The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-13
Authorities at West Point Not Taken
Into Confidence of Cadets When
Fights Are Scheduled.
REGULATIONS ARE STRICT
AND HAZING, WHEN PRACTICED, is
DONE IN SECRET.
Col. Mills Strongly Opposed to Pu'
gfIism-HazinE Hard to Define
An Oath Proposed.

WEST POINT, N. Y, Jan. 12.-When the
congressional Investigating committee to-
DAY resumed it's probing process into haz-
ing at the United States Military Academy
there was an unusually large gathering
Of spectators in the examination room.
The first witness called to-day was Col.
A. L. Mills, superintendent of the academy.
The witness said that he graduated from
West Point in June, 1897. During his ex-
perience as a cadet. he said, fourth-class
men were required to be obedient and re-
spectful to the upper class men, but not in
the same measure which they would be
obliged to recognize the authority of an
academy officer. The same system which
then existed is now in vogue.
Did the have class %'scrapping commit
tees then?" asked Judge Smith.
''They did not"
Did they have fist fights to a finish, with
referees, seconds and time-keepers?
mot that / can recall. 1 think there
were only three fights during my academic
term. These were of an impromptu ma
ture, and I think the contestants were all
first-class men,"
Judge Smith then asked a number of
QueSIOHS DedTlIS On TIE SuTNtiiidilCc VI
the movements of the cadets at night, and
ELECTED the information that no officer is
supposed to be awake all night in order
TO see that the cadets do not get outside of
the post reservation.
General Dick asked the witness many
questions bearing on the summary expul-
sion from the academy of former Cadets
Bender and Lane in February, 1899. Colonel
Mills said the men had been guilty of break
ing into the legislative building, where they
falsiied the records of dement's. They
took off dement's from the records of thir-
teen cadets, including their own, but did
not add dement's to the credit of any
others. Lane confessed his part in the
affair, and also owned up to his having
assisted in burglarizing the cadet commits
sary. This confession was made to Super
intendent Mills, who dismissed the men at
once.
Judge Smith then asked the superintend-
ent about the action of the authorities to
suppress fighting or to punish those per-
sons who took part in these affairs. Colonel
Mills said that, despite the vigilance of the
academic authorities, these fights were kept
solely within the knowledge of the cadets
themselves. He said that only two fights
had come to his knowledge, and these were
made known through the fact that two
cadets had to go to the hospital.
Colonel Mills told the committee that
cadets who had been fighting did not usual
ly show marks of punishment that might
attract the attention of the officers. Col.
Mills said that he believed Sighting would
soon cease In the academy, and he felt that
| the best method of abolising fighting and
hazing would be the creation of a senti-
| ment among the cadets against such prac-
tices, and he stated that he was striving to
stir up such a eminent
The superintendent informed the commit
tee that up to about a year ago there was
| great difficulty in securing evidence from
men who were hazed, as the regulations
made hazers and hazed subjects to punish
| ment. AS the regulations had been revised
so that it is no longer a punishable offense
to be haZed, the colonel said that the
| fourth-ciass men could now complain with
out discriminating themselves. This in a
great measure, he said, would tend TO make
| the. fourth-class men resist any attempts at
hazing. The witness then stated that there
was a decided change for the better in re-
gard to the exercising" during last sum-
mer's encampment.
What would you think of a scheme of
administering an oath against nazing TO a
asked Mr.. briggs.
Il should not think 1t wise. There is a
difficulty in defining haZing. Chatting and
quizzing new cadets is not hazing," re-
In reply to another question the witness
said: ''Whil 1 do not regard fighting at
the academy as a trif1ing affair L do not
think it would be wise to change the ex-
Mr.. briggs said: at have heard it said
in several parts of the country that fight
ing is traditional at West Point. Now I
4 WANT 10 dSh Is IL tlut tidI yO0 "toN Il OiIb
officers are so imbued with the traditions
of fighting that you don't care to nave 1t
stopped?". uu -,
witness with some feeling, land the officers
of the academy are the ones who want TO
put it down. Fighting is not traditional
here. l am strongly opposed to It,"
lis IL not cowardly on the part OF the
upper class men to call out fourth-class
men to fight against men who have better
physical advantages?"
YES. 1 think it is wrong and to a GER
tain extent cowardly," was the reply.
At the night session Horace c. Booz was
examined briefly as to the accuracy of the
| report of his testimony before the military
court. This was accepted by the commit
tee and BooZ excused.
the dismissal of Cadet Huetzler. Colonel
Clayton said that HuetZler had been re-
| ported forty-one times by officers, and on
these he received sixty-seven dement's, and
on seventy-six reports from cadets he re-
ceived l52 dement's. making In all 29 de-
| merits. Colonel Mills. when asked If he
had ever found cadet officers to be partial
i'm their reports said that he never in his
career as superintendent had even a sus-
| picion of a cadet officer having abused his
Chairman Dick said that the number of
dement's given Huetzler on reports OF
cadets-127, as against 81 on reports from
oficers-seemed so greatly out of proportion
to the other cases on the list that he
| thought ii needed some explanation
Colonel Mills said that Huetzler was a
very careless man. and the various reports
| would show this. The witness said that he
had Huetzler up before him frequently.
He did not think Huetzler had been un-
fairly treated.
The witness said that a report OF the in
| curry which gave an interview with him
as printed in a New York paper on Dec.
3. 1900. was incorrect and cast a reflection
on him as superintendent Of the academy.
| At the conclusion of the colonel's testimony
the court adjourned until Monday morning.
Indiana Cadet in the List.