Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-19
PHIL SHERIDAN'S SON
Gave Testimny Befre the Boz Invesi-
 gating Committee.

0SA
 gating Committee.
 West Point, N .Y., Jan 19.-The House of Representatives committee appointed to investigate the haZing practices at the military academy hopes to close the taking of testimony this evening. The first witness eX amined this morning was Cadet Paul D. Bunker, of Massachusetts, who is a member of the present third class. Last night some of the ''plebes" told the committee that Bunker had braced them and given them tabasco sauce during the encampnent last summer. One of them, Cadet Dillon. said he had been required by Bunker to swallow q quantity of the sauce. Bunker acknowledged having Draced from the 'plebes'' but denied having given more than fifteen drops of sauce to anyone and when Judge Smith confronted him with Dillon's testimony the witness said he did not recollect ever having given such | large quantity to Dillon or any other man of the fourth class. The Iowa congressman scored the witness for hazing and harassing the new com CTS when he himself had only enter ed the threshold of an upper class. fresh from the painful experiences Of his 'plebe' year.
 Bunker said he weighed about 900 pounds and gave his height as 5 feet l14 inches. He only remembered having haZed two men who were his equals in physique. The others whom he haZed were small men. He had never engaged in fights either as prin- cipal or assistant. His hazing reper- toire was rather limited as he con- fined himself to bracing. making men sing out their wash lists to popular airs. riding broomsticks. standing on their heads and charging sparrows with fixed bayonets.
 West Point. Jan 19.-Tradition was upset. and a quiet chuckle ran around the room yesterday when the congress Investigating committee touched on a tender spot in cadet annals. It was when reference was made to a plebe from New Jersey who couldn't be whipped.
 Chairman. committeeman, officers and cadets alike smiled broadly and with equal pride in the little plebe, the only plebe in the academy who never had been haZed.
 And why did he escape all hazing?" asked committeeman curiOusly, as the practice always was 10 call out Il fourth class man to fight one physical ly his superior.
 The witness grinned delightedly as he answered:
 He whipped every man who was pitted against him, sir. He whipped five upper c1assmen in one day. and ln all he licked about thirty. sir
 Some faint idea of the pluck of the little fourth class man who had whipped almost an entire company of Uncle Sam's future officers pervaded the whole room, and the general grin was almost audible. Il seems the sturdy greenhorn obJecred to being hazed. and of course he had to fight every time he refused to spread eagle or swallow tabasco sauce or do funny things to amuse the others.
 So he said he wouldn't then sat down to wait for l challenge from a well trained upper classman whose duty it was to teach him the error of his ways He laid i've of these low in one day and q council of war fol- lowed while he slept in peaceful sleep of the unhaZed.
 Twenty-Five other upper classmen, the pluck and brawn of them all, called out the obstinate little green horn in succession and bit the dust for their pains. Thus the little plebe, the "Great Cnhazed,'' walked over their prostrate forms through the academy.
 Some idea of this modest plebe's ; abilities must have caused Represent tative Driggs to remark he was sorry he had not sent Terry McGovern, the prizefighter. 10 the academy. as no one would want to tackle him after the first fight.
 "Oh. I don't know about that" said the cadet witness. with an aching re- 1 greater than the unbeaten Terry.
 Cadet William G. Caples of Mis- souri read over the fifty y-nine forms of hazing and said he had gone through most of them Caples was corporal of the guard the morning BooZ was re- ported for facing in the wrong direc- ton. He said Booz. in explaining his action, probably believed he was fac ing properly Booz's contradiction of the affair. he said, had absolutely noth- ing to do with the cadet being called out
 Cadet Levi Israel Samuelson of Texas said he never was interfereu with on account of his Hebrew re ligion. He made no concealment of it, but never was annoyed in any way. The Rev Herbert Shipman. Protes- tant Episcopal chaplain. said the per centage of Catholics in the cadet corps is about ten to fifteen. He said there was absolutely no religious intolerance among the cadets.
 Cadet Truman w. Caruthers of H. linois told about being called out. His Jaw was broken in the fight. Cadet Renry A. Meyer, Jr, of Ar kansas, six-footer, told about hazing several cadets
 Cadet Philip H. Sheridan, q cadet at-large. was then called and sworn. He said he had been severely haZet! l by Cadets Bettison and Meyer. He | was weakened by the vigorous treat I ment. but never tainted or had con- l vulsions.
 MT Wanger asked him about his 1 having hazed others, and said: 'Do 1 you know that your illustrious father i has said that hazing Is senseless | custom, which an improved civilization | has eradicated:
 "He never snid anything to me about l it." said young Sheridan. No, but he wrote 1t in his. memoirs l and, may ask you, Is there any one 1 in your class who Is better adviser 1 than he!"