Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-01-16
NO LOVE LOST
Between the Investigators and
West Point Cadets.
Sharp Passages Between Congress-
men and Witnesses.
hlr. briggs Insinuation o: Lying Angriy Kissed
by Spectators.

west POINT, n. Y, Jan. I3.-tauct
Jcs. F. Barnes of the District of Co.
lumbia, one of Cadet Eeller's seconds,
ana who seems to have more knoWl-
edge Of the code Of the corps in Ie-
gard TO fighting than any other cadet
at the West Point Academy. continued
his testimony before the congressional!
investigate committee. this morning.
Mr.. briggs of Brooklyn. took the
witness in hand, this morning, and
asked him minutely about the Boose-
Keller fight While listening to Barnes
description of the affair. the Brooklyn
congressman interrupted the witness
and asked him: Under your Infamous
and unmanly code of fighting. is it not
understood that an upper class man il
selected especially for the purpose OF
administering d sound drubbing to the
fourth class man who is called out?'
Yes. sir. it is understood when =
fourth Iass man is called out he is to
be whipped"
"Oh, so that's the code?" sald Ny
briggs, as he shook his finger at the
witness, while he arose from his seat
beside the chairman. then leaning
towards the witness. he shouted:
Young man. such dishonorabic
practice as Won have described would
not be tolerated in any athletic club
in the world. | am an admirer Of good
boxing and wrestling, myself, AMI |
never heard of such a coWardly method
of matching men as your code calls
foi outside of the West Point Military
reservation. The upper class man
who is a party calling out OF Il fourth
classman fer the purpose of having
him thraShed is 4 coward and the
fourth classman if beaten is nothing
else but hero This morning, | re
ceived four letters. from Kansas.
Massachusetts. New York and Brook
lyn, in all of which the mode of fight
ing and hazing here is called brutal
bullsm. That is too mild description,
| call it brutal coWardicc.' said the
congressman as he took his seat again.
Mr.. Wanger: Suppose an oath We're
administered to candidate when he
receives his appointment as cadet to
this academy the provisions of which
prohibited fighting, do you thinkt it
would stop the practice"
YES, sir, ! presume it would. as I DO
not believe any man would break his
oath. But a for myself | will say that
if | had to go back to the time of my
appointment and an oath was about
to be administered to me which would
prohibit me from resenting an insult
/ would unhesitatinGly refuse to take it
and content myself in some civil oc-
cupation," replied the witness.
Mr.. WanEer said: DO you know thai
one William Mckinley, now the PTesi-
dent of the United States, when a
member Of Congress. said he wouid
favor the abolishment of the West
Point Military Academy in case h;tz-
ing could not be stopped there
Yes. sir.
And the late James G. Blaine. had
the same ideas" said Mr. briggs, and
so also had Zachary Taylor" added
Judge Smith.
II knew about Mir. Blaines views, sir
hut | never heard Of Mr. TaylOr's. ana
may | say that these men never as
serted that hazinS could not be
stopped"
The witness at the request oi Judge
Smith stood up ana gave an exhibition
Of "bracing" and "chinning' to which
fourth claSsmcn are subjected at pres
cnt and also showed how they are re
quirCd to walk 50 as to naming a
soidierly carriage.
Gen. Dick read some of the letters
that Boose wrote to his family from
tile academy ana asked the witness
several questions concerning state
ments made Ivy the former cadet.
IN reply to Il question as to the pos
s.b.l.ty Of graduating hazing ana
fighting put to him by the chairman
the Witness said:
1T is my opinion that both can he
abolished if the upper class men are
allowed the privilege of 'bracins' fourth
class men, both in and out of ranks,