The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-24
REASONS FOR PUNISHMENT
OF CADETS.
BAD BREACH OF DISCIPLINE
Guilty Ones Disobeyed Orders and
Incited Others to Insub-
ordination.

Washington, May 22.-The follow
ing is the report of Colonel A. L.
Mills superintendent of the West
Point academy, upon which was based
the action of the secretary of war
dismissing the five cadets and sus-
pending six others for a year.. Colonel
Mills says:
Il have the honor to report that
at dusk on the evening of April 16,
1901, Immediately after the dismissal
of the battalion Of cadets on its re-
turn from supper, a large number Of
cadets become engaged in an insubor-
dinate demonstration directed at the
superintendent of the military acad-
envy. The demonstration took place
in the main court of the cadet bar
racks, then in the area of the bar
racks; in the sink on the plain north
of barracks, and, finally, in front of
the superintendent quarters. It con-
sisted of cheers, ending with the
names of two recently punished ca
diets; several profane yells directed
at the superintendent and the NOV
ing of the reveille gun from it's ac-
customed place to a position or the
plain in front of the superintendent
quarters, at the door Of which the
muzzle vas pointed.
THE pretext for this demonstration
was the punishment awarded Cadet
Robert R. Ralston, second class, in
orders published at parade that eve
ming. The actual cause, as estaD-
lished by the testimony of cadets
under oath taken by a board Of Off
r convened the following morning
and which has made a long and ex-
haustive investigation into the affair,
was the resentment of a group of in
subordinate cadets of the second
class at the measures taken by the
superintendent to enforce the law
forbidding hazing.
when the civilian candidates re-
ported at the military academy for
the March entrance examinations, it
became evident that members of the
fourth class were disposed to improp-
erly interfere with them. On March
Cadet J. B. Richardson was de-
tected molesting M and was pun
ished. On March ~, 1901, Cadet Lieu
tenant Myron S. Crissy, second class,
was punished for "bracing" fourth
class men in the name condemned
in the report of the congressional in
yestigation committee in session here
last winter. On April 10, 1901, Cadet
Robert R. Ralston, second class, was
punished for a fragrant neglect of
duty.
'The evidence taken before the
board shows that the group of cadets
referred to, resenting the first and sec
ond of the above punishments, began
to engage in secret meetings in which
the superintendent actions were crit
icised and condemned, and ugly terms
were applied to him before other ca
diets. The evidence shows that the
demonstration was first proposed in
ranks at parade, Immediately after
the order Furnishing Ralston was pub
lished, by three cadets prominent in
the group and the arrangements for
1T were completed in the mess hall
at supper.
II have read carefully all the evil
dence taken by the board of investi-
eating officers. 1t supports the find
ings and shows that considerable has
yet to be accomplished to implant
in cadets the essentials of good dis
cipline when matters concerning the
proper treatment of new cadets are
concerned. This has been a task
which has engrossed my attention for
many months and | am laboring to
obtain the desired end and secure
from cadets a reasonable regard for
the obligations under which they
serve. The measures ~resorted to
have covered the several fields of per-
sonal representation and persuasion,
published orders and warning, and
punishments Of different grades Of
severity. Punishments also which
have seemed to have accomplished the
end in view have been invariably re-
mitted where the fact became plain"