Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-05
Afraid of Publicity.


asked.
81 firmly do"
Afraid of Publicity.
"Then why did you not make of'cial
complaint"
81 did not wish to have any publicity"
"Why did you not as a citizen make COM
plaint?"
81 did not know at that time the serious
ness of the case and also did not know
there was any redress"
Mrs Sarah f. Booz, mother OF Oscar,
said her son was in rugged health when he
went to the academy, but when he left he
was broken in health and never was In good
physical condition afterward Mrs. Booz
wept as she detailed the sufferings of her
son. She called the West Point cadets bull
lies. She said Oscar sent letter home each
week In the fourth letter Oscar began 70
complain OF i'll treatment. He resigned. she
said. because of his III treatment. but in
his resignation paper he gave the weak
condition OF his eyes as the reason for his
quitting the academy.
Miss Nellie Booz, a sister of Oscar seid
she saw in a newspaper a year ago that
two cadets named Lane and Bender were
expelled from the academy for tampering
with the records She told Oscar about 1t
and he said the academy was well rid of
them, as they had held his hands on a
galvanic battery.
Miss Booz submitted several letters and
extracts OF letters sent to members OF the
family by Oscar, five exhibits in all. The
committee decided to withhold the letters
from the public until 1t could consider them
In executive session. This was done at
the request Of the family, as they contained
some personal matters which in no way
roIot taI thn Inv iuat Ton gto
said Oscar had told her he would not again
undergo the treatment he had received at
West Point for 100000
| Does Well ExceIn mt West Point.
At all other schools Oscar had attended,
she said, he had got along very well with
| the students. At West Point IL was differ
| ent. He was called on to fight, he was
called a coward, etc. He was always an
noyed by the upper-class men. Oscar char
acterized the upper-class men as "brutes,"
"bullies" and "tyrants'
Mrs. Booz again took the stand at the
afternoon session for the purpose Of identi-
! flying the letters submitted by her daugh-
ter Mr.. Booz and Miss Booz also took the
stand for the same purpose. An extract
| from letter found in Oscars trunk after
the military board sat at Bristol was also
identified In this extract Oscar said he
|
several blows he received in his fight
| Howard c. Booz, a younger brother Of
Oscar said Oscar was irritable after he
left West Point and when he played basket
ball he seemed to tire very soon. Oscar
had told him he had been hung by the
hands from a stretcher. Oscar also told
Howard that II he (Howard) would go to
West Point he would come back in a coffin.
Howard showed signs Of faintness and
was excused until tomorrow.
Lung Expansion Deacient.
DR.. w. II. Martin OF Bristol, who ex-
amined Doozs physical condition prepara-
tory to the young man going to West
Point, testified that he found him a fair
specimen Of manhood, He noticed, how
ever, that his lung expansion was slightly
deficient
do you think tuberculosis could have
been caused by tabasco sauce being forced
down a persons thTcat?'
II believe it can only be produced by
the inhalation of germs"
Would burns produced by the swallow
ing OF the sauce leave a good ground for
the lodgment of tuberculosis germs?"
"It would" was the reply.
Would the condition of Oscars throat
as it was before he went to West Point
become worse by the swallowing OF tabasco
sauce?"
II think II would. The throat was not
in a normal condition one month prior to
his entrance to West Point, al which time
| treated him for rheumatic sore throat"
DR.. Joseph Abbott OF Bristol testified
that Oscar Booz had primary tuberculosis,
with secondary extension to the throat.
He was of the opinion that tabasco sauce
could not affect the lungs.
Dr. Willis p Weaver, the family ply
stefan, differed in opinion from the pre-
vious witnesses as to where the boys af-
, fection started. He was Of the belief that
} It started in the throat. He also believed
that the abuse. humiliation and fear he
was subjected to was sufficient TO lower
) the vitality of the boy Oscar never told
him that he swallowed tabasco sauce, but
II he did 1t would excoriate his throat
; in resisting its swallowing, which would
J create a vulnerable spot for the lodgment
D OF a colony of tuberculosis bacilli.
. The committee then adjourned to meet In
y Philadelphia tonight.
Night session at PhiIadeIphisi
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 4,-General sili'