The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-12
COLONEL MILLS EXAMINED
The West Point superintendent
Testihes Concerning Hazing.
He Answers Questions Comparing
the Present ordeaIs With Those
of Twenty Years Ago.

WEST POINT. n. Y, Jan 12-CoL A
l. Mills, Superintendent of the Military
Academy here. was recalled to the stand
when the Congressional Committee Of En-
quiry into cadet hazing convened al 9:45
o'clock this morning Judge Smith, the
Iowa Representative, took MIN in hand
When you were cadet at the Academy
twenty years ago was it tradition that
fourth classmen should pay as much re-
spect and obedience to upper cIassmen as
they would to army cfficers?" asked the
judge NO, sir said Superintendent
Mills
Was the fourth classman expected 10
refrain from addressing the upper class
men2'
There was not much social intercourse
was the same demerie system in
vogue2"
yes. sir
Horace Booz, who testified before the
military board with regard TO the hazing
OF his brother. appeared IN the room
while the colonel was talking. He had
been summoned from Buffalo for exami-
IatlUu Dy LlE COHIulilcc-
Did they have class 'scrapping' com
mfttees when you were cadet2" Judge
Smith asked Colonel Mills
They did not" was the reply.
Did they have fist fights TO q finish
with seconds and other paraphernaIia OF
the prize rIng2''
Not that I can recall. I think there
we're only two or three fights all the time
was a cadet They were of an improptu
nature and I believe they we're all be-
tween first claSsmen- The present sys-
TEN has been in vogue. I think, for about
ten years.
Has II been practice of cadets TO as
sign sore eyes as cause for resigna-
ton 90
mo, sir; it is the practice of cadets to
assign no reason"
1T Is not the custom to give stereotyped
reasons then p"
No
Judge Smith asked many questions re-
garding the surveillance of cadets at night
and wound up with this;
AS matter Of fact no officer is sup
posed TO be awake all night in order 10 see
that these cadets do not get out OF bar
racks
He replied: That is true. sir"
Colonel Mills also explained that It was
not the purpose of such sentries of the
regular army dS " ere pOSlSO dL niSQt 70
observe and report the conduct of cadets.
Had you discovered at the time that
Cadet Bender was detected in other deIin-
cue1cies that he was d haZer. known
among the cadets as the most violent haZer
in the Academy, that he had a habit OF
shocking other cadets with electric bat
terIes?"
The witnes replied in the negative.
It developed IN the enquiry that Cadet
Bender was dismissed in February, 1898
with Cadet Lane. both second classmen,
for breaking into the Administration
building and falsifying the records. They
not only took dement's from their own
records. either to raise their class stand
/ ing, or TO render a Christmas furlough
probable. but from the records Of eleven
/ other cadets It was charged against
Bender and Lane also that they broke
| into tbs cadet commissary and stole $100
worth of postage stamps. a set Of engi-
| neering instruments and other articles
| The colonel went on 10 say that IN spite
of the vigilance Of the tactical depart
ment. but two Of the many fights that had
been testified 70 as having been held here
| had come 10 the knowledge Of the authOri-
| ties since he became superintendent
Judge Smith asked II the enforcement
! of regulations was intrusted almost en-
tirely to the ten tactical officers at the
| Academy court OF the seyenty-one sta
toned here. The colonel said that It was
so.
| In defence of the Academy authorities
! he went on 10 say that ne thought fight
/ ing would soon cease anyway and that he
| believed that il there had been no neces-
stty for the tWO Investigations of hazing.
I the evils which caused the creation Of the
military court and the present committee
would have disappeared IN the next two
years.
Il believe that the best thing 20 do to
abolish hazing and fighting is to create
a sentiment in the corps against them. and
| that ! have striyen to do said Colonel
Mills. Il have represented 20 the cadets
/ that the only legitimate kind of fight
| was that which followed the resentment
| of an insult on the spot