River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-01-24
WILL END HAZING.
Leaders of West Point Cadets Make
an Oner to Put "a stop TO
the Custom.


West Point, n. y. Jan. Hazing
at West Point military academy is at
an end. The inyestiga committee
of congress, aided by the wide publi-
cation Of the reports Of the testi-
mony given at that trial, has brought
forth from the upper classmen of the
academy a voluntary letter affirming
that. owing to the feeling which IS
evident throughout the country
against the practice Of hazing, the
custom would be abandoned. This
communication is signed first by the
president OF the first class and after
by the presidents Of the classes of the
years following.
The letter while announcing the
intention of the upper classmen to do
away with the customs which had
been prevalent in the institution for
many years, at the same time com
ments upon the fact that the aboli-
tion of the practice is approved not
because the cadets deem that aught
of Importance has been charged
against the system, but rather be-
cause it appears to be the opinion
of the American people as whole
that it be done away with. The text
of the letter is as follows:
West Point. N Y, Jan. 10. l901.-To the
Super'n tendent of the United States Mill
tary Academy-Sir: Having become cog
infant Of the manner in which the system
of hazingN as practiced at the military
academy. is regarded by the people of the
United States. we, the cadets of the
United States military academy, while
maintaining that we have pursued our
system from the best motives yet realiz-
ing that the deliberate judgment of the
people should in a country like ours be
above all other considerations, do reaf-
firm our former action abolshing the ex-
crcisng 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 prac-
tice Of calling out fourth class men by
other similar practices to replace those
abandoned.
Respectfully submitted.
Wv r. BETTISON,
president Glass 1901.
"B o. MAHAFFEY,
president Glass 1902
QUINN GRAY,
president Glass 1868
JOSEPH A ATKINS,
Representing Glass 1904"
The letter was handed to the COM
mittee by Col. Mills, the superintend-
ent of the academy, and after read
ing the communication Gen. Dick
said:
This voluntary act of the corps has so
impressed the committee that it has
every reason to believe that in spirit and
in letter il will be carried out by those
cadets who are now at the military acad-
envy This action of the men is greatly
commended by the committee and will be
read by the country with feelings of mer-
tied appreciation"
Cadets Bettison, Mahaffey. Gray and
Atkins, the presidents and repre-
sentatives of the four classes, were
called before the committee and adj
dressed by Gen. Dick, who thanked
them for their action in abolishing
hazing at the academy and said that
congress would recognize and adopt
what they had done The committee
then adjourned to meet again in
Washington at ten o'clock this morn
ing.
The committee hold the next meet
ing in the room of the committee on
interstate and foreign commerce at
Washington, d. c., at ten o'clock on
Tuesday morning. They expect to
make their report in about ten days.
and, it is said on good authority, they
will recommend that the number OF
tactica, officers at the West Point acad
envy be increased 1t is also said they
will report that the deaths of former
Cadets Booz and Breth were not caused
by the hazing they received at West
Point. In the case of Booz, the testi
mony showed that he was not very
strong at any time and, il is said, the
members of the committee believe that
his health had. been injured by his treat
ment at the hands Of his fellow cadets.
in the academy. At the same time, il
is claimed that the committee has
failed to discover any connection be-
tween the swallowing Of tobasco sauce
and the subsequent death of Booz from
tuberculosis.