The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-06
REAR ADMIRAL SAMPSON
WAS "NIGGER-FBEAD.'

WAS "NIGGER-FLEAD.'
! Rear Admiral Sampson. commander OF ths
Boston Navy Yard. had this 10 say ABOUT
his cadet life. .a,o,is-, ,
student in 1877, and as superintendent OF the
| academy. from 1856 TIL lSJ-thtfc WAS hp
fragrant instaLce OF hazins- neIs "a IN
case like the TecaIt one at West Polnt. III
1851. my freshman year, the cadets prac-
tised what was called Niger neaing- Inc
Significance Of the term has never been
THE custom was for upper-class men to
catch a man asleep and set upon his haLd
inch long and then set fire. 10 them with a
candle. Tie straws would burn down 10
the flesh. and then the freshman would
wake up with a start and all the fellows
| would have a good deal of fun over the ex-
pertinent. You sec, that sort OF thing was
Perfectly harmless Compared with several
kinds OF pranks I'm colleges in recent years
IN could not well be called 'hazing.' j went
through the experience Of niger ieaing
Il think that hazing, as reported recently
at West Point and In several colleges. Is
brutal. Especially the practice OF forcing q
little man to fight a big man should be dls-
couraged.. although, 1t is not mncn worss
black boots for older men. II IL evidence
Of "A mean spirit for uppcr-class men 20
compel a new man to accept a disadvan-
tageOuS attitude or position.
o course. as long as the new man IS NOT
MANNED or injured In any way the hazing
practice does not become a matter for pub
lie attention: and, I'll admit. the cadets at
| West Point or at Annapolis may get much
wholesome enjoyment out Of 1t all. But
! the thing too far, and. therefore. 1 don't
mind stating that | believe that all forms of
hazing should be stopped"
REAR ADMIRAL WALKER
Frequently
Rear Admiral John G.. Walker. chairman
OF the Isthmian Canal Commission, entered
the Naval Academy in 1856.
"Hazing at the Naval Academy was I'M
.I4 ~ aVNra " ha
said. at IL true that / frequently fought
classmates who had insulted me or who
thought themselves aggrieved. but there
was no hazing In the sense That the word
Is now employed. After leaving the acad-
envy, / was on several occasions stationed
there. and no instances OF hazing then
came to my attention. II seems 20 me there
ought TO be no difficulty in stopping this
practice. The imposition Of severe punish
ment would promptly end IT. and believe
IL Is the Observance Of this policy which
has prevented hazing from thriving at the
Naval Academy"
REAR ADMIRAL BRADFORD
AND THE CHAIR FULLER.
Rear Admiral r. y. Bradford. chief Of
the Bureau Of Equipment. who entered the
Naval Academy in 1851, said:
There was practically no hazing when
l was at the Naval Academy. i did not en-
ter the academy until two months after
my class had organized. and ] was told
by one of the cadets from Maine. from
which State I was appointed, not TO let
~Ns SAS A4A 'H
pressed 81, but 10 stand up and fight A
youngster from Rhode Island attempted to
pull a chair from under me on one Occa-
sion; in fact. he succeeded, but after this
occasion l had no further trouble. When i
left the practice ship at Newport, TO which
point during the Civil War the Naval
Academy was transferred. | saw some in
stances of haZing. The hazers were not of
my class. Because OF the great need for
officers many boys who should have been
dismissed were permitted TO enter the acad-
envy and take the course. These were the
ones who INDUCED in the practice"
CAPTAIN sIGsBEE M II
CADET OF PRINCELY RANK.
Captain Charles ID. Sigsbee. who COM
manded the Maine when she was blown up
in Havana hsrbor, said:
"Hszing is a recent practice and did not
exist at the Naval Academy when | was
there. The boys were wont TO devil each
other and devil their officers. and fire.
quently on board ship "A 32-pound shot
would be sent rolling down the deck for
the purpose OF having the officer in charge
call US out of our hammocks.
Sometimes a cadet did not act as polite
~ as he should have done to his superfors.
] recall that tire Navy Department on one
occasion directed the superintendent OF the
Naval Academy to investigate a report that
After inquiry into the matter the super
intendent cllled up a youngster and asked
him II he were president Of the Patriclan
League.
"'No. sir. was the reply.
"'Then what is your position, SIR was
"T am the Lord High Sheriff. with the
rank OF Prince the cadet replied
Sometimes the cadets would engage In
fist fights, but there was no system which
required a man Of the lower class 10 be
hazed."
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