The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-25
GRAPHIC STORY
OF CUNNINGHAM
Witness Before Booz Committee Ex-
plains the Exquisite Torture In
flicted Upon Victims.

| b. Exclusive Wire from Tie Associated Press.
Washington, Jan. 24-Witness Cum
| ningham gave evidence at the after
noon session. He said Cadets Hill,
Haskell and Kensel suffered from haz-
, ing. Hill qualified on peach pie" and
afterward suffered from commissions,
requiring medical assistance to be
summoned. Haskell suffered the same
night as Macarthur and witness heard
Haskell had convulsions. Medical as
| sistance was not called, but Haskell
was worked over for some time. Ken
| sci went into convulsions.
The witness heard that a cadet had
choked Kensel to prevent his uttering
| crier This information came from
| cadet officer in the academy Cum
| ningham received only minor hazing
at one time "eaglng" for about thirty
minutes. Mr.. briggs brought out that
Cadet Howe also had been hazed into
Mysteries.
The witness was handed q list OF
! cadets and specified number reputed
to be severe hazers. one of the ca
diets, he said, had been "called out"
and his law broken.
The witness was ordered at one time
eight blankets about him, giving him
sweat bath" in uniform, lasting half
an hour Cadet Gimberling had told
him that when he was hazed nearly to
fainting the hazer said he wanted to
make the man faint Zell had done
from $50 to 500 eagles" broke the
record and Crown was given guard
privileges.
cut
eral Ludlow that college hazing and
West Point hazing" were the same, the
witness said:
II refute that statement, I went
through college before I went to West
Point and l know there is nothing In
the colleges like the hazing at West
Point
He described hazing as nothing short
OF torture. exuisite torture. He gave a
graphic account Of the agony suffered
in certain forms of hazing which fairly
sent shudder through the listeners.
Men were hung on bars, their feet up
so that when they dropped from ex-
haustion the knees struck on the wood
en- floor several feet below. The faint
ing man was again hoisted up and
again repeatedly dropped from exhaus-
ton, striking on his knees. He gave
In details the horrors of the sweat
bath" and related the sufferings of
Macarthur from this form of torture.
Cunningham said the object of call
ing OUT was to place a trained upper
classman against an unframed lower
classman. The result was inevitable.
In conducting fight the purpose was
to cut up the face of the lower class
man before knocking him out. An up
per classman had said to the witness
that certain fight was not correct be-
cause the lower classmans face was
not cut up sufficiently He was told
also OF a lower classman being in the
hospital for a week after a, fight, and
then his face was said to be a "sight
TO see.' When on guard one time,
Cunningham was told by the corporal
OF the guard mot to see a fight" then
about to occur. The witness said ca
diets from foreign countries, admitted
by act OF congress, were "bullied and
bothered In the same way.
He mentioned Cadet Iglesias related
to President Iglesias of Costa Rica, as
an instance, and also a Venezuelan
cadet. Cunningham said he wrote to
the papers concerning hazing in part
because he expected remuneration for
the articles. When the witness said
he had not narrated the facts through
Indignation, Mr. Wanger said:
Then you are to be congratulated
on maintaining a serenity of mind
while narrating facts which cannot
fail to arouse the mitigation of any
one who hears them"
Cunninghams testimony appeared to
produce deep impression and at its
conclusion the committee went into
secret session.
The hearings are now closed and the
committee will give its attention TO
the report.