The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-17

! WEST POINT. y. Y, Jan 1.-THE Con-
/ gressional committee OF investigation as
/ semhied this morning shortly before II
/ o'clock. The committee has decided 10
close the hazing Investigation here by to-
! morrow afternoon. II possible The last
/ witnesses called viii be Colonel Helm. the
Acting Superintendent Of the Academy;
! Mhjor Banister. the surgeon. and other
military officers connected with the Acad-
! envy.
James Prentice Of New York city. 8
member Of the first class. who testified be-
lore the Military Court Of Enquiry that
| he had seen Booz reading a novel. placed
between the leaves OF a Bible. was the
| first witness called this morning. Prentice
first read over his testimony before the
Military Court of Enquiry. which he said
! was al right. He said that as a fourth
| elassmaL he had refused to take tabasco
sauce on The ground that It did not agree
with him and his hazers did not press him
to take any. Prentice then related the
Bible episode again.
I was passing by Booz's tent he said
and saw him sitting inside with a book
before him which he appeared 10 be read
ing 1 went inside and saw that there
was small paper-covered book inside of
4
teFward and found that the book was
French novel in the original. I thought
a the time that Booz could not read
French, so 1 was astonisbed at his read
ing that book I suppose ne was Pretend
ing TO read the Bible so that he would not
be disturbed 1 said nothing to him about
the book"
Questioned by Colonel Dick. the wit
ness admitted that he did not see the IT,
tie Of the book and his only grounds for
believing that it was a French novel were
that he looked into the matter and found
that that was the only book known to be
about Booz's company at the time" L
might have been paper-coTered COM
meDtary or supplement to the Bible, f0Y
all that he saw with his own eyes.
why did you tell Mr.. Burnett that Booz
was reading a French noveI?''
We read in the newspapers that Booz
had declared that he was dying from the
effects Of hazing and we wished 10 talk
over his case and get at the truth Of the
matter IN case an Investigation should be
made
When did you tell Burnett Of this Incl
deEt?''
when the football team was IN Phila-
delphia last December"
SO you kept the Incident TO yourself
for Two years and never dIvulged It until
you heard that Booz was making charges
against the Academy"
Yes. sir, replied the witness,
When asked II he wished 10 add any
thing 10 his testimony before he left the
stand. Prentice stammered q minute, his
voice broke, and finally he said
i do not wish che Committee 70 think
that I was unfriendIy 10 Booz- I was
struck from the first by the fact that he
was fTau and so I RETAINED from exer-
cising him; I did not think he was strong
enough TO go through the Academy"
Then said General Dick, IF It was
50 clear that Booz was weak physically
and frail, was it not equally clear that
he was in no condition to be pitted
against Keller
Yes. sir II had been on the CON-
mittee should roe have had him called
out
How did he conuuet himself2 Was he
not very compliant and obedient 10 the
wishes of TIE upper eIassmen?''
No. sir; h was much less obedient
than the ortinary recruit He did not
obey orders readily