidly as possible in
propelling himself over the ground
Asked to define the line where hazing
became brutal. the witness said if he saw
a man brutally treated he could tell at
once.
The next witness was R. c. Booz, civil
engineer. of Buffalo. N. Y, a brother of
the late Cadet Oscar l.. Booz. The witness
had not seen his brother during the time he
was in the West Point Academy In 1898,
Mr. Booz continued:
Il received letter from him shortly af-
ter he went to the academy. In 1t he said
he felt strange at the place, as 1t was his
first experience away from home In TIA
second letter which | got, about the begin
ming of August, he told me that he would
be called out to fight in about a week. He
complained Of having had to take tabasco
sauce and suffered from a sore throat in
consequence. He claimed that it was forced
down his throat and he had to swallow It
or choke
Saw Breth Exhausted
Twelve witnesses were examined yester-
day afternoon. They were all of the pres
ent first class. and classmates of former
Cadet Broth One of them, Cadet Tidball
of Virginia swore that he had seen Breth
exhausted after going through an exercis-
ing ordeal in camp In 1897. Some of the
men who We're haZing Breth gave him
whisky when he became exhausted The
witness could remember only one of the
Eazers. and this was Lieut.. Mumma, who
graduated last year.
Cadet Russell said that he had heard ~
cadet being bound hand and foot and
placed under water faucet. He could
not vouch for the accuracy of his inform
ant and did not remember his name.
The witnesses were all questioned as to
whether they had held any conversation
with other cadets to the Withholding
Of testimony at the investigation and they
al denied that such a thing occurred.
cadets were anxious that everything
should be told.
The first witness called was Cadet b. +.
Browne of Virginia. now of the first class
remember his being Ill while at the acad-
envy. He denied having given any hell
sauce to any fOrth-class men. The wit
ness said that he knew cadet named Nc
Manus who took teaspoonful of the pep
per sauce just to show his fellow cadets
that he could do so. McManus was a
third-c.ass man at the time, and he suf-
fered no Ill effects from his taking such q
quantity Of the sauce.
Prince A. Oliver Of Illinois knew Cadet
Breth He said that Breth had told him
that he (Breth) had undergone painful
operation before he came to the academy
The witness said that Breth was treated
the same as the rest of the class. He saw
Breth just before he left the academy and
he looked healthy. He did not leave the
academy on account OF his health.
Happy Under 1t All.
Were you particularly unhappy during
your first year at the academy" asked Gen.
Bates.
No. SIR
Were the other men in your class I'M
happy"
well. many Of them did not like some
of the things they had to do, but / think
that any fair minded cadet could see that
anything that was done to him was for his
own good"
The witness went on to say that ostra-
cism from the society of the cadet corps
would become SO unbearable that the man
would have to resign. Cadet Booz was left