Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-12-20

SOG
Last Monday Senator HohenschilC
chaperoned a party of about twenty
persons from town through the new
Asylum buildings in course of erection
here The five main buildings are
very nearly completed-it being a parl
of the contract that they must be fin.
ished by Jan. let. next. Work on the
immense power house and tunnels is
just fairly begun. On every part OF
the building site there is unusual &C
tivity. Ahundred mechanics. perhaps,
are busily engaged hurryiDg the build
ing toward completion. No part oil
the work, however Insignificant in ap-
pearauce. is being neglected in the
least. The FIVE main buildings present
an imposing appearance. In every re-
spect they are new. The style of ar
~chitecture is something new for asylum
buildings in this State, while the in
terror arrangement is comparatively
new 10 any state in the Union. Each
building is divided into about -four
large rooms connected with halls and
arches. Everything is omitted which
tends in the least to suggest imprison-
ment. Cheerful associations and sur
roundings have been found to be a
greater cure for manias than medicine
or Imprisonment. The plans are taken
from those of the asylums in Ohio which
have a very large per cent. OF cures
to their credit. 1t il to classify the
inmates. placing those who are merely
weak-minded together in one building,
those more dangerously insane together
in another and so on. The feasibility
of the icea at once suggests itself to
one and actual experience in other
states proves that it is by far the more
successful way to treat the insane. The
present plans call for the completion
of the power house from which will be
furnished the heat, light and water
for the buildings. The arrangement
is perfect. There remains many build
ings absolutely necessary which have
been u~nprovided for in the first appro-
priation. There is DO kitchen or dining
room. absolute necessities before a
patient can be received; a Laundry, a
Superintendent's residence, barns and
farming machinery, and many other
things must be had before the asylum
buildings proper can be successfully
occupied. Let our Geneaal Assembly
not stand in the States own light by
failing to make a liberal appropriation.
Senator Hohenschild and those thor
oughly acquainted with the needs of
the Commission say $3.50, 900 more
should be appropriated in order that
the work already begun may be COM
pleted and the caring for patients be-
gdn.-Fdrnaington NeW8.
A court martial investigation is now
being conducted at West Point Military
Academy to discover if hazing was the
cause of the death of Cadet Booz. The
investigation has stirred military cir
cles all through the country, from CEN
ter to circumference. and army officers
are especially interested. Mr.. c. L.
Mcguire, who makes his home in the
Valley, was a class mate of Booz at
West Point and knew him we'll. The
following vas telegraphed from Area
dia Friday to the St. Louis Republic:
&C. l.. Mcguire, a former classmate of
Booz at West Point, when zen to-day
by a Republic correspondent, made the
following statement in regard to the
Booz case: Under ordinary circum-
stances l would not feel myself justified
in making public any of the internal
happenings in the corps OF cadets at
West Point. but the sad death of Mr..
Booz and the attributing of 1t to West
Point haZing by a grief-stricken mother
to call for some affirmation or
denial from some one who was in the
corps at the time. Mr.. Booz and | sat
at the anne table during the summer
of 1898, and were in the same COM
pany throughout his academic career
From the very FIRST be seemed to an
tagonize the upper classmen. and
while. to the best of my knowledge, he
received no more hazing than any 9TH
er of his classmates, yet he was the
recipient of innumerable tongue lash
ings on account of his actions. These
actions, which were breaches of the
corps laws for the government of
fourth-classmen, finally led to his be-
ing called out. The fight took place
early one morning. and was fair in
every particular, as all West Point az
fairs of honor are. Although / was
not an eyewitness, my account, re-
ceived from an eyewitness, will serve
Mr.. Booz was knocked down in the first
round. and. although Dot hurt beyond
a mild black eye, refused to get up and
continue to fight, whimpering that he
had had enough. That ended the
affair. But in refusing to continue the
fight his actions were dubbed cowardly
by the corps, and / believe the msjori-
ty of his classmates also took hat view.
After this Mr.. Booz was hardly spoken
to by any upper classmen, except in a
military sense, and don't believe that
he received any more haZing, but sneers
met him at every turn, and l believe
il was this living in an atmosphere of
continual sneers at his conduct during
the fight that led to his resignation l
| never witnessed any brutal hazing
while | was at the point, and | will say
that the plebe is the arbiter of his own
fate. Some cadets are bothered more,
others less. Their own condition de-
cides the uoun OF hazing they re-
ceive. The hazing is usually mild and
usually benefits the cadet. / know it
did in my case. / sympathize deeply
with the hoy's parents. but in justice
to the corps / must say that | cannot
see how Mr.. Booz's. treatment at the
Point caused his death, unless he was
physically incapable of standing the
strain imposed on all cadets at the
academy.
Cheau HOLIDAY Rates.