The age-herald., 1901-01-17
Boys Left the Stand in BreathIess
 Condition
LAYERS BRUTAL AND cowaRDLY
Witnesses Had a Worse Experience With Congressmen Than Any Form of Hazing Could Bring About.
 Interesting Testimony

West Point, January 16.-The congress- ional committee today got down to the bot- tom of the hazing practiced at the acade. my during the last four years. Cadets Mahaffey, Cookery and Pegram were ex- amined today.
 Not point was missed by Congressman Wagner, Driggs, Smith and Clayton, but what the witnesses received at the hands of these investigators was nothing to their experience in the hands of the chairman, General Dick of Ohio. The general ques- toned them dn his quiet, suave manner, and led them on by easy stages to the point he desired. Then like bolt from a clear sky he let loose his torrents of eeath- ing sarcasm, every word of which cut deep ly and made each of the witnesses vince. All three of them left the stand in breathless condition and in worse state of mind and body than if they had just been compelled ito go through the entire curriculum of hazing which, according to the evidence adduced at this investigation, consists of half hundred different forms. Some Strong Adjectives. During the examination today Cadet Cookery of Missouri acknowledged that he had exercised young MacArthur, who was with five or six other fourth class men.
 
 Arthur
 For not bracing hard enough" replied Dockery.
 You are satisfied you hazed MT. Mac Arthur and that he was sick; in fact. had convulsions after it?' asked MT. Drisgs.
 "Yes sir.
 Did you think 1t was cruel?"
 "Yes, sir.
 Well, young man, for your information I will tell you that think 1t was atrocious,
 f,,I 1icha Ia dsreputable heinous, ignominious, ill., famed, nefarious, odious, outrageous, scan- dalous shameful, shameless, villainouS and wicked" said MT. Driggs, and the tor rent of adjectives almost took away Dock ery's breath.
 ! At the night session. during the examina- tion of Cadet Pegram the witness implied that fourth classman feigned illness and could have stood more punishment. Judge Smith asked what right had Pe- gram or any other cadet to asperse tho truthfulness of a man who said he was faint or who had tainted.
 Upper Class Arrogance.
 You upper classmen arrogate to your selves the right to judge whether fourth classmen are truthful. You think that your standard of truthfulness is so excel- lent that you can tell with almost super natural certainty whether a man is lying or not said MT Smith. syasr T
 '.I don't think so, sir
 Well, you certainly act as if you were possessed of some infinite power in that re- spect You should belong-to to the medical corps. You'd make invaluable addition to it, when you are, as you say, able to tell the following morning whether a man had tainted the night before," said Judge Smith, with biting sarcasm.
 General Dick read some letters written by former Cadet Booz, and when he came to the point where Booz spoke of the re- port against him for facing in the wrong direction when relieving guard, Pegram said
 "Booz lied in his answer to that com plaint. I was present at the time with Corporal Caples, who made the report. : The committee adjourned until tomorrow.