Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-18
THE HAzING INVESTIGATION.
Cadet Macarthur Upsets All Stories Abou
Hazing Inflicted on Him.


West Point, n. Y. Jan. 11.-When the
congressional investigating committee
resumed it's examination into the
charges of haZing practices in vogue
at the Military Academy. today, the
first witness called was Cadet James
Prentice of New York. Prentice Is the
cadet who reported that Former ca
Diet Boose had secreted F'rench mover
inside an open Bible and was reauiis
il instead of the Bible. Chalrhiin
Dick questioned the witness closely In
reference to this incident ana eilci'eu
the information that witness did not
know for a fact that what boose hau
IN the Bible was not a lesson leaf or
n religious publication. and furtner-
more that witness knew that Boose
could not read French. the statement
had been made to Cadet Burnett. head
of the Cadet branch of the Y. NJ. Z. A,
over two years after the occurrence of
the circumstances.
The recollection of the episode had
been brought out by reading in the
newspapers of the charges made that
Boose was dying as result of hazing
he had received at the Military Acad-
envy. The witness said he was always
friendly to Boose and did not wish to
injure him in any way.
The witness told of being hazed by
Cadet Foy during his first year at the
academy. He was sick during the day
prior to being hazed and after he mad
done l. eagles became faint and told
Foy that he had been i'll. Foy let up
on him and scolded him for not telling
of his illness before.
This" said Prentice made me very
careful ever since if l was haZing a
man. | never interfered with deli
cate looking cadet. Boose was not
strong looking man and l always had a
friendly feeling for him, and tried to
advise him for the better.
While making this statement Prem
tice was visibly affected and his voice
broke. He seemed to be on the verge
of breaking down when in ansyer K
General Dick he said:
If | had known anything about it
beforehand | should never have allow
ed Boose to be called out. l considered
that he was not physically fit to take
part in a fight
How did he conduct himself?"
He seemed to be obstinate and did
not comply readily upon request to dc
anything by upper class men,
When the committee reassembled af-
ter recess, Gen. Dick continued the eX-
animation of Cadet Prentice.
Congressman Wanger congratulated
the witness for the considerable man.
ner in which he had treated BoOse ir
not reporting him at times when he
had an opportunity and particularly
when he did not complain of Boose tC
his class committee on one occasion
when his doing so would have resulted
in Boose being called out.
Cadet Douglas Macarthur next took
the stand. When Macarthur was sworn
Mr.. briggs addressed him and said:
Mr. Macarthur. we have had a ma SIS
of testimony given here regarding your
having been haZed so violently that
you had commissions. The committee is
DESTROYS of having you tell in your own
way the manner in which you Were
hazed the forms of hazing, the names
of the men who hazed you and the
consequences
Macarthur said: II had been about
month in the summer camp of 1899 as
'plebe' when the haZing occurred. The
account of it which | read in the news
papers was greatly exaggerated. NJ
treatment was no more severe than tina
given to others and was in no way calcu
lated to affect my physical condition
He described the haZng and said tina
at that time he considered it cruel anC
still thought so.
Il had no commissions" he said. Il haC
what you might call aggravated cramp:
and lost control of my muscles. / mos
emphatically deny that was seized witt
commissions | was not delirious nor on
of my mind.
In rauIv to Col CLAYTON Macarthur
said the statement that cotton was stuffe,
in his mouth was perfectly absurd.
Macarthur was very positive in his de
NAL and the committeeman looked to b'
very much surprised al the stand he wa:
taking.
At ! O'Clock the committee adjourned
until o'clock tonight, when Macarthur
will resume his testimony.