The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-20

time to the cadets at West Point to render
this institution and the country so great
a service by resolving now and here that no
charges as serious as these shall, IL they
help ii, ever be laid at West Point 5
doors again
Burnet was then excused.
At the night session Col. Peter s. Mchie
professor of natural and experimental phil
osophy. was called. He is a graduate of
West Point of the class of 1861, and told
OF the forms of haZing when he was a
'.plebe" and throughout his cadetship at
the academy. He declared that he, as well
as every army officer, was entirely opposed
&c all practices of haZing and fighting.
and he stated that he was in entire ac-
cord with all the other officers of the Mill
tary Academy who were anxious to have
all such practices abolished.
Lieut.. Col Otto l.. Helm, commandant
OF cadets, was the next witness. General
Dick told him that the committee had de-
c.ded to adopt his testimony as reported
In the records of the military court of in
quiry, anc that he could amplify ii in any
way he desired The witness said that he
was surprised at the number of fights
which had occurred in the last three years,
according to the evidence adduced at the
sessions of the committee. 1t was a reve-
latiOn 10 him, and he added hat the ca
diets evaded all the watchfulness of the
tactical officers, who vigilantly tried to dis
cover such breaches of the rules and regu-
lations.
THE CADETS AGREEMENT.
AS soon Colonel Helm concluded his
testimony Col. A. l.. Mills, superintendent
of the academy. handed the following doc
ument to General Dick, the chairman of
the committee:
West Point, N Y, Jan. 10.
ITO the Superintendent of the United
States Military Academy:
S1r-Having become cogniZant of the
manner in which the system of hazing, as
practiced AZ the Military Academy, is re-
fla1h b.
we, the cadets of the United States Mill
tary Academy. while maintaining that We
have pursued our system from the best mo-
tives, yet realizing that the deliberate judg-
ment of the people should, in country LIKE
ours, be above all other considerations, do
Ieaffirm our former action abolishing the
exercising of fourth-class men, and do
further agree to discontinue hazing, the
requiring of fourth-class men to eat any
thing against their desire and the practice
OF calling out fourth-class men by class
action, and that we will not devise other
similar practices to replace those aban-
ocned.'
This was signed for the first class by
w. X. Bettison. president of the class OF
fey, president of the class of 1902; for the
third class by Quinn Gray, president of
the class of 1903. and for the fourth class
by Joseph A. Atkins, representing the class
of 1904.
After reading the communication General
Dick said: This voluntary act of the
corps mas SO impressed the committee tnaI
they have every reason to believe that i'm
spirit and letter it will be carried out by
those cadets who are now at the Mill
tary Academy. This action of the men is
greatly commended by the committee, and
will be read by the country with feelings
OF merited appreciation"
Cadets BettiSon, Mahaffey, Gray and At
kins, the presidents and representatives OF
the four classes, were called before the
committee and addressed by General Dick,
who thanked them for their action in abol-
ishing haZing at the academy and said that
Congress would recognize and adopt what
they had done. He also thanked Colonel
Mills for the kindness and courtesy shown
the committee since they came here. He
also said that the committee would go back
| to Congress with the kindest feelings and
best wishes for the academy and all cor:
nected with ii. The committee then ad-
| journed, to meet again in Washington at
| 1C a. m. Monday.