Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-08
Congressional Investigating Commit
tee Going to West Point.
FINISH UP At PHILADELPHIA
A Brother of Cadet Breth Gives
His Testimony.
TOLD OF BRUTAL HAZING

PHILADELPHIA. January S.-The con-
gressional committee which is investigat-
ing the hazing of fourth-class cadets at
West Point Military Academy resumed the
taking of testimony this morning. Col.
Clayton, one of the members of the COM
mittee, who has been indsposed for a week
past, was in attendance he having gone to
his home in Brooklyn. The committee will
complete its work here during the day and
will begin holding sessions at West Point
tomorrow.
The first witness was Prof. Charles II.
Strout, principal of St. Luke's Boarding
School, Bustleton, Pa, where Oscar L..
Booz, one of the former West Point cadets
whose death is under investigation, prepar-
ed for the national Military Academy.
Prof Strout was heard by the committee
last week, but he was recalled for the pur-
pose of giving further testimony regarding
Booz's efficiency in mathematics.
Harry Breth of Altoona, an older brother
OF John Breth, whose death is also under
investigation, was called and told of a
visit he and his sister paid his brother at
West Point in August, 1897. a few months
after his admission to the academy. John,
according to Harry. was rather nervous
and had a peculiar twitching of the face.
Harry is slightly deaf, and his brother de-
scrihed to the sister how he had been
until he was rendered unconscious and was
revived with whisky. Harry said that haz-
ing had become so severe that extra guards
had been put on duty, and John said that
such proceeding was unusual.
Never Well After Return Home.
When the cadet returned home after
having been found deficient in certain
studies in 1888 he seemed unwel and never
was in good health after that.
Another letter stated that one night
some of the worst fellows in C Company
took John and three others to tent and
forced them to undergo excessive eXercs-
ing. John was made to brace, eagle,
wooden Willie put on rain coat and
with a cape covering his head, hold out
dumb bells.
Mr.. Breth, the father of John, who testi-
fed yesterday, was also recalled. 1t was
his firm conviction, he said that the ex-
cessive haZng his son underwent made
him chronically nervous, broke his health
and reduced his vitality to such an extent
that the young man was unable to fight the
typhoid germs
George l.. Smith of this city, who was at
West Point from June, 1856, to June, 1881,
described the haZng as he knew it at that
time. Wesley Merritt was then the super
intendent. and he was very strict, more so,
he thought, than the succeeding superin-
tendents. There was no brutal or exhaust
ing haZng while he was at the academy.
The committee then adjourned to meet at
West Point tomorrow morning. The mem
bers of the committee will stay at the Man.
haitian Hotel, New York. tonight. After
hearing testimony at the Military Academy
the committee will return to Washing ton,
where other witnesses will be heard.
Lucien Alexander Recalled.
Lucien Alexander, secretary Of the board
Of examiners for the admission Of law stu
dents to the Philadelphia bar, who yester
day refused to give the result of Oscar
Booz's examination, on the ground that he
would be in contempt Of the courts under a
rule Of the court, was again recalled. He
was given until this morning by the COM
mittee to decide whether he would stand in
contempt of the courts or the United States
House Of Representatives. He again re-
but, as he was desirous Of assisting the
committee, he said he had personally ap-
piled to the court of common pleas, and
had been granted a rule permitting him to
make answer. He then testified that Oscar
BooZ failed in the examina ton, he having
general average Of so. Mr.. Alexander said
he attributed his bad showing to BooZs
poor eyesight 1t was the boards expe-
rience that young men who had success
fully passed the examinations for admission
to West Point had little difficulty in passing
the boards examination.
Harry Breth was again recalled, and he
submitted three letters written by his
brother while he was cadet at West Point
In one letter John told Of having received
large number of dement's. This, he said
was not the result of carelessness, as the
rules were very strict in regard to tidiness
He had little time to keep his belongings in
proper order as he was compelled to ne
attend soirees, which was one of the forms
OF haZlng in vogue at the academy.