The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-18

mony related principally TO a letter re-
ceived by the family on Aug. Z from Oscar.
In ii he told Of the hight he had with an
other cadet, and that he fought until ne
was winded. The cadets began 10 taunt
him and call him a coward, and said he
was a disgrce to the corps If he did not
go into the fight, they said, the fellows
would make life unbearable for him. He
was sorry that he went into the fight He
thought il best for him TO leave West
Point. and asked his father for permission
To resign. Oscar described many little in
dignities which were practiced on him.
The sister, in answer TO a question. said
that Oscar told that If he had not swal-
lowed tobasco sauce he would have
strangled. They were holding him down.
and he could do nothing else.
DR.. Willis Weaver. of Bristol. the Booz
family physician, testified to the general
failure of Oscars health after he re-
turned from West Point, but refused TO
say whether the condition OF his throat
could have been induced by drinking to-
baSco sauce.
Rev. DR.. Allison paid a high tribute to
the character of Oscar Booz. After the
young man had entered the academy he
received a letter from Oscar In which he
told of i'll treatment, and said IL was hard
To be a Christian at West Point. but he
would stick TO il at any cost. DR.. Allison
submitted a letter from Charles Burnett.
president OF the Y. NJ c. A, at West Point.
which stated Mr.. Burnett had Investigated
the charges made by the Booz family and
found them greatly exaggerated. Several
IA WllIltCctS NCIt tdld III ltl
ing anything new, and the court adjourned.
the members leaving for Philadelphia.
TESTIMONY AT PHILADELPHIA.
The board Of inquiry r~econveEed at the
Lafayette Hotel in this city at 4 o'clock.
DR.. j. Soils Cohen, a throat specialist, who
had attended Oscar Booz for two or three
months during the past summer. was the
first witness called. He said that Oscar
had tuberculosis of the larynx, and that
when he came to this city for treatment
his case was a hopeless one. and he so
told the sister. The doctor thought that
If tobasco sauce had been forced down
Booz's throat il may have made him more
susceptible to the disease.
Sigmond S. Albert, who had been a cadet
at West Point for fourteen months, and
was a classmate of Oscar Booz, was called.
The young man, at every direct question.
declined to answer. but was
to a certain extent extracted from him by
q desultory fire of seemingly immaterial
| questions. Albert said that Booz was not
hazed any more than any other cadet. He
was one OF Booz's tent mates while in
| camp, along with Anthony Il. Burnham,
of Kentucky. Albert then related how he
and Booz and other fourth-year men were
made to do ridiculous stunts" such as
| making the upper class mems beds, and
'.other unmanly and disgraceful' things.
| What the unmanly and disgraceful things
| were the witness refused to state. saying
that il was none of the public's business.
| He took the haZing because he expected IL.
He told of one night when some fourth
| year men were stood up in a tent and told
TO open their mouths and shut their eyes.
They obeyed, and then someone squirted
| into their mouths what he believed TO be
| tobasco sauce. IL did not hurt Albert. be-
cause there was not enough OF IL. He could
| not say whether Booz was one OF the VIC
| TINS. as they all had their eyes closed.
| Albert said that when he was at the acad-
amy fohaScO sauce. WOrCesferSlirQ Salce
and catsup were used at mess. He did not
see the fight I'm which Booz was engaged.
| but noticed that after that encounter Booz
was snubbed by some OF his own class
mates and upper class men. He said he
did not know Booz well enough 10 learn
IT he was OF a religious turn of mind, and
added that Booz never complained TO him
OF i'll treatment. After some further un-
| and the court adjourned TO meet at West
| Point tomorrow afternoon.