The times., 1900-12-18

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. lt.-ihe military
court of enquiry appointed by the secre-
tary of War to investigate the alleged
hazzing of Cadet Oscar L. Booz at West
Point. whose death occurred recently, con-
vened at Bristol today to take the testi-
mony of the cadets father. mother pas
tor, and intimate friends, relative to the
acts OF the case.
The court consists of Gen. John X.
Brooke, Gen. Alfred e Bates. and Gen. J.
w Clous. Captain Thomas r. Adams,
Fifth Artillery, has been detailed as re-
corder of the court and General Brooke
will be accompanied by Capt. James I.
Dean as aide.
Tomorrow or later the enquirers will
proceed to West Point, where public ses-
sions will be held in the Academic Build
ing, and officers of the post and cadets viii
be called to the stand.
The enquiry at Bristol began at 1880
o'clock, the first witness called being Mr..
Booz who was invited to tell all he knew
concerning the circumstances of his sons
haziug He said that Oscar entered the
Military academy, IN June 20, 1885. Soon
after letters were received from him say
ing that he had been hazed.
Then he wrote of being made to bear
various indignities and finally of being
called out to fight and being badly
trounced. His eyes were discOiored, he
wrote and there was an area of black and
blue over the region of his heart. Finaly
the witness said he gave the boy permis-
sion to resign. after he had been in the
Academy four months, aiding:
Il don't believe he ever had a we'll day
after his return home"
The witness was questioned by the mem
bers of the court separately as to the Ia
basco sauce incident. Colonel Clous
s I.lI =,
mouth forced open and the fiery condi-
ment poured down his throat. Mr.. Bcoz
answered this question negatively.
He never told US that" he said. 1
don't know whether he was held down or
not"
Then it was more of a moral force than
a physical one, was it?'' asked Colonel
Clous.
Il don't know that. l only know that
the sluce was given him."
Mr. Booz was unable to say where this
ha zlng took place. except that it was in
camp. Colonel Clous tried to make him
define the time and scene, but the wit
ness was unable to do this.
why did you not go among the cadets
and endeavor to get their stories while
you were at the Academy"
Il did not think it was my duty to do
that returned the witness. Il saw the
officers though
While IN tents the father continued,
Oscar said the cadets would pull the
blankets from him and pour hot wax from
candle on his body"
In answer to another question Mr.. Booz
said the only cadet he talked with at
West Point was the son of x-Represen-
tative Phillips of Ohio. MIR. Booz thought
the officers at the Academy could stop the
brutality. but he would not say they con
sla tod &C
Oscar was, he said, and he was at loss
to understand why they had treated his
son in such a severe manner.
Mrs Sarah Booz, the young mans
mother. a frail woman. wearing heavy
black mourning veil, next occupied the
witness chair.
Mrs. Booz appeared somewhat agitated
at first, and as soon as she was seated she
exclaimed, Il would believe my dead son
before all the officers in the United States
Army He was an honest boy, he never
even acted lie
The physician who attended Booz, Mr.
Weaver. said ne did not Gaze to give ex-
pert testimony at this time.
well, when do you expect 10 give tes-
tir,ony on that subiect?" asked General
Brooke.
The physician said he did not think the
board had the authority to insist on an
answer.
The assertion has been made in the
newspapers that this young mans sick
ness and death were due to forcing hot
sauce down his throat at the Military
Academy, and we are here to determine
the truth of the matter" General Bates
replied
The query was not answered. hut in
stead Dr. Weaver described the condition
10 cot ha
throat red. irritated, and infamed. There
was no evidence of advanced disease.
DR.. ]. Soils Cohen. who treated BooZ
was examined. He said that when Booz
was first brought to him he made an ex-
animation of his throat and found between
the base of the tongue and the epiglottis
a cicatrix that had healed. 1t resen-
bled a scald and might have been done,
he said, by hot sauce or even by hot wa ter,
or any other liquid. Asked whether sucn
wound could have caused tuberculosis,
he said not of itself that predisposition
to the disease must have existed before.
| He was OF the opinion that the mental
agony. the brooding over the treatment 10
which he was subjected. had much to do
with his dependency ard illness.
p NJ Albert, 4 classmate of BooZ, said
he was a terminate of BoOz and remem-
bered the occasion of the fight. although
he was not present. He said after 1t some
of BooZ's classmates snubbed him. He
said he thought Booz was not subjected
to more hazing than other fourth year
men had been.
One night just after taps, he said. all
the fourth year men were forced to stand
up with their eyes closed and theft
mouths open while an upper class man
went down the line and squirted tabasco
sauce into their mouths. He was positive
il was tabasco sauce. He said that in ad-
dition TO being called on to fight the first
year men were made to do "unmanly and
disgracefuI stunts" He declined to ex-
pisin what these stunts" were, saying
lit was none of the public's business" a."
He admitted that one OF the unmanIy
things was that the plebes We're forced
to make the beds of the upper class men.
THE pACTNH rATENnap