Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-22
HE HAZING COMMITTEE
Have Taken a Vacation Until
 After Christmas.

Fourth Class Men Have a Hard Time
 of It for q Few Years-Cadets All
 Positive That Booz Was Not Bru-
 tally Treated.
 West Point, Dec 22.-The military court of inquiry which began taking testimony here last Tuesday regard ing the charges of alleged brutal haZ- ing at the military academy, will ad- journ at noon to re-convene on We'd neSday of next week, and it is prob able that the remainder of the week will be taken up in getting all the available evidence on record. At yes terday'S session one of the cadets, w. E. Bettis0n. of Kentucky, when testI- lying to his interference with Bool. when the latter while on sentry duty was not patrolling his post to Bettl- sons liking. was told by General Brooke that he had no right to inter- fere with q soldier on guard, and Bet tiSon acknowledged that he had violat- ed the military regulations in doing so.
 This was the first and only instance since the beginning of the investiga- tion that the court had spoken to a witness. and the severity Of the gen erals rebuke was emphasized by the manner in which it was uttered.
 To-day the court will continue th" eXamlr ,;ion of the cadets of the first class. These are the Inen~who hazed BoCz classmates. but none of them who have testified so far has acknoWl- edged that any brutal hazing occurred ill 1898.
 Cadet Clarence O. Sherril. of North Carolina. was the first witness called. He knew Booz only slightly: had never haZed him, but he might have braced other men of the fourth class and tax ell part in 'feet inSpection.'
 He denied ever having given tabaScO or peprer sauce to RooZ or any othc-' cadet
 Major John NJ. Bannister. surgeon L. S. A.. was recalled and told of lis testing the effects of partaking of fout drops of tropical pepper sauce. such as is used in the cadets mess hall. He said he tried it last night by dropping four drops of the sauce on the palm of his hand and taking it up with his tongue. and swallowing it. His throat he said, was very susceptible to an irritation, but felt no i'll effects from the dose. Two young ladies who were present when he made inc test: in a spirit of fun. did likewise and they. too. found no difficulty in swal- lowing the same quantity. In reply to General Clous. the wit ness id: T positively swear that the taking of this sauce could not di- rectly or indirectly have caused tuber- culosis of the throat or in any way be the cause of the death of Cadet BoO2 two years after his partaking Of it. y Cadet John II. Poole. of Michigan swore that he never haZed Booz. He knew Breth, who was member of his own class in 1897.
 Did you see Breth hazed:" ''No. sir, but 1 heard he was 'exer | ciSed considerably"
 What are the relations of the upper | class men to the fourth class men:' with the exception of exercising | which has been abolished, it is about the same as usual. We require then | to do special work about our tents l cleaning guns, making up beds and SC 1 forth.
 Have you heard of any fights since | last encampmentT
 'Yes. sir I heard of four | Between upper class men anC fourth class men:' inquired Genera | Cious.
 Yes, sir
 'Who won?'' asked the general. 1.-TWO were won by upper class men
 one by q fourth class man and tht other was a draw
 Did you ever administer pepper | sauce to Cadet BooZ?'
 No, sir. I did not, nor do l E1oU Of anyone who did.' was the reply. Cadet Guy E. Carleton. of Michigan knew Cadet Booz and said Booz wa: | hazed ill the same way other men il l his class were, but there was nothing l brutal or severe in it. In reply to questions regarding Ca | det Breth. the witness said: Il knew | him but did not hear of his bein! hazed or put ill d straight jacket. l
 he lad ever been placed in q straigh | jacket 1 certainly would have heard o