The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-08
BOOB LACKED COURAGE.
His Greatest Trouble According to
Tx-Cadet Burnham

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. f.-TodayS pro-
ceedirgs OF the Congressional committee
that is investigating the Booz case tended
to establish the fact that while hazing
has been regular practice at West Point.
brutality is not intended and that the
cadets are mainly truthful, jealous OF the
reputation of the Academy and the soldiers.
and their FRANKS are intended as they say
to bring out the man.
The principal witness examined was ex-
Cadet A. X. Burnham OF Frankfort Ky,
who was a mate OF Oscar Bocz and who
was hazed if anything worse than Booz.
He said that Booz was not bothered be-
cause OF his religion or hts evident love
for his Bible. but because he had not those
Qualities which his fellows respected. He
declared that BOOKS greatest trouble was
the result of his failing to show what the
cadets considered proper courage in his
fight with Cadet Keller
Cadet Burnham said he was tent mate
of Booz while the latter was at West Point
He stated that when he first went to
West Point in June. 1898, he met Booz
and considered him to be such a pleasant
fellow that he asked him to be his tent
mate. Burnham said that at first Booz
was liked and considered rather witty.
Later Booz was ordered to leave the
ranks by an upper class man while the
| cadets were on dress parade. This he
made no effort to do, and the incident
created bad impression. as Cadet Burn
ham said. and the upper classmen called
him out
DO you know of whom the 'scrapping
committee was composed?" asked Colonel
Dick.
Il do not" replied the witness: II sup
pose Cadet Bettison was member of it,"
Booz asked Burnham to be his second
but the fight took place while Burnham
was on duty. He said that the fight was
over on his return, and he found Oscar
in his tent and noticed that Booz had
been crying. After the fight, jeering re-
marks were made about him. He was
| asked II he could fight and then forced to
answer no. Then the cadets would ask
him If he thought that was the sort of
stuff of which soldiers were made. Shortly
after he fell behind in his studies and
little later he resigned. The witness said
BcoZ gave sore eyes as a reason for his
resignation. He spoke of the pain over
his heart once or twice. Tabasco sauce
was given him at the table. He once left
some sauce which an upper classman
compelled him to eat. His messmates
were, the witness said Bull Taffery
Clark Of Kentucky, Dean of Texas, and
Myers. Carter was in charge OF the Ia
Bile. In the opinion of the Witness COM
plant to the authorities would. not have
stopped the ill-treatwent of Booz.
Durham said that about once week
the upper classmen would come in and or
der feet inspection" As the fourth
r:lassmen stuck their feet out. hot grease
would be dropped on them. He suffered
this ordeal at the same time as BooZ. but
he knew of no one suffering any ill-effects
from the treatment. Burnham told of the
| incident of an oDcssum being brought to
the tent occupied by him and Bocz. The
animal was there for three or four days
and they were required to keep guard
over it. During the inspection of tire
quarters the animal was not discovered
| by the officer of the day
The witness also told of ten cadets being
put through the sweating process by be-
ing placed in a tent covered with bedding
and many blankets and the walls Of the
tent closed down tight. The ''plebes"
made no complaint to the army officers.
He never knew of Booz being stopped from
reading his Bible or punished for it.
Cadet Burnham stated that the class
men have "scrspping committee" ap-
pointed by the president Of the class and
when a fourth-elass man refuses to obey
orders of the first-class men he Is invited
ont to meet the "scrapping committee"
The witness named several cadets called
out by the committee to fight
III several INSTANCES Witness mad seen
the cadets return from these encounters
with their heads and faces so badly
bruised that he could scarcely recognize
them. He named two cadets who, he
said, came back in this condition AT
that time fighting was prohibited and the
witness admitted that the army officers
could readily have noticed the condition
of the men and ascertained the cause
When victim returned from one of these
encounters all the "plebes" would be or
dered to turn out by upper classmen and
line up to see the unfortunate cadet as he
passed through the company street.
Witness said that he was compelled to
leave the Academy because Of deficiency
in his studies. He stated that the cadets
who keep up the hazing system at West
Point have the power of giving demerits
even to the extent of causing a cadets
dismissal thereby.
Ex-Cadet Burnham qualified his state
ment in regard to the power exercised by
the upper classmen through the demerit
system, by saying that a list of demerited
cadets was posted at intervals, and If the
demerited cadets could give a good ex-
PLANTATION the demerits were taken off.
Cadet HutZler of Baltimore was forced
out of the Academy by being given de-
merits by upper classmen because of his
unpopularity The dement's given to Hutz-
Ter were deserved In the case of a pOpu
lar cadet the breaches of discipline were
overlooked. Ex-Cadet Albert was hazed
! to greater extent than Booz or any other
man in the corps.
Dr. E. E. Godron. of Altoona, the ply
stefan of former Cadet Breth. was ex-
amined at the afternoon session. He had
| treated Breth before he went to the
| Academy, but not for any serious Illness
| Breth died of typhoid pneumonia. he said.
about two years af er he left the Academy.
He did not believe he said, that typhoid
germs could have been carried that long
without making themselves manifest
Samuel j. Breth, the father. and Rose.
sister were examined. Their testimony
did not tend to establish anything except
that Breth had been hazed. The girl read
some extracts from letters to which the
committee listened, but they decided later
that they would prefer to have the letters
before them, so the girl was told to Ie-
turn to her home and get them and to
present them to the committee tomorrow
| The committee expects to finish here to-
morrow afternoon.
LOWER SUGAR DUTIES WANTED.