Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-17
WITH BITING SARCASM and
PUNCHES Of AUECI|VES
COMMITTEE ASSAULTED THE
WEST POINT CADETS,
EXHAUSTED
IN AN EFFORT TO FIND WORDS
CONCERNING SOME UPPER
CLASS PRATICES.


good days work at the West Point
academy to-day. While they relaxed
for few haurs in the afternoon to
witness drill of the first class ca
diets in the riding school they got
down to the bottom Of hazing at the
academy during the last four years
and while at least dozen other wit
nesses have yet to be examined in this
connection the committee has laid out
the work for finishing the inquiry be-
fore the end of the week.
Three witnesses were examined dur
ing the day. They were Cadets Ma
haffey, Dockery and Pegram. All three
were thoroughly examined by Con-
gressmen Wagner, briggs, Smith and
Clayton.
Not point was missed but what the
Witnesses received at the hands of
those investigators was as nothing to
their experience in the hands of the
chairman, Gen. Dick, of Ohio.
The General questioned them in his
quiet manner and led them on by easy
stages to the point he desired. Then
like a bolt from clear sky he let
loose his torrents of scathing sarcasm.
every word of which cut deeply and
made each of the witnesses vince. All
three OF them left the stand in a
breathless condition and in a worse
state of mind and body than # they
had just been compelled to go through
the entire curriculum of hazing which
according to the evidence adduced at
this investigation consists of a half
hundred different forms.
Gen. Dick read some letters written
by former Cauet Booz, and when he
came to the point where Booz spoke of
the report against him for facing in
the wrong direction when relieving
guard, Pegram said:
'BoOZ lied in his answer to that
complaint. d was present at the time
with Corporal Caples who made the
report!" This assertion on the part
OF the witness did not strike the chair
man as being charitable, and he tried
to get the witness to admit this, but
Pegram was adamant.
At the conclusion of his testimony
Pegram said he did not think that the
fighting should be done away with at
the academy but Gen. Dick made 1t
quite clear that he did not agree with
him. The committee adjourned until
10 o'clock tomorrow morning.
WEST PUN, n. Y, January L.
When the Congressional committee
met at the military academy to-day
and before any witnesses were called,
Congress Wanger, of Pennsylvania, ad-
dressed the other committeeman He
referred to the published reports of the
Kissing incident at the close Of the
afternoon session yesterday. Mr..
Wanger said that in at least two news
papers army officers were charged with
taking part in the Kissing. He desir-
ed, however, to express his firm belief
that no expression of disapprobation
was made by any army officer present
at the time. He was pleased to hear
that Col. Hine, acting superintendent
of the academy, had instituted thor
ough inquiry regarding the matter.
Mr.. Wanger said since the committee
men had been treated with the utmost
courtesy by all the officers and he
would be sorry should any erroneous
impression become prevalent through
out the country.
General DICK and all the committee
men concurred with the views of the
Pennsylvania representatives. and the
matter was then dropped.
Cadet Birchie o. Mahaffey, of Texas,
who was class mate of former
Cadet Booz was called and sworn.
Judge Smith examined the witness
and after perusing Mahaffey's testt-
mony he said that the evidence given
by the witness this morning was in
no way different from that on the
military courts record.
The witness admitted that the pur-
pose of calling out fourth class man
Was to Have Him Whipped
He had never heard of a fourth
class man winning in a fist fight with
a higher class man, but had known Of
such fights that were called drawn
Cadet Albert B. Dockery, Of Mis-
souri,, said he had exercised Young
Macarthur, who was with five or six
other fourth class men.
What was the reason for hazing
Macarthur"
For not bracing hard enough" said
Dockery.
You are satisfied you hazed Mr.
Macarthur and that he was sick, in
fact had commissions after it," said
Mr.. briggs.
Yes, sir"
''Did you think it was cruel?"
Yes, sir"
We'll, young man, for your infor-
nation l will tell you that l think it
was atrocious, base, detestable, dis
graceful, dishonorable, disreputable.
heinous. ignominious, ill-famed, nefar-
ious, odious, scandulous, shameful.
shameless. villianous and wicked"
said Mr. briggs, and the torrent OF ad-
jectives almost took DockeTy's breath.
Judge Smith got Dockery to admit
that when he found Macarthur was i'll
he felt anxious.
Instead of exercising this young
man to such degree. why did you not
give him a chance to fght?" asked
Gen. Dick.
He could have fought instead of
hazing. Can you. think of anything
more cruel than to exercise a man into
convulsions."
No sir