Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-12-22
CASE OF CADET BRETH
Parents Make Grave Charges
Against West Point.
ALLEGED TORTURE OF VICTIM.
Forced, II LIS Declared, TO Sit ON Point
of Bayopct, Eat Soap md Take Med
seine In Huge Doses-Wrecked In
Mind and Body.

Altoona, Pa. Dec. 20.--'i'm done for.
West Point has been my finish. III never
get we'll
This was the statement made by John
Breth. son of former Mayor Breth. on re
turning to his home after seven months IN
West Point.
..We are determined that we shall be
given an opportunity to testify before the
committee in the Booz case said Mr..
Breth last night. Our son was hazed
to death. just as was young Booz.
Il did not know the full extent of the
treatment to which he had been subjected
until he was on his deathbed. Then he
told me all. When he was at West Point,
he wrote full particulars to my son Har-
ry, but these were kept from me. Cor
roborative evidence of all the charges he
made were found in his trunk after he
died.
.'On several occasions he was carried
TO the hospital after his tormentors were
through with him. One night he was I'M
conscious for three hours.
Tortured Into UnconsciOusness.
Zone of their favorite amusements was
putting a .plebe' through the 'choo-choo
oyement-making him move his arms
over from exhaustion. This was the par
ticular form of torment which rendered
him unconscious ON the occasion just
specified.
after he had been in bed several days
his prosecutors visited him in the hospital
with the information that if he did not
get out of bed he would be treated to a
worse dose next time. Consequently he
was obliged to get up. although SO weak
he could scarcely stand.
ION more than one occasion he was
compelled to sit Is minutes on the point
of bayonet, this being favorite form
of torture.
medicines of all kinds were given hin
in quantities, these alone being enough &c
ruin his health. Soap was another article
which he was forced to eat, not once, but
many times.
"a big, powerful fellow, when this
treatment began he threatened to show
fight and refuse to obey the upper class
men.
ssBut his own class men took him il
hand, refusing to permit him to make re
sistance They knew his punishment
would be greater il he did not submit
peacefully.
"His tormentors were in the habit q
going through his room like cyclone
even emptying his trunk and bureau
drawers OF their contents. Finally he re
fused to get things to rights and wa'
promptly reported for untidyness. where
upon he was confined in a straitjacke
fastened so tightly that his arms were
seemingly parayzed on his release. Ant
because he could not take off his cap t.
his superior officer in consequence he wa
punished again.
II am determined to tell everything
and | dare them to brand my boy
coward as they have young Booz. l cal
prove that he was the reverse, and l will
do it if they dare attack him. ] am de
termined that there will be no whitewasl
in this matter. The world must know
the truth. no n,"'tr- WHO hurts"
Physician's Statement.
DR.. Il. f. Goodman, the Breth famil,
physician, says:
young Breth was a noble specimen O.
manhood We all loved him and wer'
proud of him. We were especially happ,
to see him enter West Point, thinking
bright future was in store for him.
II am convinced that the seven months
he spent there were responsible for hi
death.
Inc Doy was never dDle ~ 40 uay
work after his return home | treated
him for awhile He became somewha
better and went to Pittsburg in the hop'
that he might be able to secure SOM
light work that would not overtax hi
strength. That was in May. In thre
weeks he came home much worse.
''He was nervous wreck, his appetit,
was gone his ambition to live seemed
gone. | never saw any one so changed
Typhoid fever developed In two week
he was dead. All through his sickness
in his sleep or when delicious he woul,
keep up that terrible 'choochoo' move
ment with his arms which ne had beer
forced To learn by the upper class men
The terrors OF those nights of tortur,
never left him, thus showing the injur,
done his nervous SYSTEM. West Poin
Filled John Breth."