The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-19
SHOW INDIGNATION.
Spectators at the West Point In,
quiry Are Displeased.
THEY HISS CONGRESSMAN briggs.
Their Action Follows a Question
Which Is Regarded as Impuxn.
ing the Honor of .
Witness.

ing the Honor OF
Witness.
West Point, Jan. 16.-An unlocked
for incident occurred Tuesday at the
close of the afternoon session of tho
congressional committees investiga-
tion at the military academy. There
was large attendance of army officers
with their wives and daughters pres
ent. When Congressman briggs asked
Cadet Deem. if it was through having -
convenient memory" that he could only
remember Cadet Sheridan's name out
Of all the men he had exercised, there
was storm of Kisses, which ran around
the room. The women as we'll as the
men took part in it and It was evident
that they considered the question 40
one impugning the credibility of the
witness. The code of honor at West
Point, according to the testimony ad-
duced during this investigation as we'll
as the military inquiry, does not admit
of untruthfulness, and the people liv-
ing at the post resent anything sug-
gestive of a doubt on this point. Con.
gresham briggs Immediately asked
that the court room be cleared, but
Chairman Dick declared a recess of an
hour and a half without recognizing
the request.
Several officers did not try to con-
ceal their displeasure ut the question
put by the Brooklyn congressman.
They also said that Judge Smith, an
other member of the committee, had
no right to say in his examination of
Deem that "the death of Booz was laid
at Deems door,"
| Severe Examt nntion.
Cadet Joseph L. Barnes, of the Die
trict of Columbia, who was one of ca
Diet keller's seconds, and who seems
to have more knowledge of the code
OF the corps in regard to fstic argu-
ments than any other cadet at the
West Point academy, continued his
testimony before the congressional
investigating committee when tho
hearing was resumed Tuesday.
Monday night Barnes was sworn and
examined by Judge Smith, the con-
gresham from Council Bluffs, Ia, and
the young man had quite Il trying time.
when he endenvered TO show the wit
ness, who is practically OH the eve of
graduation, that the first-class men
were arrogant, ignorant and conceited
in addition, when they MS a class com.
mcndcd the West Point system of
lighting against the better Judgment
of the military officers of the academy
and i'll violation OF all rules and rcgula.
tions governing The institution.
Infamous and UnmnnIy.
Mr.. briggs, of brooklyn, took the
witness in hand Tuesday and asked him
infinitely about the Keller-Boo fight.
While listening to Barnes description
OF the affair, the Brooklyn congress.
man interrupted the witness and
asked him:
Under your infamous and unmanly
code of fighting is it not understood
that an upper class man is selected es.
pecinlly for the purpose of administer
ing sound drubbing to the fourth
class man who is called out?'
ayes, sir; it is understood when
fourth-cluss man is called out he is to
be whipped"
brutal C0wardice.
ooh! SO that's the CODE" said Mr..
briggs, as he shook his finger ut the
witness, while he arose from his seat
beside the chairman, then leaning to.
wards the witness he shouted: "Young
man, this dishonorablc practice you
have described would not be tolerated
in any athletic club in the world The
upper class man who is n party to the
calling out Of n fourth-cass man for
the purpose of having him thrashed is
a coward and the fourth-class man who
is beaten is nothing else but Il hero
Tuesday morning l received four let.
ters from Kansas, Massachusetts, New
York and Brooklyn, in all of which tha
mode of fighting and hazing here is
called brutal bullyism. That is too
mild description. l call it brutal
cowardicc,' as he took his seat.
The committee gathered good deal
of testimony during their three ses-
sions Tuesday. They have evidently
satisfied themselves with the evidence
already on record regarding fighting,
and have turned their probes on the
mess hall hazing and tobasco sauce
episodes. From all appearances the
representatives will not get through
their labors before the end of the
week.