The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-01-16
BRIGGS DENoUNCEs CODE.
Brooklyn Representative Declares
That the Method of Matching
Men For Fights Is One of
Brutal Coyynrdice.

NeSt fOlHIt Jan. lJ.--tduet JoStph ~.
Barnes Of the District of Columbia. who
was another of Cdet Keller's seconds
and who seems to ave more knowledge
of the code Of theicrps in regard to fistic
arguments than an other cadet at the
West Point acadmy, testified before
the congressional iIestigating committee
when the hearing tyns resumed.
Mr.. briggs Of Brpklyn took the young
witness in hand an asked him infinitely
abount the kclerII1oz fight. While lis
tening to Barnes description of the af-
fair the Brooklyn cagressman interrupt
ed the witness and sked him:
Under your Infamous and unmanly
code of fighting is ilnot understood that
an upper class man ) selected especially
for the purpose Of a ministcring IA sound
drubbng to the fourh class man who is
called OUT"
"Ies. Sir. il is lInde stoOd when fourth
class man Is called OF he is to be whip
ped"
"Oh. 50 that's IT, code!" said Mr..
briggs as he shook Is finger at the wit
ness. while he arose rom his seat beside
the chairman. Then leaning toward the
witness he shouird:
young man. this ishonorabe practice
you have described would not be toler-
ated in any atheticclub in the world. /
am an admirer Il good boxing and
wrestling myself, ind | never heard of
such cowardly lmethod of matching
men as your code calls for outside of the
West Point military reservation. The
upper class man Who is a party to the
calling out of fourth class main for the
| purpose Of having Linn hrashed is a cow
ard, and the fourth class man who is
beaten is nothing else but hero. have
/ just received four letters from Kansas
Massachusetts, New York and Brooklyn
in all of which The mode of fighting and
hazing here is called brutal bullysm.'.
That is too mild description. ] cal
it brutal cowardicS said the King.
county representativs as he took his sea
again.
How to Pre,snt Fighting.
Suppose that arI oath We're admins
tered Ia Il candidate when he receive
his appointment rs h cadet to this acad
envy. the provisions of which prohibte,
fighting. do you hhk it would stop tn
practice" asked NJ. Wanger.
"Ies. sir, | plesuine it would, as d
not believe any mtln would break hi
oath but as fol myself, will say tina
if | had to 20 back 10 the time of my NJ
poiutment and in oath was being abou
to he administered to me which woul
prohibit me from tescnting an insult,
would inhesitatin9y refuse to take
: and content my>elf in some civil occupi
tion." replied tn, witness.
you expect o become an army oil
Ger very soon, do you not! inquire
Colonel Clayton
Yes sir"
"l'hcn after u have become an Office
would you in violation Of your oath a
celt or send a hallenge to duel, fist
, or othurwiseW
: III the provo alton occurred in certa
well defined lines. / would not violate II
= oath, but wolll resign and send or a
4 cept challenge. in the event that
] could not meel and shoot my man {
q sight
General Dick read some of the lette
that Booz wrote to his family from Il
. academy and asked the witness sever
! questions concerning statements made
i the late cadet.
a In reply to a question as to the pos
:, biliiy Of eradicating fighting and hazi
i put to him by the chairman, the witne
said.
y at IL my opinion that both can be alb
a ished if the upper class men are allow
the privilege of 'bracing' fourth ella
q men both in and out of ranks. as this
i itself il essential to maintain the soldi
a ly carriage which the cadet corps is al
: ious to maintain"