The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-01-17
SHOW INDIGNATION.
Spectators at the West Point In
quiry Are Displeased.


for incident occurred Tuesday at the
close of the afternoon session of the
congressional committees investiga-
ton at the military academy. There
was a large attendance of army officers
with their wives and daughters pres
emit. When Congressman briggs asked
Cadet Deem If it was through having "a
convenient memory" that he could only
remember Cadet Sheridan's name out
of all the men he~had exercised, there
was a storm of Kisses, which ran around
the room. The women as well as the
men took part in it and it was evident
that they considered the question as
one impugning the credibility of the
witness. The code of honor at West
Point, according to the testimony adj
duced during this investigation as well
as the military inquiry, does not admit
of untruthfulness, and the people liv-
ing at the post resent anything sug-
gestive of doubt on this point. Con-
gresham briggs Immediately asked
that the court room be cleared, but
Chairman Dick declared a recess of an
hour and half without recognizing
the request.
Several officers did not try to com
ceal their displeasure at the question
put by the Brooklyn congressman.
They also said that Judge Smith, am
other member of the committee, had
no right to say in his examination of
Deem that 1.-THE death of Booz was laid
at Deems door"
Severe Examinations.
Cadet Joseph +. Barnes, of the Dis
trict of Columbia, who was one of Ca
Diet Keller's seconds, and who seems
to have more knowledge of the code
of the corps in regard to fistic argu-
ments than any otner cadet at the
West Point academy, continued his
testimony before the congressional
investigating committee when the
hearing was resumed Tuesday
Monday night Barnes was sworn and
examined by Judge Smith, the con-
gresham from Council Bluffs, Ia, and
the young man had quite trying time.
Mr.. Smith did not mince his words
when he endeavored to show the wit
ness, who is practically on the eve OF
graduation, that the first-cIass men
were arrogant, ignorant and conceited
in addition, when they as a class com.
mended the West Point system OF
fighting against the better judgment
of the military officers of the academy
and in violation of all rules and regula-
tions governing the institution.
Infamous and UnmRnIy.
Mr.. briggs, of Brooklyn, took the
witness in hand Tuesday and asked him
infinitely about the KellerBoo fight.
While listening to Barnes description
of the affair, the Brooklyn congress
man interrupted the witness and
asked him:
Under your infamous and unmank
code of fighting is it not understood
that an upper class man is selected es.
pecially for the purpose of administer
ing a sound drubbing to the fourth
class man who is called out?"
Yes, sir; it is understood when a
fourth-class man is called out he is to
be whipped"
Brutal COWurdtCe.
"0h! so that's the code" said Mr..
briggs, as he shook his finger at the
witness, while he arose from his seat
beside the chairman. then leaning to-
wards the witness he shouted: Young
man, this dishonorable practice you
have described would not be tolerated
in any athletic club in the world. The
upper class man who is party to the
calling out of fourth-class man for
the purpose of having him thrashed is
a coward and the fourth-class man who
is beaten is nothing else but hero.
Tuesday morning l received four let
tiers from Kansas. Massachusetts,, New
York and Brooklyn, in all of which the
mode of fighting and hazing here is
called brutal bullyism. That is too
mild a description. | call it brutal
cowardice." as he took his seat.
The committee gathered a good deal
of testimony during their. three ses-
sions Tuesday. They have evidently
satisfied themselves with the evidence
already on record regarding fighting,
and have turned their probes on the
mess hall hazing and tobasco sauce
episodes. From all appearances the
representatives will not get through
their labors before the end of the
week.