The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-10-17
THE HAZING OF
THE HASSELBEINS
True Inwardness of the Lurid Story Of
Abuses at Culver.

We have reproduced in these COL
umns copy of one of several metro
politan press dispatches from Denver
telling how two boys named Has
selbein, living in that city, were driv-
en- from Culver military academy by
hazing and other abuses and at the
same time We expressed Our doubt of
the truthfulness of the tale 1t now
leaks out, despite the faculty's injunc-
tion of secrecy, that the two boys had,
as we said, an undiSclosed reason for
leaving the institution and that rea-
son has humorous aspect.
The two boys entered the academy
at the opening of the present term
and got along all right, with no diff
Guilty of any kind, until there appear
ed at a hotel on the lake woman who
posed as friend of the Hasselbein
family and whom the cadets romantic
cally regard as the mother of the sweet
heart of the elder boy. At any
rate the woman took considerable int
crest in the welfare of her young
friends and visited the school daily.
When she could not be with them at
the school she wanted them to be with
her at the hotel.
Permission was readily granted the
young Hasselbeins to take supper with
their family friend and to spend an
evening with her within the usual
reasonable restrictions, but she want
ed more. She wanted them at dinner,
then in the afternoon, then to stay
all night, and when they were denied
some of the privileges she deman ded
she urged them to break bounds, and
when they did SC and were placed
under arrest she induced them to
break arrest.
Things got interesting rapidly.
The woman from the wild west told
her two proteges and such other ca
diets as she could meet that they were
ninnieS to submit to rules, that no
one had any right toOrder them about,
that the professors and officers were
unreasonable tyrantS and that the
cadets should do as they liked and re-
sent any un-American interference
with their liberties. She was especi-
ally outraged at the sight of upper
classmen in command of younger boys
at drill and she tossed her head and
shifted like queen over a plate of
burned pancakes.
Col. Fleet told her in his kindly and
benevolent way that she was iniuring
the boys, but she only grew indignant;
he told her that she must cease her
attentions TO them and leave them to
their work, but she Scorned him: he
told her he would be compelled to
oChO III IIO pdICllOo, dilu SuC udlcu
him.
Now the colonel is very military
and lie wont't take a dare. He sent
for the parents and the result was
that he told them they must take
their two young hopefuls away. So
they went and the mother of the
sweetheart went also, breathing
threats and defiance and declaring
that she would publish the school 20
the world and blast it forever. After
their departure the academy settled
down in its even way and all went
we'll until the blast came, i'm the
shape of the newspaper dispatches
already alluded to, charging that
boys were thrown into the lake night
ly and that the tender young plebes
were required to perform mental SER
vices for their superiors.
Colonel Fleet smiles blandly and
says nothing when he is asked why
the Hasselbeips left Culver.