The sun., 1908-07-24
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
EIGHT OF THEM DISMISSED IN
DISGRACE FOR HAZING.


Two Were First Class Men and the Others
Were YearlInEs. ~ Third Class Men Are
Called-4Thelr offence Was "Bracing"
the Newcomers-Two From This State.
Eight West Point cadets, two Of them first
class men within ten months OF their shoul-
der straps. and the rest yearlings. as they
call the third class men at the Military
Academy, have been dismissed in disgrac o
for hazing. They started. for their homes
yesterday by the order Of Col. Hugh l..
Scott. superintendent OF the Academy,
and there they will stay unless the Secre-
tary Of War permits them to reenter.
They are William T. Rossell. who stood
sixth II his class and who played substitute
tackle on last seasons football team. and
Harry @. Weaver Of the 6rst class, and
George W. Chase, Jr.. William Nalle. Jr..
Byron Qulmby Jones, william Wellington
Prude, Jr.. Isaac Spalding and James A.
Gillespie Of the yearlings Rossell was APP
pointed at large Weaver is from Illinois,
Chase and Jones from New York. Nalle
from Virginia. Prude from Alabama. Spald-
ing from Okl ahoma and Gillespie from
Pennsylvania.
None Of them was guilty Of downright
brutality and none Of the fourth class was
hurt In any way, but the eight treated the
act Of Congress OF March, 1901, specifically
designed b prevent the roughing Of plsbes.
as IL 1t were meant to be winked at. The
hazing consisted in -bracing,' an ancient
device Of upper classmen to mako the new
comers acutely uncomfortable; modified
system Of Tagging such as exists in some
English public schools. and variety Of
petty tyrannies practised on the tender
plebes.
Since 1901 when Congress sent board
to West Point to investigate the ways Of
the upper class men with the plebes and
there was a great to do about the whole
business. leading finally to the passage Of
the act referred to, there hasn't been any
real hazing at the Military Academy. The
officers in charge knew Of course that the
fourth class men weren't handled with
gloves exactly by the older boys. but so
long as there were no complaints and actual
injustice did not appear nothing was said.
For the first time in more than eight
years it became evident, the first Of this
month, that a pretty neat system Of hazing
was In use. The cadets. all save the second
class men, who are on leave. are in camp,
andfrom the plain at night came the squeak
ing Of distressed plebes. Investigation de-
veloped nothing at first. Then Col. Scott
put board OF investigation to work.
1t was composed Of Lieut. COL Robert
L. Howe. oommandant' Of cadets and
instructor Of tactics: Capt Morton +.
Smith OF the Twentieth Infantry. who is
senior instructor In cavalry tactios; Capt.
Charles p. Summerall Of the Third Field
Artillery. senior instructor In artillery
tactics. and Capt George 8. Simonds Of the
Infantry. assistant instruo-
tor Of tactics.
They learned enough at the outset to
justify calling UP almost the entire fourth
class to testify, and the plebes weren't
at all backward about telling. Many angry
boys complained that Russell or Weaver
or some OF the others -braced' them for
half an hour at a time, compelling them
10 stand rigidly at attention with their
chests out, their chins up and their stomachs
tucked in. II they didn't attitudinize to
please their critics they we're knuckled
in whatever part OF their body protruded
too much too suit.
Several Of the eight. 1t was found by
the investigating board. had compelled
oy threats OF q good licking some OF the
yreenhorns to fag for them. make beds,
shine boots, darn socks, clean up their
rooms OF attend to any other manual or
unpleasant labor. Sometimes the hazers
made the plebes sing while they worked.
md IL plebe wouldn't sing-why he was
made to sing.
One Of the cadets in disgrace evolved a |
set Of orders, all OF his own, for the dis |
,ipline Of the plebes. Some Of the senior
,fficers at the Academy were smiling grimly |
,ver those orders yesterday. He forced
he new cadets Of his company-and he |
ras only high private-to fall in for any |
'ormation at the first call, the first roll OF |
he drums, although the regulations allow |
i've minutes between first and second calls. |
II plebe didn't scramble into the ranks !
1t the first mutter of the drums that plebe |
was reasoned with by the self-appointe |
Of the Military Acad emy
Ind a corps Of very capable aids.
Some Of his other orders which infuri-
lted the plebes concerned conduct during |
irill. the proper ways to handle knife and
'ork at mess time-which weren't proper
says at all-and the general duty Of fourth
class men to consider themselves worms
If the earth,
Col. Howe and'his board got enough evil
lence to fasten the blame on the eight
hat were sent home to their fathers and
nothers yesterday. When they were called
p and the charges against them were
cad they didn't try to yarn out Of trouble
# to dodge the consequences. Man by
nan. each pleaded guilty to whatever speci-
cation concerned him. Not all Of them
rere charged with the same offence by any
means.
Now IL In up to the Secretary of War. !