Evening capital., 1907-08-20
RUMORED HATING DENIED.
ACADEMY AUTHORITIES IN.
vESTICATE THOROUGHLY
Find no E,idenec Of Any lIaiing Slight
Incidents Probably Exaggerated
HOME SICK PLEBEs TALK

some % the Baltimore papers are
publishing Hare headline articles
giving the impression that hasing has
broken out in fail force with the al.
vent of a new administration At the
Naval Academy, aud thai the upper
classmen now at the Institution are
engaged in systematic attempt to
restore the practice Of the Code. -
which passed with the cunFls.martial
ur tho early part of 1906. aud the DELHI
crate pledge of the upper elassmsn to
abstain from the practice in any form.
The rumors have been taken up by
Superintendent Badger, Commander
ilonsOn, commandant uf midshipmcn.
aud the other unlccfa Ut the depart
ment ~ discipline, and, after thor
| ongh Investigation they do not hcsi-
tate a. state that they believe that
nothing containing the essential cic-
muuts of haslng ls now In progress az
tho institution. They have arrived
ai this conviction through conferences
with the members of thu second
class, the cniy upper clasampn now
"a the Academy, fourth classmeu whu
have Just entered and hy ether
means, the sum of which gives great
weight 90 the conclusions.
There are now at the Academy one
half of the members of the second
class, aud from these arc picked tho
officers and petty officers 1T thu battal-
lon into which the section of the scc-
oud class aud The whole of the fourth
class u formed. The upper claasmcn
aro those who compose the fourth
class, the members ~ which were
haxud prior 90 January 1905, and
on account uf which many ~ ilTu mp
pnr oinsamon were dismissed from the
institution, Not only IN "a contrary
10 the laws uf The e0uuify and The
regulations of the Navy for the mid
shlpmcn tu haze, but ln this case lf
would be against the traditions Of
the Academy, Second olHssmru arc
not supposed tu haze at any rate, but
The members uf this particular class
would hr barred from u because the
beginning Vt the anti .hazlug crusade
which resulted w the expulsion ~ w.
many mldshipmon II blamed upon
them,
Many uf the nombcfs uf the spcs
und GLASS feel iho charge that ka1inR
has broken out 40 lhe Academy almost
as kopnly ~ de- iho Academy aulhofl-
ties, 4 number uf the leading mem.
hefs uf the class have volunteered 10
Captain badger aud Commander Ben
son llio statement thai " any haying
oxists, the eases have been 30 isolated
that they have no knowledge - ~
that 10 Is not ~ organized class AFFAIR
aud hat " any eases 10 become
known, tho members of the class
themselves will figldly suppress 10
without waiting for the action ~ the
Academy authorities.
According tO the fumors which were
given publicity ln somo of She ralers.
many Of the old practices like the
leaning rest, the crew and the
sixteenth" we're again being forced
upon the under classmon, and that
at least, two new ones, ''ilo relay pie
eating contest" and the elephant
dance" had been Invented by the
upper classmen as new stunts for the
pichcs. As the name implies. the
former derives its name and plan from
the woll.known form OF racing. The
pic takes the place ~ the circular
track, a. the report goes. and the
wedges naturally form the quarter
course of each contestant. However.
the contest goes to the swiftcst eaters
instead Of runners, for as each con
testant finishes his quarter, he passes
the remainder OF The pie a. the next
man, and So on until the pie Is CON
sumed, the winning team being, ol
course, that which FIRST disposes Of
It's pie.
This specific incident of alleged
hazing was particularly investigated
| By the Academy authorities aud 10 de-
vclopcd that the pie relay was in
some vogue at tho Academy just now !,
hut that Il was in spirit Of fEn
and that upper and lower classncn
engaged In Il. No instance was found
whore under classmen INDUCED In
/ ft under compulsion from the uppei
classmon. The alleged elephant
racc" Is described as follows. Thi.
| consists OF getting in a ring 81 other
| plebcs and with slipper or similar
| weapon OF oneDsc in each hand try
| while running around the table Il
score as many siaps as possible on tbs
| portion Of tho fellow in front which
| is nearest ard most easily reached.
| incidentally, IL Is desirable 70 keen
out OF reach Of the man just behind
| and his actively applied paddle.
Captain Badger, superintendent 81
tho Naval Academy, left for Rock
having thoroughly investigated th'
report of hazing. lie had not return
cd this morning, SO no statemcn
| could be gotten directly from him
| However, his aid. Lieutenant Sargent
is authority for the statement tha
| Captain Badger is conN inced from
the accumulated evidence that haziul
Il not going on at the Academy.
Commander Benson talked yer,
freely Of the matter. lie said tha
such a report had come to the ears o
tho authorities, but that after the full
est investigation they were convinces
that there was no foundation for it
captain Badger and himself. Com
mander Benson said. had talked {,
| members of both classes and bad ais
Investigated the matter by oihe
methods and felt sure that at lcas
the presence II not the details Of haz
ing would have been developed
such had existed at the Academy
s'Of course said Captain Benson
..it could not bf said positively lha
no isolated incident % the sort has
not taken place. but ! am satishe.
| that the class, as body, is not onl.
not participating ip hazing, but tha
IL Is opposed 10 IL. ! have been As
sured OF thfs by the leading member
az the second class, young men il
| whom have entire confidence. and
have also been assured Of i BY mem
bors Of the fourth class.
- f41~ f.4ra.