Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-09
Exhaustive Report of the Special In
vestigating Committee.
DESCRIPTION OF TEE CRUEL CUSTOMS
Some Of the Indignities Visited on
Fourth-CIass Men.
Z RE A TED AS YES

The document contained about II, 900 words
and was accompanied by a bill to punish
hazing. The report says In part:
The committee substantially confined its
inquiries to the time since June. 1897. when
the present senior or first class entered the
academy. During all Of this period new
cadets have been placed In barracks In
June and have remained there until July,
when they have gone into camp and remain
ed there until late in August, when they
returned to barracks. While in barracks
before going into camp they have been de-
nominated by the upper-class men as
beasts" and their quarters called beast
barracks After the new cadets have
moved from barracks to camp they have
been styled ''plebians" or ''plebes," and
this has continued until received into full
fellowship at the end of the first year.
While the fourth-clasS men have been In
barracks before camp they have been in
structed by the upper-class men officially
in charge of them that they must always
obey orders given them by upper-class men,
The upper-ciass men at the academy are
all substantially on a social equality, but q
great gulf divides them from the fourth
class.
Made to Do Menial Work.
The upper-class men have gradually
evolved an entire code Of unwritten laws
governing their relations with fourth-class
men, as well the whole course of con-
duct which should be pursued by the lat
ter. Under this code no friendships are
formed between the upper-class men and
the lower-class men; they have no social
intercourse or relations. Except where the
parties have been acquainted before enter
ing the academy. the upper-class man treats
the fourth-class man unknown, a
stranger. and an inferior. The fourth h-class
man has right to speak socially to the
hSn ha kc 70
him on business he addresses him as mis-
ter or sir" No fourth-class man should
gaze, stare or even look squarely at an
upper-class man, but drop the eyes when
in ones presence. and failure to do SO is
punishable offense.
1t Is the duty Of fourth-class man when
IN the presence of an upper-class man to
stand at attention, as IL in the presence of a
superior officer. A fourth-class man should
be sober and dtgnifed, as becomes one IN
training for the grave duties of an army
officer, and he must at all times abstain
from laughing smiling, upon the one
hand or looking sullen, upon the other. The
record shows that where cadet has looked
saflen upon being tazed he has been called
out, and If be smiled he has been punished.
The fourth-class man must obey all orders
OF an upper-clasS man and pay him the
same respect due from upper-class man
to the officers of the academy. After the
fourth-claSs men go Into camp each is as
signed, by lot or otherwise, to some upper
class man as special duty man, and such
must discharge the duties of a body and
tent servant. He must sweep his Superiors
tent, put up and make down his bed ad-
just the flaps of his tent carry water; clean
braces, brasses. breastplate and other trim.
mings guns, bayonets and swords: clean
and care for his clothes, taking out dirty
collars and cuffs and putting in clean ones:
take dirty clothes to the laundry and bring
clean ones back. make out hop cards, copy
reports and discharge other similar duties
1t is but justice to say that while under
the cadet code a special duty man is bound
to do all these things. many OF the upper
class men fail to require that they all be
performed, but, SO far as your committee
has discovered, all upper-class men have
required the performance of some of them.
This special duty continues during camp.
The upper-class men. prof1ting no doubt by
what they have learned from their prede-
cessors and the aid of their own fertile IN
genuity, have resorted to more than one
hundred distinct methods of annoying and
harassing fourth-class men. Your commit
tee will not attempt to name or describe
them all, but will name number. describe
ing them briefly when the name itself does
not sufficiently do so. They are divided into
three general classes: First. things done
professedly for the good of tourth-cass men
or Of the service; second, things done to
punish fourth-class men for violations OF
the upper-class code: third. things done ap-
parently without purpose, except to annoy,
for the mere amusement OF upper-class
men.
Unadulterated Brutality.
Chief among the first of these claims is
Bracing.-Ths consists in requiring the
fourth-class man to throw his shoulders
back until the blades meet. draw his chin
into wholly unnatural degree, draw his
abdomen up and so walk that his toes
touch the ground before his heels 1t 10
claimed this is done to give a military car
riage; but 1t has the contrary effect. 1t Is
such an exaggeraton Of the attitude Of a
soldier and Is SO irksome. that when re-
Eeved from constraint the inevitable ten
dency is to more than normal relaxation
men have required the fourth-class man to
brace at all times on the company street,
in camp and frequently on other occasions,
and this has on more than one occasion re-
suited in the victim fainting. Some doubt
is cast upon the absolute belief upon the
part of cadets that bracing Is necessary to
a good military bearing. and that 1t is their
duty to practice it to attain that end, as
matter how slouchy he may be. Bracing il
prohibited at the academy. and has been
frequently severely punished. but has been
constantly and defiantly persisted In up to
the time of the hearing Of your committee.
Under the like claim as to their motives
the upper-class men have deprived fourth
by the authorities such as having Saturday
afternoon leave, and have ordered fourth
class men to abstain from reading and let
ter writing except on Sunday.
class Of annoyances which have been I'M
posed on fourth-class men:
Eagling-This consists in the fourth-class
man standing on his toes. with his arms
extended, dropping down to sitting pos
ture rising part way, waving his arms like
wings again, depressing his body to sit
ting posture, rising in like manner, and.
continuing this during the period or for the
number Of times required. A fourth-class
man has frequently been required to eagle
one hundred and two hundred times, and
In some cases three to four hundred times.
and in at least one case above six hundred
times.
Other Inhumanities.
Wooden willying.-This consists In q
fourth-class man taking the regulation
gun and drawing 1t up to the position OF
fire." then dropping It to the position of
ready and continuing this for the period
or number Of times required. This has fire.
quently been required one hundred to two
hundred times.
Doing foot balls.-This consists in lying on
the back. and. without bending the knees.
drawing the legs up until they are at right
angles with the body and then dropping