Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-08
THERE WERE Ten FIGHTS
DURING TWELVE MONTHS,
BUT THE OFFICERS IN CHARGE OF
WEST POINT INFLICTED NO
PUNISHMENT.
A FORMER CADET TEsTIFIEs
EVIDENCE THAT CADET BRETH
WAS ABUSED INTO NERVOUS
PROSTRATIoN.

PHILADELPHIA, January 7.-Ac-
cording to the testimony adduced be-
fore the Congressional investigating
committee, which is inquiring into me
the charges of hazing at the West Point
military academy, Oscar L. Booz, Of
Bristol, Pa, and John e. Dreth, of
A-,oona, Pa, had a rough time of it
during their "plebe" year at that in
stitution. The star witness Of the day
was former cadet Anthony J. Burnam,
Jr., son of Judge Burnam, of the Court
Of Appeals of the State of Kentucky,
who was BoOZ's tent mate while in
camp. The committee also heard for
the first time testimony in regard to
the experience of Breth from the lips of
his father, brothers and sisters.
Burnam, VINO was dismissed from the
academy for deficiency in studies, said
Booz became unpopular after his fight
wien Keller. Personally he was a good
fellow. but the cadets of the upper
classes always tainted him as a cow
ard. During the twelve months Bur-
nam was at the academy there were
ten fight, and as far as he knew no
one was punished. Abused cadets, he
said, feared to make complaints be-
cause they felt the hazers would make
life all the more miserable for them.
Booz, while in their tent, had told him
of how upper class men had compelled
him to swallow tobasco sauce, under
penalty of being called out. The fourth
class men were allowed their liberty
on Saturday afternoon, according to
the regulations, but the upper class
men would not allow them to leave
camp. If they ~disobeyed them, the
'plebes" as a rule would be punished
for It..
IN the case of Breth, it was testified
by members of his family that he died
of typhoid pneumonia, but that he suf-
fered
From Nervous Prostitution
as a result of his alleged ill-treatment
at the academy. Breth told one of his
brothers and sisters that one night he
was hazed three times by three sepa-
rate sets of cadets. He stood the first
two ordeals, but was rendered uncon-
scious from exhaustion by the third
set. When he became conscious he
found the hazers rubbing MIN vigor-
ously and they appeared to him to be
frightened.
A cadet named Bender made him sit
on the point Of a bayonet while Ben
der played the violin. He fell off the
bayonet and was made to sit on 1t
again. Breth told his relatives he was
put through all the various haZing ex-
e~rcises, which resulted in him being
laid up in the hospital with nervous
prOstratiOn. Breth wrote home to his
family that the surgeon said it result
ed from overwork, but this he said was
not SO. His brothers and sisters want
ed to make complaint, but he told them
not to do so, as he feared lie cadets
would haze him more severely. He
was compelled to often eat soap" and
chew the end of ropes, which his rela-
tives believe impaired his digestion.
Cadet oreth was discharged for defic-
iency in mathematics. After he left the
academy he told his brother that West
Point was the best institution in the
world, but added that the place was
run by upper class men,"
Tomorrow the Breth family will
submit further evidence in the way of
letters from the cadet while he was
at West Point.
The committee got into a legal tam
gle with Lucien Alexander, secreta/
of the board of examiners, for the adj
mission of law students to the bar.
The committee wanted to learn what
sort Of an average
Booz Made in His Examination,
but Mr.. Alexander refused to state
except on an order from the courts
of this city, believing that under a
rule. of the courts he would be in con-
tempt for making such information
public. He persisted in his refusal,
although he said he would cheerfully
give the information if the court
would permit him, and the committee
allowed him until 10 O'Clock tomorrow
morning to choose whether he would
be in contempt of the courts of Penn
~sylvania or the United States House
of Representatives.
The committee will probably con-
clude it's work here o-morrow and
will begin the taking of testimony OF
the cadets at West Point on Wednes-
day.
Burnam was the first witness called.
He was told 10 state in his own way
what he knew of the matter under con-
sideration. Burnam said he went TO
West Point in June, 1898. He asked
Booz to become his tent mate when
they went into camp in July of that
year. Oscar BoOZ, he said, was a nice
sort of young man and up to the
standard of other cadets. The older
cadets had a lot of fun with Booz on
account of his name. The upper class
meL, and a cadet named Bettison in
particular, Burnam said, ordered new
cadets TO do various things to see if
the new men would obey them. He
did some things asked of him, but
finally refused TO do So, believing the
third class men were only trying to
harass him. He was ordered out to
fight
by the "FfEhting Committee
Burnam did not know any members
Of this committee. After the contest
Burnam saw Booz lying in his tent.
He looked detected and had been cry
ing. Booz told him he had been
called out" and that he had received
a blow in the stomach which rendered
him absolutely helpless. Burnam said
other cadets said that Booz had laid
down" The upper class men kept
haunting him, SAYING he would make
no soldier. This was kept up until he
resigned.
Burnam said Booz. like all other